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Li M, Wang WS, Pang YL, Domingo JR, Ali J, Xu JL, Fu BY, Venus EB, Li ZK. Characterization of Salt-Induced Epigenetic Segregation by Genome-Wide Loss of Heterozygosity and its Association with Salt Tolerance in Rice ( Oryza sativa L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:977. [PMID: 28642778 PMCID: PMC5463126 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
In a breeding effort to develop salt tolerant (ST) rice varieties by designed QTL pyramiding, large numbers of progenies derived from four crosses between salt- or drought- tolerant BC2F5 IR64 introgression lines, were subjected to severe salt stress, resulting in 422 ST plants. The progeny testing of the selected F3 lines under more severe salt stress resulted in identification of 16 promising homozygous lines with high levels of ST. Genetic characterization of the 422 ST F3 progeny and 318 random F2 plants from the same four crosses using 105 segregating SSR markers lead to three interesting discoveries: (1) salt stress can induce genome-wide epigenetic segregation (ES) characterized by complete loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and nearly complete loss of an allele (LOA) in the F3 progenies of four rice populations in a single generation; (2) ∼25% of the stress-induced ES loci were transgenerational and inherited from their salt- and drought- selected parents; and (3) the salt-induced LOH and LOA loci (regions) appeared to contain genes/alleles associated with ST and/or drought tolerance. 32 genomic regions that showed one or more types of salt-induced ES in the random and salt-selected progenies from these crosses. The same or different types of ES were detected with two large genomic regions on chromosomes 1 and 6 where more and the strongest ES were found across different populations. 14 genomic regions were found where the salt-induced ES regions were overlapping with QTL affecting ST related traits. The discovery of the three types of salt-induced ES showed several interesting characteristics and had important implications in evolution and future breeding for developing stress-resilient rice and crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural UniversityHefei, China
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
- International Rice Research InstituteLos Banos, Philippines
- Shenzhen Institute for Breeding and Innovation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhen, China
| | - Wen-Sheng Wang
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Yun-Long Pang
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
- International Rice Research InstituteLos Banos, Philippines
| | | | - Jauhar Ali
- International Rice Research InstituteLos Banos, Philippines
| | - Jian-Long Xu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
- Shenzhen Institute for Breeding and Innovation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhen, China
| | - Bin-Ying Fu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
- Shenzhen Institute for Breeding and Innovation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhen, China
| | - Elec B. Venus
- International Rice Research InstituteLos Banos, Philippines
| | - Zhi-Kang Li
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
- Shenzhen Institute for Breeding and Innovation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhen, China
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Cho LH, Yoon J, An G. The control of flowering time by environmental factors. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 90:708-719. [PMID: 27995671 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The timing of flowering is determined by endogenous genetic components as well as various environmental factors, such as day length, temperature, and stress. The genetic elements and molecular mechanisms that rule this process have been examined in the long-day-flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana and short-day-flowering rice (Oryza sativa). However, reviews of research on the role of those factors are limited. Here, we focused on how flowering time is influenced by nutrients, ambient temperature, drought, salinity, exogenously applied hormones and chemicals, and pathogenic microbes. In response to such stresses or stimuli, plants either begin flowering to produce seeds for the next generation or else delay flowering by slowing their metabolism. These responses vary depending upon the dose of the stimulus, the plant developmental stage, or even the cultivar that is used. Our review provides insight into how crops might be managed to increase productivity under various environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lae-Hyeon Cho
- Crop Biotech Institute and Graduate School of Biotechnology, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Korea
| | - Jinmi Yoon
- Crop Biotech Institute and Graduate School of Biotechnology, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Korea
| | - Gynheung An
- Crop Biotech Institute and Graduate School of Biotechnology, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Korea
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Dong X, Jiang X, Kuang G, Wang Q, Zhong M, Jin D, Hu J. Genetic control of flowering time in woody plants: Roses as an emerging model. PLANT DIVERSITY 2017; 39:104-110. [PMID: 30159498 PMCID: PMC6112279 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Genetic control of the timing of flowering in woody plants is complex and has yet to be adequately investigated due to their long life-cycle and difficulties in genetic modification. Studies in Populus, one of the best woody plant models, have revealed a highly conserved genetic network for flowering timing in annuals. However, traits like continuous flowering cannot be addressed with Populus. Roses and strawberries have relatively small, diploid genomes and feature enormous natural variation. With the development of new genetic populations and genomic tools, roses and strawberries have become good models for studying the molecular mechanisms underpinning the regulation of flowering in woody plants. Here, we review findings on the molecular and genetic factors controlling continuous flowering in roses and woodland strawberries. Natural variation at TFL1 orthologous genes in both roses and strawberries seems be the key plausible factor that regulates continuous flowering. However, recent efforts suggest that a two-recessive-loci model may explain the controlling of continuous flowering in roses. We propose that epigenetic factors, including non-coding RNAs or chromatin-related factors, might also play a role. Insights into the genetic control of flowering time variation in roses should benefit the development of new germplasm for woody crops and shed light on the molecular genetic bases for the production and maintenance of plant biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Dong
- Group of Plant Molecular Genetics and Adaptation, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lanhei Road 132, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan Province, PR China
| | - Xiaodong Jiang
- Group of Plant Molecular Genetics and Adaptation, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lanhei Road 132, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan Province, PR China
| | - Guoqiang Kuang
- Second High School, Rongcheng 264309, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Qingbo Wang
- Second High School, Rongcheng 264309, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Micai Zhong
- Group of Plant Molecular Genetics and Adaptation, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lanhei Road 132, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan Province, PR China
| | - Dongmin Jin
- Group of Plant Molecular Genetics and Adaptation, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lanhei Road 132, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan Province, PR China
| | - Jinyong Hu
- Group of Plant Molecular Genetics and Adaptation, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lanhei Road 132, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan Province, PR China
- Corresponding author.
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Lutz U, Nussbaumer T, Spannagl M, Diener J, Mayer KF, Schwechheimer C. Natural haplotypes of FLM non-coding sequences fine-tune flowering time in ambient spring temperatures in Arabidopsis. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28294941 PMCID: PMC5388537 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cool ambient temperatures are major cues determining flowering time in spring. The mechanisms promoting or delaying flowering in response to ambient temperature changes are only beginning to be understood. In Arabidopsis thaliana, FLOWERING LOCUS M (FLM) regulates flowering in the ambient temperature range and FLM is transcribed and alternatively spliced in a temperature-dependent manner. We identify polymorphic promoter and intronic sequences required for FLM expression and splicing. In transgenic experiments covering 69% of the available sequence variation in two distinct sites, we show that variation in the abundance of the FLM-ß splice form strictly correlate (R2 = 0.94) with flowering time over an extended vegetative period. The FLM polymorphisms lead to changes in FLM expression (PRO2+) but may also affect FLM intron 1 splicing (INT6+). This information could serve to buffer the anticipated negative effects on agricultural systems and flowering that may occur during climate change. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22114.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Lutz
- Plant Systems Biology, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Thomas Nussbaumer
- Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Manuel Spannagl
- Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Julia Diener
- Plant Systems Biology, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Klaus Fx Mayer
- Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
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Alternative Splicing in Plant Genes: A Means of Regulating the Environmental Fitness of Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18020432. [PMID: 28230724 PMCID: PMC5343966 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Revised: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression can be regulated through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Transcription in eukaryotes produces pre-mRNA molecules, which are processed and spliced post-transcriptionally to create translatable mRNAs. More than one mRNA may be produced from a single pre-mRNA by alternative splicing (AS); thus, AS serves to diversify an organism’s transcriptome and proteome. Previous studies of gene expression in plants have focused on the role of transcriptional regulation in response to environmental changes. However, recent data suggest that post-transcriptional regulation, especially AS, is necessary for plants to adapt to a changing environment. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of AS during plant development in response to environmental changes. We suggest that alternative gene splicing is a novel means of regulating the environmental fitness of plants.
