DNA methylation-dependent constitutive heterochromatin formation gene silencing by siRNA-directed DNA methylation https://github.com/geneontology/go-ontology/issues/19328 https://github.com/geneontology/go-ontology/issues/22047 https://github.com/geneontology/go-ontology/issues/27238 This process has been shown in plants and in yeasts, but so far has not been detected in vertebrates, organisms that lack RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. RNA-directed DNA methylation RdDM dhl biological_process gene silencing by RNA-directed DNA methylation GO:0080188 A small RNA-based gene silencing process in which small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) guide DNA methylation to the siRNA-generating genomic loci and other loci that are homologous to the siRNAs for de novo DNA methylation. This results in a heterochromatin assembly, a chromatin conformation that is refractory to transcription. In general this process consists of three phases: biogenesis of siRNAs, scaffold RNA production, and the formation of the guiding complex that recruits de novo DNA methyltransferases to the target loci. Transposable elements are silenced by this mechanism. 2012-05-22T02:22:50Z siRNA-mediated heterochromatin formation