Abstract
H3K9 methylation is usually associated with DNA methylation, and together they symbolize transcriptionally silenced heterochromatin. A number of proteins involved in epigenetic processes have been characterized. However, how the stability of these proteins is regulated at the post-translational level is largely unknown. Here, we show that an Arabidopsis JmjC domain protein, JMJ24, possesses ubiquitin E3 ligase activity. JMJ24 directly targets a DNA methyltransferase, CHROMOMETHYLASE 3 (CMT3), for proteasomal degradation to initiate destabilization of the heterochromatic state of endogenous silenced loci. Our results uncover an additional connection between two conserved epigenetic modifications: histone modification and DNA methylation.