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Banerjee A, Wani SH, Roychoudhury A. Epigenetic Control of Plant Cold Responses. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1643. [PMID: 28983309 PMCID: PMC5613158 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Banerjee
- Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College-AutonomousKolkata, India
| | - Shabir H. Wani
- Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of KashmirSrinagar, India
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Shabir H. Wani
| | - Aryadeep Roychoudhury
- Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College-AutonomousKolkata, India
- Aryadeep Roychoudhury
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57
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Duan W, Zhang H, Zhang B, Wu X, Shao S, Li Y, Hou X, Liu T. Role of vernalization-mediated demethylation in the floral transition of Brassica rapa. PLANTA 2017; 245:227-233. [PMID: 27885421 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-016-2622-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Vernalization-mediated demethylation of BrCKA2 (casein kinase II α-subunit) and BrCKB4 (casein kinase II β-subunit) shorten the period of the clock gene BrCCA1 (circadian clock associated 1) in Brassica rapa. Photoperiod and vernalization are two environmental cues involved in the regulation of floral transition, but the ways in which they interact remain unclear. DNA methylation is one of the main mechanisms involved in controlling the functional state of chromatin and gene expression in response to environmental signals. To study the interaction between photoperiod and vernalization in floral transition, we carried out a comparative genomic analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in normal (CK) and vernalized (CA) leaves from Brassica rapa using methylated-DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq). Two subunits of casein kinase II (CK2), BrCKA2 (catalytic α-subunit of CK2) and BrCKB4 (regulatory β-subunit of CK2), exhibited gradual DNA demethylation and increased expression in vernalized B. rapa. DNA methylation-defective plants demonstrated the causal link between DNA demethylation changes and changes in gene expression. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of BrCKA2 and BrCKB4 in B. rapa resulted in no change to the period of BrCCA1 (circadian clock associated 1) and a 1-week late flowering time. Finally, we demonstrated that increased levels of BrCKA2 and BrCKB4 in vernalized B. rapa confer elevated CK2 activity, resulting in a shortened period of the clock gene BrCCA1, which plays an important role in perceiving photoperiod in plants. Thus, our results suggest that there is a direct interaction between photoperiod and vernalization through DNA methylation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weike Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Huijun Zhang
- College of LIFE Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiaoting Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Shuaixu Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xilin Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Tongkun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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Lazare S, Zaccai M. Flowering pathway is regulated by bulb size in Lilium longiflorum (Easter lily). PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2016; 18:577-84. [PMID: 26833779 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Lilium longiflorum (Easter lily) vegetative propagation occurs through production of underground bulbs containing apical and axillary meristems. In addition, sexual reproduction is achieved by flowering of elongated shoots above the bulb. It is generally accepted that L. longiflorum has an obligatory requirement for vernalisation and that long day (LD) regime hastens flowering. However, the effect of bulb size and origin, with respect to axillary or apical meristems on flowering, as well as the interactions between these meristems are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of bulb size, vernalisation and photoperiod on L. longiflorum flowering. To this end, we applied vernalisation and photoperiod treatments to the different bulb sizes and used a system of constant ambient temperature of 25 °C, above vernalisation spectrum, to avoid cold-dependent floral induction during plant growth. Vernalisation and LD hasten flowering in all bulbs. Large, non-vernalised bulbs invariably remained at a vegetative stage. However, small non-vernalised bulbs flowered under LD conditions. These results demonstrate for the first time that cold exposure is not an obligatory prerequisite for L. longiflorum flowering, and that an alternative flowering pathway can bypass vernalisation in small bulbs. We suggest that apical dominance interactions determine the distinct flowering pathways of the apical and axillary meristems. Similar floral induction is achieved in propagated bulblets from scaling. These innovative findings in the field of geophyte floral induction represent valuable applicative knowledge for lily production.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lazare
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel
| | - M Zaccai
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel
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Schaeffer SM, Nakata PA. The expanding footprint of CRISPR/Cas9 in the plant sciences. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2016; 35:1451-68. [PMID: 27137209 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-016-1987-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 has evolved and transformed the field of biology at an unprecedented pace. From the initial purpose of introducing a site specific mutation within a genome of choice, this technology has morphed into enabling a wide array of molecular applications, including site-specific transgene insertion and multiplexing for the simultaneous induction of multiple cleavage events. Efficiency, specificity, and flexibility are key attributes that have solidified CRISPR/Cas9 as the genome-editing tool of choice by scientists from all areas of biology. Within the field of plant biology, several CRISPR/Cas9 technologies, developed in other biological systems, have been successfully implemented to probe plant gene function and to modify specific crop traits. It is anticipated that this trend will persist and lead to the development of new applications and modifications of the CRISPR technology, adding to an ever-expanding collection of genome-editing tools. We envision that these tools will bestow plant researchers with new utilities to alter genome complexity, engineer site-specific integration events, control gene expression, generate transgene-free edited crops, and prevent or cure plant viral disease. The successful implementation of such utilities will represent a new frontier in plant biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Schaeffer
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates St., Houston, TX, 77030-2600, USA
| | - Paul A Nakata
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates St., Houston, TX, 77030-2600, USA.
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Nishio H, Buzas DM, Nagano AJ, Suzuki Y, Sugano S, Ito M, Morinaga SI, Kudoh H. From the laboratory to the field: assaying histone methylation at FLOWERING LOCUS C in naturally growing Arabidopsis halleri. Genes Genet Syst 2016; 91:15-26. [PMID: 27150718 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.15-00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory mechanisms are often defined in studies performed in the laboratory but are seldom validated for natural habitat conditions, i.e., in natura. Vernalization, the promotion of flowering by winter cold, is a prominent naturally occurring phenomenon, so far best characterized using artificial warm and cold treatments. The floral inhibitor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana has been identified as the central regulator of vernalization. FLC shows an idiosyncratic pattern of histone modification at different stages of cold exposure, believed to regulate transcriptional responses of FLC. Chromatin modifications, including H3K4me3 and H3K27me3, are routinely quantified using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), standardized for laboratory samples. In this report, we modified a ChIP protocol to make it suitable for analysis of field samples. We first validated candidate normalization control genes at two stages of cold exposure in the laboratory and two seasons in the field, also taking into account nucleosome density. We further describe experimental conditions for performing sampling and sample preservation in the field and demonstrate that these conditions give robust results, comparable with those from laboratory samples. The ChIP protocol incorporating these modifications, "Field ChIP", was used to initiate in natura chromatin analysis of AhgFLC, an FLC orthologue in A. halleri, of which a natural population is already under investigation. Here, we report results on levels of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 at three representative regions of AhgFLC in controlled cold and field samples, before and during cold exposure. We directly compared the results in the field with those from laboratory samples. These data revealed largely similar trends in histone modification dynamics between laboratory and field samples at AhgFLC, but also identified some possible differences. The Field ChIP method described here will facilitate comprehensive chromatin analysis of AhgFLC in the future to contribute to our understanding of gene regulation in fluctuating natural environments.
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Abley K, Locke JCW, Leyser HMO. Developmental mechanisms underlying variable, invariant and plastic phenotypes. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 117:733-48. [PMID: 27072645 PMCID: PMC4845803 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discussions of phenotypic robustness often consider scenarios where invariant phenotypes are optimal and assume that developmental mechanisms have evolved to buffer the phenotypes of specific traits against stochastic and environmental perturbations. However, plastic plant phenotypes that vary between environments or variable phenotypes that vary stochastically within an environment may also be advantageous in some scenarios. SCOPE Here the conditions under which invariant, plastic and variable phenotypes of specific traits may confer a selective advantage in plants are examined. Drawing on work from microbes and multicellular organisms, the mechanisms that may give rise to each type of phenotype are discussed. CONCLUSION In contrast to the view of robustness as being the ability of a genotype to produce a single, invariant phenotype, changes in a phenotype in response to the environment, or phenotypic variability within an environment, may also be delivered consistently (i.e. robustly). Thus, for some plant traits, mechanisms have probably evolved to produce plasticity or variability in a reliable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Abley
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Bateman Street, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK
| | - James C W Locke
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Bateman Street, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK
| | - H M Ottoline Leyser
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Bateman Street, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK
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62
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Tang Q, Guittard-Crilat E, Maldiney R, Habricot Y, Miginiac E, Bouly JP, Lebreton S. The mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase PHS1 regulates flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLANTA 2016; 243:909-23. [PMID: 26721646 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-015-2447-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis PHS1, initially known as an actor of cytoskeleton organization, is a positive regulator of flowering in the photoperiodic and autonomous pathways by modulating both CO and FLC mRNA levels. Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation is a major type of post-translational modification, controlling many biological processes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, five genes encoding MAPK phosphatases (MKP)-like proteins have been identified. Among them, PROPYZAMIDE HYPERSENSITIVE 1 (PHS1) encoding a dual-specificity protein tyrosine phosphatase (DsPTP) has been shown to be involved in microtubule organization, germination and ABA-regulated stomatal opening. Here, we demonstrate that PHS1 also regulates flowering under long-day and short-day conditions. Using physiological, genetic and molecular approaches, we have shown that the late flowering phenotype of the knock-out phs1-5 mutant is linked to a higher expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). In contrast, a decline of both CONSTANS (CO) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) expression is observed in the knock-out phs1-5 mutant, especially at the end of the light period under long-day conditions when the induction of flowering occurs. We show that this partial loss of sensitivity to photoperiodic induction is independent of FLC. Our results thus indicate that PHS1 plays a dual role in flowering, in the photoperiodic and autonomous pathways, by modulating both CO and FLC mRNA levels. Our work reveals a novel actor in the complex network of the flowering regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Tang
- Adaptation des Plantes aux Contraintes Environnementales, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, URF5, 75005, Paris, France
- Plant Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Department of Horticultural Science, Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, 1970 Folwell Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Emilie Guittard-Crilat
- Adaptation des Plantes aux Contraintes Environnementales, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, URF5, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Régis Maldiney
- Adaptation des Plantes aux Contraintes Environnementales, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, URF5, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Yvette Habricot
- Biologie du Développement, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, UMR 7622, 75005, Paris, France
- Biologie du Développement, CNRS, UMR 7622, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Emile Miginiac
- Adaptation des Plantes aux Contraintes Environnementales, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, URF5, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Bouly
- Computational and Quantitative Biology, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, UMR 7238, 75005, Paris, France.
