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Wang C, Chen Z, Copenhaver GP, Wang Y. Heterochromatin in plant meiosis. Nucleus 2024; 15:2328719. [PMID: 38488152 PMCID: PMC10950279 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2024.2328719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin is an organizational property of eukaryotic chromosomes, characterized by extensive DNA and histone modifications, that is associated with the silencing of transposable elements and repetitive sequences. Maintaining heterochromatin is crucial for ensuring genomic integrity and stability during the cell cycle. During meiosis, heterochromatin is important for homologous chromosome synapsis, recombination, and segregation, but our understanding of meiotic heterochromatin formation and condensation is limited. In this review, we focus on the dynamics and features of heterochromatin and how it condenses during meiosis in plants. We also discuss how meiotic heterochromatin influences the interaction and recombination of homologous chromosomes during prophase I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gregory P. Copenhaver
- Department of Biology and the Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yingxiang Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
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2
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Rutowicz K, Lüthi J, de Groot R, Holtackers R, Yakimovich Y, Pazmiño DM, Gandrillon O, Pelkmans L, Baroux C. Multiscale chromatin dynamics and high entropy in plant iPSC ancestors. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261703. [PMID: 38738286 PMCID: PMC11234377 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant protoplasts provide starting material for of inducing pluripotent cell masses that are competent for tissue regeneration in vitro, analogous to animal induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Dedifferentiation is associated with large-scale chromatin reorganisation and massive transcriptome reprogramming, characterised by stochastic gene expression. How this cellular variability reflects on chromatin organisation in individual cells and what factors influence chromatin transitions during culturing are largely unknown. Here, we used high-throughput imaging and a custom supervised image analysis protocol extracting over 100 chromatin features of cultured protoplasts. The analysis revealed rapid, multiscale dynamics of chromatin patterns with a trajectory that strongly depended on nutrient availability. Decreased abundance in H1 (linker histones) is hallmark of chromatin transitions. We measured a high heterogeneity of chromatin patterns indicating intrinsic entropy as a hallmark of the initial cultures. We further measured an entropy decline over time, and an antagonistic influence by external and intrinsic factors, such as phytohormones and epigenetic modifiers, respectively. Collectively, our study benchmarks an approach to understand the variability and evolution of chromatin patterns underlying plant cell reprogramming in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Rutowicz
- Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Joel Lüthi
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinoud de Groot
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - René Holtackers
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yauhen Yakimovich
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Diana M. Pazmiño
- Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Gandrillon
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell, University of Lyon, ENS de Lyon,69342 Lyon, France
| | - Lucas Pelkmans
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Célia Baroux
- Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Haider S, Farrona S. Decoding histone 3 lysine methylation: Insights into seed germination and flowering. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 81:102598. [PMID: 38986392 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Histone lysine methylation is a highly conserved epigenetic modification across eukaryotes that contributes to creating different dynamic chromatin states, which may result in transcriptional changes. Over the years, an accumulated set of evidence has shown that histone methylation allows plants to align their development with their surroundings, enabling them to respond and memorize past events due to changes in the environment. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of histone methylation in plants. Writers, readers, and erasers of Arabidopsis histone methylation marks are described with an emphasis on their role in two of the most important developmental transition phases in plants, seed germination and flowering. Further, the crosstalk between different methylation marks is also discussed. An overview of the mechanisms of histone methylation modifications and their biological outcomes will shed light on existing research gaps and may provide novel perspectives to increase crop yield and resistance in the era of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saqlain Haider
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Sara Farrona
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland.