- Computational and Quantitative Biology, CNRS-UPMC UMR 7238, 15, rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, 75006, Paris, France.
| | - Sandrine Lebreton
- Adaptation des Plantes aux Contraintes Environnementales, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, URF5, 75005, Paris, France
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Kudoh H. Molecular phenology in plants: in natura systems biology for the comprehensive understanding of seasonal responses under natural environments. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 210:399-412. [PMID: 26523957 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Phenology refers to the study of seasonal schedules of organisms. Molecular phenology is defined here as the study of the seasonal patterns of organisms captured by molecular biology techniques. The history of molecular phenology is reviewed briefly in relation to advances in the quantification technology of gene expression. High-resolution molecular phenology (HMP) data have enabled us to study phenology with an approach of in natura systems biology. I review recent analyses of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a temperature-responsive repressor of flowering, along the six steps in the typical flow of in natura systems biology. The extensive studies of the regulation of FLC have made this example a successful case in which a comprehensive understanding of gene functions has been progressing. The FLC-mediated long-term memory of past temperatures creates time lags with other seasonal signals, such as photoperiod and short-term temperature. Major signals that control flowering time have a phase lag between them under natural conditions, and hypothetical phase lag calendars are proposed as mechanisms of season detection in plants. Transcriptomic HMP brings a novel strategy to the study of molecular phenology, because it provides a comprehensive representation of plant functions. I discuss future perspectives of molecular phenology from the standpoints of molecular biology, evolutionary biology and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kudoh
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan
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64
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Bintu L, Yong J, Antebi YE, McCue K, Kazuki Y, Uno N, Oshimura M, Elowitz MB. Dynamics of epigenetic regulation at the single-cell level. Science 2016; 351:720-4. [PMID: 26912859 PMCID: PMC5108652 DOI: 10.1126/science.aab2956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 268] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chromatin regulators play a major role in establishing and maintaining gene expression states. Yet how they control gene expression in single cells, quantitatively and over time, remains unclear. We used time-lapse microscopy to analyze the dynamic effects of four silencers associated with diverse modifications: DNA methylation, histone deacetylation, and histone methylation. For all regulators, silencing and reactivation occurred in all-or-none events, enabling the regulators to modulate the fraction of cells silenced rather than the amount of gene expression. These dynamics could be described by a three-state model involving stochastic transitions between active, reversibly silent, and irreversibly silent states. Through their individual transition rates, these regulators operate over different time scales and generate distinct types of epigenetic memory. Our results provide a framework for understanding and engineering mammalian chromatin regulation and epigenetic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacramioara Bintu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - John Yong
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Yaron E Antebi
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kayla McCue
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Kazuki
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center, Tottori University, 86 Nishicho, Yonago, Japan
| | - Narumi Uno
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center, Tottori University, 86 Nishicho, Yonago, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Oshimura
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center, Tottori University, 86 Nishicho, Yonago, Japan
| | - Michael B Elowitz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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Hébrard C, Peterson DG, Willems G, Delaunay A, Jesson B, Lefèbvre M, Barnes S, Maury S. Epigenomics and bolting tolerance in sugar beet genotypes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:207-25. [PMID: 26463996 PMCID: PMC4682430 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In sugar beet (Beta vulgaris altissima), bolting tolerance is an essential agronomic trait reflecting the bolting response of genotypes after vernalization. Genes involved in induction of sugar beet bolting have now been identified, and evidence suggests that epigenetic factors are involved in their control. Indeed, the time course and amplitude of DNA methylation variations in the shoot apical meristem have been shown to be critical in inducing sugar beet bolting, and a few functional targets of DNA methylation during vernalization have been identified. However, molecular mechanisms controlling bolting tolerance levels among genotypes are still poorly understood. Here, gene expression and DNA methylation profiles were compared in shoot apical meristems of three bolting-resistant and three bolting-sensitive genotypes after vernalization. Using Cot fractionation followed by 454 sequencing of the isolated low-copy DNA, 6231 contigs were obtained that were used along with public sugar beet DNA sequences to design custom Agilent microarrays for expression (56k) and methylation (244k) analyses. A total of 169 differentially expressed genes and 111 differentially methylated regions were identified between resistant and sensitive vernalized genotypes. Fourteen sequences were both differentially expressed and differentially methylated, with a negative correlation between their methylation and expression levels. Genes involved in cold perception, phytohormone signalling, and flowering induction were over-represented and collectively represent an integrative gene network from environmental perception to bolting induction. Altogether, the data suggest that the genotype-dependent control of DNA methylation and expression of an integrative gene network participate in bolting tolerance in sugar beet, opening up perspectives for crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Hébrard
- Université d'Orléans, Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), UPRES EA 1207, 45067 Orléans, France INRA, USC1328 Arbres et Réponses aux Contraintes Hydriques et Environnementales (ARCHE), 45067 Orléans, France SESVanderHave N.V./S.A., Soldatenplein Z2 nr15, Industriepark, B-3300 Tienen, Belgium
| | - Daniel G Peterson
- Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing & Biotechnology, Mississippi State University, 2 Research Blvd., Box 9627, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Glenda Willems
- SESVanderHave N.V./S.A., Soldatenplein Z2 nr15, Industriepark, B-3300 Tienen, Belgium
| | - Alain Delaunay
- Université d'Orléans, Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), UPRES EA 1207, 45067 Orléans, France INRA, USC1328 Arbres et Réponses aux Contraintes Hydriques et Environnementales (ARCHE), 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Béline Jesson
- IMAXIO/HELIXIO, Biopôle Clermont-Limagne, Saint-Beauzire, F-63360, France
| | - Marc Lefèbvre
- SESVanderHave N.V./S.A., Soldatenplein Z2 nr15, Industriepark, B-3300 Tienen, Belgium
| | - Steve Barnes
- SESVanderHave N.V./S.A., Soldatenplein Z2 nr15, Industriepark, B-3300 Tienen, Belgium
| | - Stéphane Maury
- Université d'Orléans, Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), UPRES EA 1207, 45067 Orléans, France INRA, USC1328 Arbres et Réponses aux Contraintes Hydriques et Environnementales (ARCHE), 45067 Orléans, France
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Zhang L, Yu H, Lin S, Gao Y. Molecular Characterization of FT and FD Homologs from Eriobotrya deflexa Nakai forma koshunensis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:8. [PMID: 26834775 PMCID: PMC4722113 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
In angiosperms, regulation of flowering is a vital process for successful reproduction. To date, the molecular mechanism of flowering is well-studied in the model plant, Arabidopsis, in which key genes such as FLOWERING LOCUST (FT) or FD have been identified to regulate flowering. However, the flowering mechanisms are still largely unknown in fruit trees like loquat. To this end, we first cloned one FT- and two FD-like genes from the loquat (Eriobotrya deflexa Nakai f. koshunensis) and referred to as EdFT, EdFD1, and EdFD2, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that EdFT, EdFD1, and EdFD2 are conserved during the evolution process. EdFT is mainly expressed in reproductive tissues (e.g., flower buds, flowers, and fruits), while EdFD1 and EdFD2 are mainly expressed in apical buds including leaf buds and flower buds. EdFT is localized in the whole cell, while EdFD1 or EdFD2 is localized in the nucleus. Ectopic expression of EdFT, EdFD1, and EdFD2 in Arabidopsis results in early flowering. In addition, we have also revealed that the EdFT interacts with both EdFD1 and EdFD2. Overall, these data suggest that the EdFT, EdFD1, and EdFD2 are the functional homologs of FT and FD, respectively, which might act together to regulate loquat flowering through a similar mechanism found in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of SingaporeSingapore, Singapore
| | - Shunquan Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shunquan Lin, ; Yongshun Gao,
| | - Yongshun Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shunquan Lin, ; Yongshun Gao,
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McClung CR, Lou P, Hermand V, Kim JA. The Importance of Ambient Temperature to Growth and the Induction of Flowering. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1266. [PMID: 27602044 PMCID: PMC4993786 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Plant development is exquisitely sensitive to the environment. Light quantity, quality, and duration (photoperiod) have profound effects on vegetative morphology and flowering time. Recent studies have demonstrated that ambient temperature is a similarly potent stimulus influencing morphology and flowering. In Arabidopsis, ambient temperatures that are high, but not so high as to induce a heat stress response, confer morphological changes that resemble the shade avoidance syndrome. Similarly, these high but not stressful temperatures can accelerate flowering under short day conditions as effectively as exposure to long days. Photoperiodic flowering entails a series of external coincidences, in which environmental cycles of light and dark must coincide with an internal cycle in gene expression established by the endogenous circadian clock. It is evident that a similar model of external coincidence applies to the effects of elevated ambient temperature on both vegetative morphology and the vegetative to reproductive transition. Further study is imperative, because global warming is predicted to have major effects on the performance and distribution of wild species and strong adverse effects on crop yields. It is critical to understand temperature perception and response at a mechanistic level and to integrate this knowledge with our understanding of other environmental responses, including biotic and abiotic stresses, in order to improve crop production sufficiently to sustainably feed an expanding world population.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. R. McClung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NHUSA
- *Correspondence: C. R. McClung, Jin A. Kim,
| | - Ping Lou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NHUSA
| | - Victor Hermand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NHUSA
| | - Jin A. Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NHUSA
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju-siSouth Korea
- *Correspondence: C. R. McClung, Jin A. Kim,
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68
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Rokavec M, Öner MG, Hermeking H. lnflammation-induced epigenetic switches in cancer. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:23-39. [PMID: 26394635 PMCID: PMC11108555 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2045-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The link between inflammation and cancer is well established. Chronic inflammation promotes cancer initiation and progression. Various studies showed that the underlying mechanisms involve epigenetic alterations. These epigenetic alterations might culminate into an epigenetic switch that transforms premalignant cells into tumor cells or non-invasive into invasive tumor cells, thereby promoting metastasis. Epigenetic switches require an initiating event, which can be inflammation, whereas the resulting phenotype is inherited without the initiating signal. Epigenetic switches are induced and maintained by DNA methylation, histone modifications, polycomb group (PcG)/trithorax group (TrxG) proteins, and feedback loops consisting of transcription factors and microRNAs. Since epigenetic switches are reversible, they might represent an important basis for the design of novel anticancer therapeutics. This review summarizes published evidence of epigenetic switches in cancer development that are induced by inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaz Rokavec
- Experimental and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Thalkirchner Strasse 36, 80337, Munich, Germany
| | - Meryem Gülfem Öner
- Experimental and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Thalkirchner Strasse 36, 80337, Munich, Germany
| | - Heiko Hermeking
- Experimental and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Thalkirchner Strasse 36, 80337, Munich, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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69
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Rubin BP, Brockes J, Galliot B, Grossniklaus U, Lobo D, Mainardi M, Mirouze M, Prochiantz A, Steger A. A dynamic architecture of life. F1000Res 2015; 4:1288. [PMID: 26949518 PMCID: PMC4760269 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.7315.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, a profound conceptual transformation has occurred comprising different areas of biological research, leading to a novel understanding of life processes as much more dynamic and changeable. Discoveries in plants and animals, as well as novel experimental approaches, have prompted the research community to reconsider established concepts and paradigms. This development was taken as an incentive to organise a workshop in May 2014 at the Academia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome. There, experts on epigenetics, regeneration, neuroplasticity, and computational biology, using different animal and plant models, presented their insights on important aspects of a dynamic architecture of life, which comprises all organisational levels of the organism. Their work demonstrates that a dynamic nature of life persists during the entire existence of the organism and permits animals and plants not only to fine-tune their response to particular environmental demands during development, but underlies their continuous capacity to do so. Here, a synthesis of the different findings and their relevance for biological thinking is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrix P Rubin
- Collegium Helveticum, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy Brockes
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Brigitte Galliot
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Lobo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA
| | - Marco Mainardi
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Institute of Human Physiology, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marie Mirouze
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR DIADE, Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, 66860 Perpignan, France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- Chaire des Processus Morphogénétiques, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie, Paris, 75231, France
| | - Angelika Steger
- Institute of Theoretical Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
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Stålhandske S, Lehmann P, Pruisscher P, Leimar O. Effect of winter cold duration on spring phenology of the orange tip butterfly, Anthocharis cardamines. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:5509-20. [PMID: 27069602 PMCID: PMC4813107 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of spring temperature on spring phenology is well understood in a wide range of taxa. However, studies on how winter conditions may affect spring phenology are underrepresented. Previous work on Anthocharis cardamines (orange tip butterfly) has shown population‐specific reaction norms of spring development in relation to spring temperature and a speeding up of post‐winter development with longer winter durations. In this experiment, we examined the effects of a greater and ecologically relevant range of winter durations on post‐winter pupal development of A. cardamines of two populations from the United Kingdom and two from Sweden. By analyzing pupal weight loss and metabolic rate, we were able to separate the overall post‐winter pupal development into diapause duration and post‐diapause development. We found differences in the duration of cold needed to break diapause among populations, with the southern UK population requiring a shorter duration than the other populations. We also found that the overall post‐winter pupal development time, following removal from winter cold, was negatively related to cold duration, through a combined effect of cold duration on diapause duration and on post‐diapause development time. Longer cold durations also lead to higher population synchrony in hatching. For current winter durations in the field, the A. cardamines population of southern UK could have a reduced development rate and lower synchrony in emergence because of short winters. With future climate change, this might become an issue also for other populations. Differences in winter conditions in the field among these four populations are large enough to have driven local adaptation of characteristics controlling spring phenology in response to winter duration. The observed phenology of these populations depends on a combination of winter and spring temperatures; thus, both must be taken into account for accurate predictions of phenology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philipp Lehmann
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University 106 91 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Peter Pruisscher
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University 106 91 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology Stockholm University 106 91 Stockholm Sweden
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Chen J, Wang B, Chung JS, Chai H, Liu C, Ruan Y, Shi H. The role of promoter cis-element, mRNA capping, and ROS in the repression and salt-inducible expression of AtSOT12 in Arabidopsis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:974. [PMID: 26594223 PMCID: PMC4635225 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Inducible gene expression is a gene regulatory mechanism central to plant response to environmental cues. The inducible genes are often repressed under normal growth conditions while their expression levels are significantly elevated by conditions such as abiotic stresses. Induction of gene expression requires both cis-acting DNA elements and trans-acting proteins that are modulated through signal transduction pathways. Here we report several molecular events that affect salt induced expression of the Arabidopsis AtSOT12 gene. Promoter deletion analysis revealed that DNA elements residing in the 5' UTR are required for the salt induced expression of AtSOT12. Cytosine methylation in the promoter was low and salt stress slightly increased the DNA methylation level, suggesting that DNA methylation may not contribute to AtSOT12 gene repression. Co-transcriptional processing of AtSOT12 mRNA including capping and polyadenylation site selection was also affected by salt stress. The percentage of capped mRNA increased by salt treatment, and the polyadenylation sites were significantly different before and after exposure to salt stress. The expression level of AtSOT12 under normal growth conditions was markedly higher in the oxi1 mutant defective of reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling than in the wild type. Moreover, AtSOT12 transcript level was elevated by treatments with DPI and DMTU, two chemicals preventing ROS accumulation. These results suggest that repression of AtSOT12 expression may require physiological level of ROS and ROS signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhua Chen
- Pre-National Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Hunan Agricultural UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Bangshing Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Jung-Sung Chung
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Haoxi Chai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Chunlin Liu
- Pre-National Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Hunan Agricultural UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Ying Ruan
- Pre-National Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Hunan Agricultural UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Huazhong Shi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
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Micol-Ponce R, Sánchez-García AB, Xu Q, Barrero JM, Micol JL, Ponce MR. Arabidopsis INCURVATA2 Regulates Salicylic Acid and Abscisic Acid Signaling, and Oxidative Stress Responses. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 56:2207-2219. [PMID: 26423959 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcv132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulatory states can persist through mitosis and meiosis, but the connection between chromatin structure and DNA replication remains unclear. Arabidopsis INCURVATA2 (ICU2) encodes the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α, and null alleles of ICU2 have an embryo-lethal phenotype. Analysis of icu2-1, a hypomorphic allele of ICU2, demonstrated that ICU2 functions in chromatin-mediated cellular memory; icu2-1 strongly impairs ICU2 function in the maintenance of repressive epigenetic marks but does not seem to affect ICU2 polymerase activity. To better understand the global function of ICU2 in epigenetic regulation, here we performed a microarray analysis of icu2-1 mutant plants. We found that the genes up-regulated in the icu2-1 mutant included genes encoding transcription factors and targets of the Polycomb Repressive Complexes. The down-regulated genes included many known players in salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis and accumulation, ABA signaling and ABA-mediated responses. In addition, we found that icu2-1 plants had reduced SA levels in normal conditions; infection by Fusarium oxysporum induced SA accumulation in the En-2 wild type but not in the icu2-1 mutant. The icu2-1 plants were also hypersensitive to salt stress and exogenous ABA in seedling establishment, post-germination growth and stomatal closure, and accumulated more ABA than the wild type in response to salt stress. The icu2-1 mutant also showed high tolerance to the oxidative stress produced by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT). Our results uncover a role for ICU2 in the regulation of genes involved in ABA signaling as well as in SA biosynthesis and accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Micol-Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ana Belén Sánchez-García