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4
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Peck LD, Sork VL. Can DNA methylation shape climate response in trees? TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:1089-1102. [PMID: 38853096 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Woody plants create the ecosystems they occupy and shape their biodiversity. Today's rapidly warming climate threatens these long-lived species by creating new environments in which existing populations become maladapted. Plants show enormous phenotypic diversity in response to environmental change, which can be caused by genotype or epigenetic mechanisms that influence the expression of the underlying DNA sequence. Whether epigenetics can affect ecologically important traits in trees is an important and controversial question. We explore the evidence that DNA methylation can affect gene expression, both directly and indirectly via its interaction with transposable elements (TEs), and subsequently shapes phenotypic variation in natural tree populations. Furthermore, we consider the potential of epigenetic approaches to assist in their conservation management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily D Peck
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Victoria L Sork
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
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5
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Olmo-Uceda MJ, Ambrós S, Corrêa RL, Elena SF. Transcriptomic insights into the epigenetic modulation of turnip mosaic virus evolution in Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:897. [PMID: 39350047 PMCID: PMC11441173 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10798-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 09/12/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant-virus interaction models propose that a virus's ability to infect a host genotype depends on the compatibility between virulence and resistance genes. Recently, we conducted an evolution experiment in which lineages of turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) were passaged in Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes carrying mutations in components of the DNA methylation and the histone demethylation epigenetic pathways. All evolved lineages increased infectivity, virulence and viral load in a host genotype-dependent manner. RESULTS To better understand the underlying reasons for these evolved relationships, we delved into the transcriptomic responses of mutant and WT plant genotypes in mock conditions and infected with either the ancestral or evolved viruses. Such a comparison allowed us to classify every gene into nine basic expression profiles. Regarding the targets of viral adaptation, our analyses allowed the identification of common viral targets as well as host genotype-specific genes and categories of biological processes. As expected, immune response-related genes were found to be altered upon infection. However, we also noticed the pervasive over-representation of other functional groups, suggesting that viral adaptation was not solely driven by the level of expression of plant resistance genes. In addition, a significant association between the presence of transposable elements within or upstream the differentially expressed genes was observed. Finally, integration of transcriptomic data into a virus-host protein-protein interaction network highlighted the most impactful interactions. CONCLUSIONS These findings shed extra light on the complex dynamics between plants and viruses, indicating that viral infectivity depends on various factors beyond just the plant's resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- María J Olmo-Uceda
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I 2 SysBio), CSIC-Universitat de València, Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Silvia Ambrós
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I 2 SysBio), CSIC-Universitat de València, Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Régis L Corrêa
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I 2 SysBio), CSIC-Universitat de València, Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
- Departmento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Santiago F Elena
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I 2 SysBio), CSIC-Universitat de València, Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain.
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, USA.
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6
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Shinkai A, Hashimoto H, Shimura C, Fujimoto H, Fukuda K, Horikoshi N, Okano M, Niwa H, Debler E, Kurumizaka H, Shinkai Y. The C-terminal 4CXXC-type zinc finger domain of CDCA7 recognizes hemimethylated DNA and modulates activities of chromatin remodeling enzyme HELLS. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:10194-10219. [PMID: 39142653 PMCID: PMC11417364 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The chromatin-remodeling enzyme helicase lymphoid-specific (HELLS) interacts with cell division cycle-associated 7 (CDCA7) on nucleosomes and is involved in the regulation of DNA methylation in higher organisms. Mutations in these genes cause immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome, which also results in DNA hypomethylation of satellite repeat regions. We investigated the functional domains of human CDCA7 in HELLS using several mutant CDCA7 proteins. The central region is critical for binding to HELLS, activation of ATPase, and nucleosome sliding activities of HELLS-CDCA7. The N-terminal region tends to inhibit ATPase activity. The C-terminal 4CXXC-type zinc finger domain contributes to CpG and hemimethylated CpG DNA preference for DNA-dependent HELLS-CDCA7 ATPase activity. Furthermore, CDCA7 showed a binding preference to DNA containing hemimethylated CpG, and replication-dependent pericentromeric heterochromatin foci formation of CDCA7 with HELLS was observed in mouse embryonic stem cells; however, all these phenotypes were lost in the case of an ICF syndrome mutant of CDCA7 mutated in the zinc finger domain. Thus, CDCA7 most likely plays a role in the recruitment of HELLS, activates its chromatin remodeling function, and efficiently induces DNA methylation, especially at hemimethylated replication sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akeo Shinkai
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hideharu Hashimoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Chikako Shimura
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Fujimoto
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science & Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-Ohkubo 255, Sakura Ward, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kei Fukuda
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Naoki Horikoshi
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Masaki Okano
- Department of Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology, IMEG, Kumamoto university, Honjo 2-2-1, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Niwa
- Department of Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology, IMEG, Kumamoto university, Honjo 2-2-1, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Erik W Debler
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Yoichi Shinkai