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Qian Xu
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Plant Industry, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - José María Barrero
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Plant Industry, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - José Luis Micol
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - María Rosa Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
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de la Paz Sanchez M, Aceves-García P, Petrone E, Steckenborn S, Vega-León R, Álvarez-Buylla ER, Garay-Arroyo A, García-Ponce B. The impact of Polycomb group (PcG) and Trithorax group (TrxG) epigenetic factors in plant plasticity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2015; 208:684-694. [PMID: 26037337 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Current advances indicate that epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in the regulatory networks involved in plant developmental responses to environmental conditions. Hence, understanding the role of such components becomes crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying the plasticity and variability of plant traits, and thus the ecology and evolution of plant development. We now know that important components of phenotypic variation may result from heritable and reversible epigenetic mechanisms without genetic alterations. The epigenetic factors Polycomb group (PcG) and Trithorax group (TrxG) are involved in developmental processes that respond to environmental signals, playing important roles in plant plasticity. In this review, we discuss current knowledge of TrxG and PcG functions in different developmental processes in response to internal and environmental cues and we also integrate the emerging evidence concerning their function in plant plasticity. Many such plastic responses rely on meristematic cell behavior, including stem cell niche maintenance, cellular reprogramming, flowering and dormancy as well as stress memory. This information will help to determine how to integrate the role of epigenetic regulation into models of gene regulatory networks, which have mostly included transcriptional interactions underlying various aspects of plant development and its plastic response to environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria de la Paz Sanchez
- Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 3er Circuito Ext Junto a J. Botánico, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Pamela Aceves-García
- Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 3er Circuito Ext Junto a J. Botánico, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Emilio Petrone
- Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 3er Circuito Ext Junto a J. Botánico, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Stefan Steckenborn
- Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 3er Circuito Ext Junto a J. Botánico, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Rosario Vega-León
- Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 3er Circuito Ext Junto a J. Botánico, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Elena R Álvarez-Buylla
- Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 3er Circuito Ext Junto a J. Botánico, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Adriana Garay-Arroyo
- Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 3er Circuito Ext Junto a J. Botánico, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Berenice García-Ponce
- Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 3er Circuito Ext Junto a J. Botánico, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, Mexico
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Modulation of Ambient Temperature-Dependent Flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana by Natural Variation of FLOWERING LOCUS M. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005588. [PMID: 26492483 PMCID: PMC4619661 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants integrate seasonal cues such as temperature and day length to optimally adjust their flowering time to the environment. Compared to the control of flowering before and after winter by the vernalization and day length pathways, mechanisms that delay or promote flowering during a transient cool or warm period, especially during spring, are less well understood. Due to global warming, understanding this ambient temperature pathway has gained increasing importance. In Arabidopsis thaliana, FLOWERING LOCUS M (FLM) is a critical flowering regulator of the ambient temperature pathway. FLM is alternatively spliced in a temperature-dependent manner and the two predominant splice variants, FLM-ß and FLM-δ, can repress and activate flowering in the genetic background of the A. thaliana reference accession Columbia-0. The relevance of this regulatory mechanism for the environmental adaptation across the entire range of the species is, however, unknown. Here, we identify insertion polymorphisms in the first intron of FLM as causative for accelerated flowering in many natural A. thaliana accessions, especially in cool (15°C) temperatures. We present evidence for a potential adaptive role of this structural variation and link it specifically to changes in the abundance of FLM-ß. Our results may allow predicting flowering in response to ambient temperatures in the Brassicaceae.
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Lü J, Suo H, Yi R, Ma Q, Nian H. Glyma11g13220, a homolog of the vernalization pathway gene VERNALIZATION 1 from soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], promotes flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2015; 15:232. [PMID: 26420429 PMCID: PMC4588262 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-015-0602-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The precise timing of flowering is fundamental to successful reproduction, and has dramatic significance for crop yields. Although prolonged low temperatures are not required for flowering induction in soybean, vernalization pathway genes have been retained during the evolution of this species. Little information is currently available in regarding these genes in soybean. RESULTS We were able to detect the expression of Glyma11g13220 in different organs at all monitored developmental stages in soybean. Glyma11g13220 expression was higher in leaves and pods than in shoot apexes and stems. In addition, Glyma11g13220 was responsive to photoperiod and low temperature in soybean. Furthermore, Glyma11g13220 was found to be a nuclear-localized protein. Over-expression of Glyma11g13220 in an Arabidopsis Columbia-0 (Col-0) background resulted in early flowering. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that transcript levels of flower repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), and FD decreased significantly in transgenic Arabidopsis compared with wild-type Col-0, while the expression of VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE 3 (VIN3) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) noticeably increased. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that Glyma11g13220, a homolog of Arabidopsis VRN1, is a functional protein. Glyma11g13220, which is responsive to photoperiod and low temperature in soybean, may participate in the vernalization pathway in Arabidopsis and help regulate flowering time. Arabidopsis VRN1 and Glyma11g13220 exhibit conserved as well as diverged functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lü
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Guangdong Subcenter of the National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Haicui Suo
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Crop Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Improvement, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Rong Yi
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Guangdong Subcenter of the National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Qibin Ma
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Guangdong Subcenter of the National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Hai Nian
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- The Guangdong Subcenter of the National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
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76
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Liu F, Wang X, Su M, Yu M, Zhang S, Lai J, Yang C, Wang Y. Functional characterization of DnSIZ1, a SIZ/PIAS-type SUMO E3 ligase from Dendrobium. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2015; 15:225. [PMID: 26376625 PMCID: PMC4574183 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-015-0613-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND SUMOylation is an important post-translational modification of eukaryotic proteins that involves the reversible conjugation of a small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) polypeptide to its specific protein substrates, thereby regulating numerous complex cellular processes. The PIAS (protein inhibitor of activated signal transducers and activators of transcription [STAT]) and SIZ (scaffold attachment factor A/B/acinus/PIAS [SAP] and MIZ) proteins are SUMO E3 ligases that modulate SUMO conjugation. The characteristic features and SUMOylation mechanisms of SIZ1 protein in monocotyledon are poorly understood. Here, we examined the functions of a homolog of Arabidopsis SIZ1, a functional SIZ/PIAS-type SUMO E3 ligase from Dendrobium. RESULTS In Dendrobium, the predicted DnSIZ1 protein has domains that are highly conserved among SIZ/PIAS-type proteins. DnSIZ1 is widely expressed in Dendrobium organs and has a up-regulated trend by treatment with cold, high temperature and wounding. The DnSIZ1 protein localizes to the nucleus and shows SUMO E3 ligase activity when expressed in an Escherichia coli reconstitution system. Moreover, ectopic expression of DnSIZ1 in the Arabidopsis siz1-2 mutant partially complements several phenotypes and results in enhanced levels of SUMO conjugates in plants exposed to heat shock conditions. We observed that DnSIZ1 acts as a negative regulator of flowering transition which may be via a vernalization-induced pathway. In addition, ABA-hypersensitivity of siz1-2 seed germination can be partially suppressed by DnSIZ1. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that DnSIZ1 is a functional homolog of the Arabidopsis SIZ1 with SUMO E3 ligase activity and may play an important role in the regulation of Dendrobium stress responses, flowering and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
| | - Xiao Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
| | - Mengying Su
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
| | - Mengyuan Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
| | - Shengchun Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
| | - Jianbin Lai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
| | - Chengwei Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
| | - Yaqin Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
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77
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Bratzel F, Turck F. Molecular memories in the regulation of seasonal flowering: from competence to cessation. Genome Biol 2015; 16:192. [PMID: 26374394 PMCID: PMC4571075 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-015-0770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants commit to flowering based on endogenous and exogenous information that they can remember across mitotic cell divisions. Here, we review how signal perception and epigenetic memory converge at key integrator genes, and we show how variation in their regulatory circuits supports the diversity of plant lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Bratzel
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Carl von Linne Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Franziska Turck
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Carl von Linne Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany.
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78
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Villacorta-Martin C, Núñez de Cáceres González FF, de Haan J, Huijben K, Passarinho P, Lugassi-Ben Hamo M, Zaccai M. Whole transcriptome profiling of the vernalization process in Lilium longiflorum (cultivar White Heaven) bulbs. BMC Genomics 2015. [PMID: 26216467 PMCID: PMC4515921 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1675-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vernalization is an obligatory requirement of extended exposure to low temperatures to induce flowering in certain plants. It is the most important factor affecting flowering time and quality in Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum). Exposing the bulbs to 4 °C gradually decreases flowering time up to 50 % compared to non-vernalized plants. We aim to understand the molecular regulation of vernalization in Easter lily, for which we characterized the global expression in lily bulb meristems after 0, 2, 5, 7 and 9 weeks of incubation at 4 °C. Results We assembled de-novo a transcriptome which, after filtering, yielded 121,572 transcripts and 42,430 genes which hold 15,414 annotated genes, with up to 3,657 GO terms. This extensive annotation was mapped to the more general GO slim plant with a total of 94 terms. The response to cold exposure was summarized in 6 expression clusters, providing useful patterns for dissecting the dynamics of vernalization in lily. The functional annotation (GO and GO slim plant) was used to group transcripts in gene sets. Analysis of these gene sets and profiles revealed that most of the enriched functions among genes up-regulated by cold exposure were related to epigenetic processes and chromatin remodeling. Candidate vernalization genes in lily were selected based on their sequence similarity to known regulators of flowering in other species. Conclusions We present a detailed analysis of gene expression dynamics during vernalization in Lilium, covering several time points and accounting for biological variation by the use of replicates. The resulting collection of transcripts and novel isoforms provides a useful resource for studying the changes occurring during vernalization at a fine level. The selected potential candidate genes can shed light on the regulation of this process. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1675-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco F Núñez de Cáceres González
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beersheva, 84105, Israel. .,Present address: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo Km. 4.5, C. P. 42184, Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo, Mexico.
| | - Jorn de Haan
- Genetwister Technologies B.V., P.O. Box 193, NL6700 AD, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Kitty Huijben
- Genetwister Technologies B.V., P.O. Box 193, NL6700 AD, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Paul Passarinho
- Genetwister Technologies B.V., P.O. Box 193, NL6700 AD, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Maya Lugassi-Ben Hamo
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beersheva, 84105, Israel.
| | - Michele Zaccai
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beersheva, 84105, Israel.
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79
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Jarillo JA, Piñeiro M. H2A.Z mediates different aspects of chromatin function and modulates flowering responses in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 83:96-109. [PMID: 25943140 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic organisms have canonical histones and a number of histone variants that perform specialized functions and confer particular structural properties to the nucleosomes that contain them. The histone H2A family comprises several variants, with H2A.Z being the most evolutionarily conserved. This variant is essential in eukaryotes and has emerged as a key player in chromatin function, performing an essential role in gene transcription and genome stability. During recent years, biochemical, genetic and genomic studies have begun to uncover the role of several ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes in H2A.Z deposition and removal. These ATPase complexes are widely conserved from yeast to mammals. In Arabidopsis there are homologs for most of the subunits of these complexes, and their functions are just beginning to be unveiled. In this review, we discuss the major contributions made in relation to the biology of the H2A.Z in plants, and more specifically concerning the function of this histone variant in the transition from vegetative to reproductive development. Recent advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the H2A.Z-mediated modulation of the floral transition, and thermosensory flowering responses in particular, are discussed. The emerging picture shows that plants contain chromatin-remodeling complexes related to those involved in modulating the dynamics of H2A.Z in other eukaryotes, but their precise biochemical nature remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Jarillo
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrarias-Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Piñeiro
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrarias-Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
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80
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Functions of plants long non-coding RNAs. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2015; 1859:155-62. [PMID: 26112461 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2015.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been emerged as important players for various biological pathways, including dosage compensation, genomic imprinting, chromatin regulation, alternative splicing and nuclear organization. A large number of lncRNAs had already been identified by different approaches in plants, while the functions of only a few of them have been investigated. This review will summarize our current understanding of a wide range of plant lncRNAs functions, and highlight their roles in the regulation of diverse pathways in plants. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Clues to long noncoding RNA taxonomy1, edited by Dr. Tetsuro Hirose and Dr. Shinichi Nakagawa.
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81
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Liu X, Hao L, Li D, Zhu L, Hu S. Long non-coding RNAs and their biological roles in plants. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2015; 13:137-47. [PMID: 25936895 PMCID: PMC4563214 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
With the development of genomics and bioinformatics, especially the extensive applications of high-throughput sequencing technology, more transcriptional units with little or no protein-coding potential have been discovered. Such RNA molecules are called non-protein-coding RNAs (npcRNAs or ncRNAs). Among them, long npcRNAs or ncRNAs (lnpcRNAs or lncRNAs) represent diverse classes of transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides. In recent years, the lncRNAs have been considered as important regulators in many essential biological processes. In plants, although a large number of lncRNA transcripts have been predicted and identified in few species, our current knowledge of their biological functions is still limited. Here, we have summarized recent studies on their identification, characteristics, classification, bioinformatics, resources, and current exploration of their biological functions in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lili Hao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Dayong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lihuang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Songnian Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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82
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PcG and trxG in plants - friends or foes. Trends Genet 2015; 31:252-62. [PMID: 25858128 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2015.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The highly-conserved Polycomb group (PcG) and trithorax group (trxG) proteins play major roles in regulating gene expression and maintaining developmental states in many organisms. However, neither the recruitment of Polycomb repressive complexes (PRC) nor the mechanisms of PcG and trxG-mediated gene silencing and activation are well understood. Recent progress in Arabidopsis research challenges the dominant model of PRC2-dependent recruitment of PRC1 to target genes. Moreover, evidence indicates that diverse forms of PRC1, with shared components, are a common theme in plants and mammals. Although trxG is known to antagonize PcG, emerging data reveal that trxG can also repress gene expression, acting cooperatively with PcG. We discuss these recent findings and highlight the employment of diverse epigenetic mechanisms during development in plants and animals.
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83
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Abstract
A fundamental property of many organisms is an ability to sense, evaluate, and respond to environmental signals. In some situations, generation of an appropriate response requires long-term information storage. A classic example is vernalization, where plants quantitatively sense long-term cold and epigenetically store this cold-exposure information to regulate flowering time. In Arabidopsis thaliana, stable epigenetic memory of cold is digital: following long-term cold exposure, cells respond autonomously in an all-or-nothing fashion, with the fraction of cells that stably silence the floral repressor flowering locus C (FLC) increasing with the cold exposure duration. However, during cold exposure itself it is unknown whether vernalizing cold is registered at FLC in individual cells in an all-or-nothing (digital) manner or is continuously varying (analog). Using mathematical modeling, we found that analog registration of cold temperature is problematic due to impaired analog-to-digital conversion into stable memory. This disadvantage is particularly acute when responding to short cold periods, but is absent when cold temperatures are registered digitally at FLC. We tested this prediction experimentally, exposing plants to short periods of cold interrupted with even shorter warm breaks. For FLC expression, we found that the system responds similarly to both interrupted and uninterrupted cold, arguing for a digital mechanism integrating long-term temperature exposure.