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science & Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-Ohkubo 255, Sakura Ward, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
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He X, Dias Lopes C, Pereyra-Bistrain L, Huang Y, An J, Chaouche R, Zalzalé H, Wang Q, Ma X, Antunez-Sanchez J, Bergounioux C, Piquerez S, Fragkostefanakis S, Zhang Y, Zheng S, Crespi M, Mahfouz M, Mathieu O, Ariel F, Gutierrez-Marcos J, Li X, Bouché N, Raynaud C, Latrasse D, Benhamed M. Genetic-epigenetic interplay in the determination of plant 3D genome organization. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:10220-10234. [PMID: 39149894 PMCID: PMC11417408 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The 3D chromatin organization plays a major role in the control of gene expression. However, our comprehension of the governing principles behind nuclear organization remains incomplete. Particularly, the spatial segregation of loci with similar repressive transcriptional states in plants poses a significant yet poorly understood puzzle. In this study, employing a combination of genetics and advanced 3D genomics approaches, we demonstrated that a redistribution of facultative heterochromatin marks in regions usually occupied by constitutive heterochromatin marks disrupts the 3D genome compartmentalisation. This disturbance, in turn, triggers novel chromatin interactions between genic and transposable element (TE) regions. Interestingly, our results imply that epigenetic features, constrained by genetic factors, intricately mold the landscape of 3D genome organisation. This study sheds light on the profound genetic-epigenetic interplay that underlies the regulation of gene expression within the intricate framework of the 3D genome. Our findings highlight the complexity of the relationships between genetic determinants and epigenetic features in shaping the dynamic configuration of the 3D genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoning He
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Chloé Dias Lopes
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Leonardo I Pereyra-Bistrain
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
- Université de Paris Cité, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Ying Huang
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Jing An
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Rim Brik Chaouche
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Hugo Zalzalé
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
- Université de Paris Cité, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Qingyi Wang
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Xing Ma
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | | | - Catherine Bergounioux
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Sophie Piquerez
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Sotirios Fragkostefanakis
- Department of Biosciences, Molecular Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yijing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Shaojian Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zheijang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Martin Crespi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Magdy M Mahfouz
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Olivier Mathieu
- Institute of Genetics Reproduction and Development (iGReD), Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Inserm, Clermont-Ferrand, F-63000, France
| | - Federico Ariel
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, and Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Xingwang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvment, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 Hubei, China
| | - Nicolas Bouché
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences (IJPB), 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Cécile Raynaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - David Latrasse
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
| | - Moussa Benhamed
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay 91405, France
- Université de Paris Cité, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Orsay, France
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8
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Rudy E, Tanwar UK, Szlachtowska Z, Grabsztunowicz M, Arasimowicz-Jelonek M, Sobieszczuk-Nowicka E. Unveiling the role of epigenetics in leaf senescence: a comparative study to identify different epigenetic regulations of senescence types in barley leaves. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:863. [PMID: 39272009 PMCID: PMC11401419 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05573-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developmental leaf senescence (DLS) is an irreversible process followed by cell death. Dark-induced leaf senescence (DILS) is a reversible process that allows adaptations to changing environmental conditions. As a result of exposure to adverse environmental changes, plants have developed mechanisms that enable them to survive. One of these is the redirection of metabolism into the senescence pathway. The plant seeks to optimise resource allocation. Our research aims to demonstrate how epigenetic machinery regulates leaf senescence, including its irreversibility. RESULTS In silico analyses allowed the complex identification and characterisation of 117 genes involved in epigenetic processes in barley. These genes include those responsible for DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, and ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling complexes. We then performed RNAseq analysis after DILS and DLS to evaluate their expression in senescence-dependent leaf metabolism. Principal component analysis revealed that evaluated gene expression in developmental senescence was similar to controls, while induced senescence displayed a distinct profile. Western blot experiments revealed that senescence engages senescence-specific histone modification. During DILS and DLS, the methylation of histone proteins H3K4me3 and H3K9me2 increased. H3K9ac acetylation levels significantly decreased during DILS and remained unchanged during DLS. CONCLUSIONS The study identified different epigenetic regulations of senescence types in barley leaves. These findings are valuable for exploring epigenetic regulation of senescence-related molecular mechanisms, particularly in response to premature, induced leaf senescence. Based on the results, we suggest the presence of an epigenetically regulated molecular switch between cell survival and cell death in DILS, highlighting an epigenetically driven cell survival metabolic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Rudy
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6 Str., Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Umesh Kumar Tanwar
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6 Str., Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Zofia Szlachtowska
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6 Str., Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Magda Grabsztunowicz
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6 Str., Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Magdalena Arasimowicz-Jelonek
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6 Str., Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Ewa Sobieszczuk-Nowicka
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6 Str., Poznań, 61-614, Poland.