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84
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Teotia S, Tang G. To bloom or not to bloom: role of microRNAs in plant flowering. MOLECULAR PLANT 2015; 8:359-77. [PMID: 25737467 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2014.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Revised: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
During the course of their life cycles, plants undergo various morphological and physiological changes underlying juvenile-to-adult and adult-to-flowering phase transitions. To flower or not to flower is a key step of plasticity of a plant toward the start of its new life cycle. In addition to the previously revealed intrinsic genetic programs, exogenous cues, and endogenous cues, a class of small non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), plays a key role in plants making the decision to flower by integrating into the known flowering pathways. This review highlights the age-dependent flowering pathway with a focus on a number of timing miRNAs in determining such a key process. The contributions of other miRNAs which exist mainly outside the age pathway are also discussed. Approaches to study the flowering-determining miRNAs, their interactions, and applications are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin Teotia
- Provincial State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, U.P. 201312, India; Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Guiliang Tang
- Provincial State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
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85
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Guerra PA, Reppert SM. Sensory basis of lepidopteran migration: focus on the monarch butterfly. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2015; 34:20-8. [PMID: 25625216 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Revised: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In response to seasonal habitats, migratory lepidopterans, exemplified by the monarch butterfly, have evolved migration to deal with dynamic conditions. During migration, monarchs use orientation mechanisms, exploiting a time-compensated sun compass and a light-sensitive inclination magnetic compass to facilitate fall migration south. The sun compass is bidirectional with overwintering coldness triggering the change in orientation direction for remigration northward in the spring. The timing of the remigration and milkweed emergence in the southern US have co-evolved for propagation of the migration. Current research is uncovering the anatomical and molecular substrates that underlie migratory-relevant sensory mechanisms with the antennae being critical components. Orientation mechanisms may be detrimentally affected by environmental factors such as climate change and sensory interference from human-generated sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A Guerra
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Steven M Reppert
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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86
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Kim JM, Sasaki T, Ueda M, Sako K, Seki M. Chromatin changes in response to drought, salinity, heat, and cold stresses in plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:114. [PMID: 25784920 PMCID: PMC4345800 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin regulation is essential to regulate genes and genome activities. In plants, the alteration of histone modification and DNA methylation are coordinated with changes in the expression of stress-responsive genes to adapt to environmental changes. Several chromatin regulators have been shown to be involved in the regulation of stress-responsive gene networks under abiotic stress conditions. Specific histone modification sites and the histone modifiers that regulate key stress-responsive genes have been identified by genetic and biochemical approaches, revealing the importance of chromatin regulation in plant stress responses. Recent studies have also suggested that histone modification plays an important role in plant stress memory. In this review, we summarize recent progress on the regulation and alteration of histone modification (acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and SUMOylation) in response to the abiotic stresses, drought, high-salinity, heat, and cold in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Myong Kim
- Plant Genomic Network Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Taku Sasaki
- Plant Genomic Network Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Minoru Ueda
- Plant Genomic Network Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Kaori Sako
- Plant Genomic Network Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Motoaki Seki
- Plant Genomic Network Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology, Kawaguchi, Japan
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
- *Correspondence: Motoaki Seki, Plant Genomic Network Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan e-mail:
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Joseph B, Corwin JA, Kliebenstein DJ. Genetic variation in the nuclear and organellar genomes modulates stochastic variation in the metabolome, growth, and defense. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1004779. [PMID: 25569687 PMCID: PMC4287608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies are starting to show that genetic control over stochastic variation is a key evolutionary solution of single celled organisms in the face of unpredictable environments. This has been expanded to show that genetic variation can alter stochastic variation in transcriptional processes within multi-cellular eukaryotes. However, little is known about how genetic diversity can control stochastic variation within more non-cell autonomous phenotypes. Using an Arabidopsis reciprocal RIL population, we showed that there is significant genetic diversity influencing stochastic variation in the plant metabolome, defense chemistry, and growth. This genetic diversity included loci specific for the stochastic variation of each phenotypic class that did not affect the other phenotypic classes or the average phenotype. This suggests that the organism's networks are established so that noise can exist in one phenotypic level like metabolism and not permeate up or down to different phenotypic levels. Further, the genomic variation within the plastid and mitochondria also had significant effects on the stochastic variation of all phenotypic classes. The genetic influence over stochastic variation within the metabolome was highly metabolite specific, with neighboring metabolites in the same metabolic pathway frequently showing different levels of noise. As expected from bet-hedging theory, there was more genetic diversity and a wider range of stochastic variation for defense chemistry than found for primary metabolism. Thus, it is possible to begin dissecting the stochastic variation of whole organismal phenotypes in multi-cellular organisms. Further, there are loci that modulate stochastic variation at different phenotypic levels. Finding the identity of these genes will be key to developing complete models linking genotype to phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bindu Joseph
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jason A Corwin
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel J Kliebenstein
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America; DynaMo Center of Excellence, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
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88
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Iwasaki M. Chromatin resetting mechanisms preventing transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic states. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:380. [PMID: 26074941 PMCID: PMC4444735 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation can be altered by environmental cues including abiotic and biotic stresses. In most cases, environmentally-induced epigenetic changes are transient, but in some cases they are maintained for extensive periods of time and may even be transmitted to the next generation. However, the underlying mechanisms of transgenerational transmission of environmentally-induced epigenetic states remain largely unknown. Such traits can be adaptive, but also can have negative consequences if the parentally inherited epigenetic memory interferes with canonical environmental responses of the progeny. This review highlights recent insights into the mechanisms preventing transgenerational transmission of environmentally-induced epigenetic states in plants, which resemble those of germline reprogramming in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Iwasaki
- *Correspondence: Mayumi Iwasaki, The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Bateman Street, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK,
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89
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Capovilla G, Schmid M, Posé D. Control of flowering by ambient temperature. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2015; 66:59-69. [PMID: 25326628 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The timing of flowering is a crucial decision in the life cycle of plants since favourable conditions are needed to maximize reproductive success and, hence, the survival of the species. It is therefore not surprising that plants constantly monitor endogenous and environmental signals, such as day length (photoperiod) and temperature, to adjust the timing of the floral transition. Temperature in particular has been shown to have a tremendous effect on the timing of flowering: the effect of prolonged periods of cold, called the vernalization response, has been extensively studied and the underlying epigenetic mechanisms are reasonably well understood in Arabidopsis thaliana. In contrast, the effect of moderate changes in ambient growth temperature on the progression of flowering, the thermosensory pathway, is only starting to be understood on the molecular level. Several genes and molecular mechanisms underlying the thermosensory pathway have already been identified and characterized in detail. At a time when global temperature is rising due to climate change, this knowledge will be pivotal to ensure crop production in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Capovilla
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, Spemannstr. 35, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus Schmid
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, Spemannstr. 35, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - David Posé
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea, Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain
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90
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Nagaraj VH, Mukhopadhyay S, Dayarian A, Sengupta AM. Breaking an epigenetic chromatin switch: curious features of hysteresis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomeric silencing. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113516. [PMID: 25536038 PMCID: PMC4275178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to gene network switches, local epigenetic modifications to DNA and histones play an important role in all-or-none cellular decision-making. Here, we study the dynamical design of a well-characterized epigenetic chromatin switch: the yeast SIR system, in order to understand the origin of the stability of epigenetic states. We study hysteresis in this system by perturbing it with a histone deacetylase inhibitor. We find that SIR silencing has many characteristics of a non-linear bistable system, as observed in conventional genetic switches, which are based on activities of a few promoters affecting each other through the abundance of their gene products. Quite remarkably, our experiments in yeast telomeric silencing show a very distinctive pattern when it comes to the transition from bistability to monostability. In particular, the loss of the stable silenced state, upon increasing the inhibitor concentration, does not seem to show the expected saddle node behavior, instead looking like a supercritical pitchfork bifurcation. In other words, the 'off' state merges with the 'on' state at a threshold concentration leading to a single state, as opposed to the two states remaining distinct up to the threshold and exhibiting a discontinuous jump from the 'off' to the 'on' state. We argue that this is an inevitable consequence of silenced and active regions coexisting with dynamic domain boundaries. The experimental observations in our study therefore have broad implications for the understanding of chromatin silencing in yeast and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adel Dayarian
- Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - Anirvan M. Sengupta
- BioMaPS Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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91
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Product binding enforces the genomic specificity of a yeast polycomb repressive complex. Cell 2014; 160:204-18. [PMID: 25533783 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Revised: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We characterize the Polycomb system that assembles repressive subtelomeric domains of H3K27 methylation (H3K27me) in the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. Purification of this PRC2-like protein complex reveals orthologs of animal PRC2 components as well as a chromodomain-containing subunit, Ccc1, which recognizes H3K27me. Whereas removal of either the EZH or EED ortholog eliminates H3K27me, disruption of mark recognition by Ccc1 causes H3K27me to redistribute. Strikingly, the resulting pattern of H3K27me coincides with domains of heterochromatin marked by H3K9me. Indeed, additional removal of the C. neoformans H3K9 methyltransferase Clr4 results in loss of both H3K9me and the redistributed H3K27me marks. These findings indicate that the anchoring of a chromatin-modifying complex to its product suppresses its attraction to a different chromatin type, explaining how enzymes that act on histones, which often harbor product recognition modules, may deposit distinct chromatin domains despite sharing a highly abundant and largely identical substrate-the nucleosome.
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92
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Epigenetic reprogramming that prevents transgenerational inheritance of the vernalized state. Nature 2014; 515:587-90. [PMID: 25219852 PMCID: PMC4247276 DOI: 10.1038/nature13722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The reprogramming of epigenetic states in gametes and embryos is essential for correct development in plants and mammals. In plants, the germ line arises from somatic tissues of the flower, necessitating the erasure of chromatin modifications that have accumulated at specific loci during development or in response to external stimuli. If this process occurs inefficiently, it can lead to epigenetic states being inherited from one generation to the next. However, in most cases, accumulated epigenetic modifications are efficiently erased before the next generation. An important example of epigenetic reprogramming in plants is the resetting of the expression of the floral repressor locus FLC in Arabidopsis thaliana. FLC is epigenetically silenced by prolonged cold in a process called vernalization. However, the locus is reactivated before the completion of seed development, ensuring the requirement for vernalization in every generation. In contrast to our detailed understanding of the polycomb-mediated epigenetic silencing induced by vernalization, little is known about the mechanism involved in the reactivation of FLC. Here we show that a hypomorphic mutation in the jumonji-domain-containing protein ELF6 impaired the reactivation of FLC in reproductive tissues, leading to the inheritance of a partially vernalized state. ELF6 has H3K27me3 demethylase activity, and the mutation reduced this enzymatic activity in planta. Consistent with this, in the next generation of mutant plants, H3K27me3 levels at the FLC locus stayed higher, and FLC expression remained lower, than in the wild type. Our data reveal an ancient role for H3K27 demethylation in the reprogramming of epigenetic states in plant and mammalian embryos.