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9
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Xun H, Wang Y, Yuan J, Lian L, Feng W, Liu S, Hong J, Liu B, Ma J, Wang X. Non-CG DNA hypomethylation promotes photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation in soybean. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2402946121. [PMID: 39213181 PMCID: PMC11388380 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402946121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-CG DNA methylation, a plant-specific epigenetic mark mainly regulated by chromomethylase (CMT), is known to play important roles in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, whether and to what extent non-CG DNA methylation modulates agronomic traits in crops remain to be explored. Here, we describe the consequences of non-CG DNA hypomethylation on development, seed composition, and yield in soybean (Glycine max). We created a Gmcmt mutant line lacking function of all four CMT genes. This line exhibited substantial hypomethylation of non-CG (CHG and CHH) sites. Non-CG hypomethylation enhanced chromatin accessibility and promoted or repressed the expression of hundreds of functionally relevant genes, including upregulation of GOLDEN-LIKE 10 (GmGLK10), which led to enhanced photosynthesis and, unexpectedly, improved nitrogen fixation efficiency. The Gmcmt line produced larger seeds with increased protein content. This study provides insights into the mechanisms of non-CG methylation-based epigenetic regulation of soybean development and suggests viable epigenetic strategies for improving soybean yield and nutritional value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Xun
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yadi Wang
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Lijie Lian
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Wanjie Feng
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Shuhan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Jianhui Hong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Bao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Jianxin Ma
- Department of Agronomy, and Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906
| | - Xutong Wang
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
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10
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Inada N. Regulation of heterochromatin organization in plants. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2024; 137:685-693. [PMID: 38914831 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-024-01550-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Heterochromatin is a nuclear area that contains highly condensed and transcriptionally inactive chromatin. Alterations in the organization of heterochromatin are correlated with changes in gene expression and genome stability, which affect various aspects of plant life. Thus, studies of the molecular mechanisms that regulate heterochromatin organization are important for understanding the regulation of plant physiology. Microscopically, heterochromatin can be characterized as chromocenters that are intensely stained with DNA-binding fluorescent dyes. Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits distinctive chromocenters in interphase nuclei, and genetic studies combined with cytological analyses have identified a number of factors that are involved in heterochromatin assembly and organization. In this review, I will summarize the factors involved in the regulation of heterochromatin organization in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Inada
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, 599-8531, Osaka, Japan.
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11
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Shimada A, Cahn J, Ernst E, Lynn J, Grimanelli D, Henderson I, Kakutani T, Martienssen RA. Retrotransposon addiction promotes centromere function via epigenetically activated small RNAs. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:1304-1316. [PMID: 39223305 PMCID: PMC11410651 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01773-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Retrotransposons have invaded eukaryotic centromeres in cycles of repeat expansion and purging, but the function of centromeric retrotransposons has remained unclear. In Arabidopsis, centromeric ATHILA retrotransposons give rise to epigenetically activated short interfering RNAs in mutants in DECREASE IN DNA METHYLATION1 (DDM1). Here we show that mutants that lose both DDM1 and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase have pleiotropic developmental defects and mis-segregate chromosome 5 during mitosis. Fertility and segregation defects are epigenetically inherited with centromere 5, and can be rescued by directing artificial small RNAs to ATHILA5 retrotransposons that interrupt tandem satellite repeats. Epigenetically activated short interfering RNAs promote pericentromeric condensation, chromosome cohesion and chromosome segregation in mitosis. We propose that insertion of ATHILA silences centromeric transcription, while simultaneously making centromere function dependent on retrotransposon small RNAs in the absence of DDM1. Parallels are made with the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, where chromosome cohesion depends on RNA interference, and with humans, where chromosome segregation depends on both RNA interference and HELLSDDM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Shimada
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Cahn
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, NY, USA
| | - Evan Ernst
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jason Lynn
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Ian Henderson
- Department of Plant Sciences, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Robert A Martienssen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, NY, USA.