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93
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Shrestha R, Gómez-Ariza J, Brambilla V, Fornara F. Molecular control of seasonal flowering in rice, arabidopsis and temperate cereals. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 114:1445-58. [PMID: 24651369 PMCID: PMC4204779 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcu032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rice (Oryza sativa) and Arabidopsis thaliana have been widely used as model systems to understand how plants control flowering time in response to photoperiod and cold exposure. Extensive research has resulted in the isolation of several regulatory genes involved in flowering and for them to be organized into a molecular network responsive to environmental cues. When plants are exposed to favourable conditions, the network activates expression of florigenic proteins that are transported to the shoot apical meristem where they drive developmental reprogramming of a population of meristematic cells. Several regulatory factors are evolutionarily conserved between rice and arabidopsis. However, other pathways have evolved independently and confer specific characteristics to flowering responses. SCOPE This review summarizes recent knowledge on the molecular mechanisms regulating daylength perception and flowering time control in arabidopsis and rice. Similarities and differences are discussed between the regulatory networks of the two species and they are compared with the regulatory networks of temperate cereals, which are evolutionarily more similar to rice but have evolved in regions where exposure to low temperatures is crucial to confer competence to flower. Finally, the role of flowering time genes in expansion of rice cultivation to Northern latitudes is discussed. CONCLUSIONS Understanding the mechanisms involved in photoperiodic flowering and comparing the regulatory networks of dicots and monocots has revealed how plants respond to environmental cues and adapt to seasonal changes. The molecular architecture of such regulation shows striking similarities across diverse species. However, integration of specific pathways on a basal scheme is essential for adaptation to different environments. Artificial manipulation of flowering time by means of natural genetic resources is essential for expanding the cultivation of cereals across different environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshi Shrestha
- University of Milan, Department of Biosciences, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Jorge Gómez-Ariza
- University of Milan, Department of Biosciences, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Vittoria Brambilla
- University of Milan, Department of Biosciences, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Fornara
- University of Milan, Department of Biosciences, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
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94
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Matías-Hernández L, Aguilar-Jaramillo AE, Marín-González E, Suárez-López P, Pelaz S. RAV genes: regulation of floral induction and beyond. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 114:1459-70. [PMID: 24812253 PMCID: PMC4204781 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcu069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcription factors of the RAV (RELATED TO ABI3 AND VP1) family are plant-specific and possess two DNA-binding domains. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the family comprises six members, including TEMPRANILLO 1 (TEM1) and TEM2. Arabidopsis RAV1 and TEM1 have been shown to bind bipartite DNA sequences, with the consensus motif C(A/C/G)ACA(N)2-8(C/A/T)ACCTG. Through direct binding to DNA, RAV proteins act as transcriptional repressors, probably in complexes with other co-repressors. SCOPE AND CONCLUSIONS In this review, a summary is given of current knowledge of the regulation and function of RAV genes in diverse plant species, paying particular attention to their roles in the control of flowering in arabidopsis. TEM1 and TEM2 delay flowering by repressing the production of two florigenic molecules, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and gibberellins. In this way, TEM1 and TEM2 prevent precocious flowering and postpone floral induction until the plant has accumulated enough reserves or has reached a growth stage that ensures survival of the progeny. Recent results indicate that TEM1 and TEM2 are regulated by genes acting in several flowering pathways, suggesting that TEMs may integrate information from diverse pathways. However, flowering is not the only process controlled by RAV proteins. Family members are involved in other aspects of plant development, such as bud outgrowth in trees and leaf senescence, and possibly in general growth regulation. In addition, they respond to pathogen infections and abiotic stresses, including cold, dehydration, high salinity and osmotic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Matías-Hernández
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | | | - Esther Marín-González
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Paula Suárez-López
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Soraya Pelaz
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain ICREA (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats), Barcelona, Spain
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95
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FLOWERING LOCUS T genes control onion bulb formation and flowering. Nat Commun 2014; 4:2884. [PMID: 24300952 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a biennial crop that in temperate regions is planted in the spring and, after a juvenile stage, forms a bulb in response to the lengthening photoperiod of late spring/summer. The bulb then overwinters and in the next season it flowers and sets seed. FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) encodes a mobile signaling protein involved in regulating flowering, as well as other aspects of plant development. Here we show that in onions, different FT genes regulate flowering and bulb formation. Flowering is promoted by vernalization and correlates with the upregulation of AcFT2, whereas bulb formation is regulated by two antagonistic FT-like genes. AcFT1 promotes bulb formation, while AcFT4 prevents AcFT1 upregulation and inhibits bulbing in transgenic onions. Long-day photoperiods lead to the downregulation of AcFT4 and the upregulation of AcFT1, and this promotes bulbing. The observation that FT proteins can repress and promote different developmental transitions highlights the evolutionary versatility of FT.
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96
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Abstract
Over the past decade there has been a greater understanding of genomic complexity in eukaryotes ushered in by the immense technological advances in high-throughput sequencing of DNA and its corresponding RNA transcripts. This has resulted in the realization that beyond protein-coding genes, there are a large number of transcripts that do not encode for proteins and, therefore, may perform their function through RNA sequences and/or through secondary and tertiary structural determinants. This review is focused on the latest findings on a class of noncoding RNAs that are relatively large (>200 nucleotides), display nuclear localization, and use different strategies to regulate transcription. These are exciting times for discovering the biological scope and the mechanism of action for these RNA molecules, which have roles in dosage compensation, imprinting, enhancer function, and transcriptional regulation, with a great impact on development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Bonasio
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Epigenetics Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104;
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97
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Wang JW. Regulation of flowering time by the miR156-mediated age pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2014; 65:4723-30. [PMID: 24958896 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Precise flowering time is critical to reproductive success. In response to diverse exogenous and endogenous cues including age, hormones, photoperiod, and temperature, the floral transition is controlled by a complex regulatory network, which involves extensive crosstalks, feedback, or feedforward loops between the components within flowering time pathways. The newly identified age pathway, which is controlled by microRNA156 (miR156) and its target SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING-LIKE (SPL) transcription factors, ensures plants flower under non-inductive conditions. In this review, I summarize the recent advance in understanding of the age pathway, focusing on the regulatory basis of the developmental decline in miR156 level by age and the molecular mechanism by which the age pathway is integrated into other flowering time pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Wei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics (NKLPMG), Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology (SIPPE), Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
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98
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Abstract
Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in patterns of gene expression that occur without alterations in DNA sequence. The epigenetic mechanisms involve covalent modifications of DNA and histones, which affect transcriptional activity of chromatin. Since chromatin states can be propagated through mitotic and meiotic divisions, epigenetic mechanisms are thought to provide heritable 'cellular memory'. Here, we review selected examples of epigenetic memory in plants and briefly discuss underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Iwasaki
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jerzy Paszkowski
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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99
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Xiao J, Xu S, Li C, Xu Y, Xing L, Niu Y, Huan Q, Tang Y, Zhao C, Wagner D, Gao C, Chong K. O-GlcNAc-mediated interaction between VER2 and TaGRP2 elicits TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation during vernalization in winter wheat. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4572. [PMID: 25091017 PMCID: PMC4143922 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Vernalization, sensing of prolonged cold, is important for seasonal flowering in eudicots and monocots. While vernalization silences a repressor (FLC, MADS-box transcription factor) in eudicots, it induces an activator (TaVRN1, an AP1 clade MADS-box transcription factor) in monocots. The mechanism for TaVRN1 induction during vernalization is not well understood. Here we reveal a novel mechanism for controlling TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation in response to prolonged cold sensing in wheat. The carbohydrate-binding protein VER2, a jacalin lectin, promotes TaVRN1 upregulation by physically interacting with the RNA-binding protein TaGRP2. TaGRP2 binds to TaVRN1 pre-mRNA and inhibits TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation. The physical interaction between VER2 and TaGRP2 is controlled by TaGRP2 O-GlcNAc modification, which gradually increases during vernalization. The interaction between VER2 and O-GlcNAc-TaGRP2 reduces TaGRP2 protein accumulation in the nucleus and/or promotes TaGRP2 dissociation from TaVRN1, leading to TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation. Our data reveal a new mechanism for sensing prolonged cold in temperate cereals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Present address: Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Shujuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Chunhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Yunyuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Lijing Xing
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Yuda Niu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Qing Huan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yimiao Tang
- Hybrid Wheat Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Changping Zhao
- Hybrid Wheat Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Doris Wagner
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Caixia Gao
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Kang Chong
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Beijing 100093, China
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100
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Engelhorn J, Blanvillain R, Carles CC. Gene activation and cell fate control in plants: a chromatin perspective. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:3119-37. [PMID: 24714879 PMCID: PMC11113918 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1609-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2013] [Revised: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In plants, environment-adaptable organogenesis extends throughout the lifespan, and iterative development requires repetitive rounds of activation and repression of several sets of genes. Eukaryotic genome compaction into chromatin forms a physical barrier for transcription; therefore, induction of gene expression requires alteration in chromatin structure. One of the present great challenges in molecular and developmental biology is to understand how chromatin is brought from a repressive to permissive state on specific loci and in a very specific cluster of cells, as well as how this state is further maintained and propagated through time and cell division in a cell lineage. In this review, we report recent discoveries implementing our knowledge on chromatin dynamics that modulate developmental gene expression. We also discuss how new data sets highlight plant specificities, likely reflecting requirement for a highly dynamic chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Engelhorn
- Université Grenoble Alpes, UMR5168, 38041, Grenoble, France,
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