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12
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Saifi M, Ashrafi K, Qamar F, Abdin MZ. Regulatory trends in engineering bioactive-phytocompounds. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 346:112167. [PMID: 38925476 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The secondary plant metabolites are of enormous importance because of their extensive medicinal, nutraceutical, and industrial applications. In plants, these secondary metabolites are often found in extremely small amounts, therefore, following the discovery of any prospective metabolite, the main constraining element is the ability to generate enough material for use in both industrial and therapeutic settings. In order to satisfy the rising demand for value-added metabolites, researchers prefer to use different molecular approaches for scalable and sustainable production of these phytocompounds. Here, we discuss the emerging regulatory trends in engineering these bioactive-phytocompounds and provide recommendation on successful employment of these state-of-the-art technologies for translation of these academic researches into novel process and products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Saifi
- Centre for Transgenic Plant Development, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Kudsiya Ashrafi
- Centre for Transgenic Plant Development, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Firdaus Qamar
- Centre for Transgenic Plant Development, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - M Z Abdin
- Centre for Transgenic Plant Development, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India.
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13
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Zhou C, Wei X, Liu S, Liu C, Tian K, Zhang D. Global Characterization of DNA Methylation during Rice Leaf Angle Development. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:19219-19231. [PMID: 39146245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c02650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
During plant development and growth, genomic DNA accumulates chemical markers that determine the levels of gene expression. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic marker involved in plant developmental events. However, the characterization of the role of DNA methylation in rice leaf angle development has lagged behind. Herein, we performed bisulfite sequencing to characterize DNA methylation sites and performed transcriptome and small RNA sequencing during leaf angle development. The results revealed a global reduction in CG methylation during leaf angle establishment. A reduction in gene body CG methylation appears to play a vital role in leaf angle development. The hypomethylated and weakly expressed genes were functionally enriched in the brassinosteroid and auxin signaling pathways. Additionally, the main DNA methyltransferases were inactive. The addition of exogenous DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine increased the leaf angle, which confirmed that DNA methylation is crucial for leaf angle development. This study revealed a gradual decrease in 24-nucleotide siRNA levels during leaf angle development, particularly in relation to the enrichment of 24-nucleotide siRNAs at different hypomethylated regions that induce leaf angle inclination. Our results indicate crucial roles for DNA methylation in the rice leaf angle developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU)/Biotechnology Research Center, College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Xinlin Wei
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU)/Biotechnology Research Center, College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Shuangcheng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU)/Biotechnology Research Center, College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU)/Biotechnology Research Center, College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Kexin Tian
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU)/Biotechnology Research Center, College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Dechun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU)/Biotechnology Research Center, College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
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14
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Wassing IE, Nishiyama A, Shikimachi R, Jia Q, Kikuchi A, Hiruta M, Sugimura K, Hong X, Chiba Y, Peng J, Jenness C, Nakanishi M, Zhao L, Arita K, Funabiki H. CDCA7 is an evolutionarily conserved hemimethylated DNA sensor in eukaryotes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadp5753. [PMID: 39178260 PMCID: PMC11343034 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp5753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/25/2024]
Abstract
Mutations of the SNF2 family ATPase HELLS and its activator CDCA7 cause immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial anomalies syndrome, characterized by DNA hypomethylation at heterochromatin. It remains unclear why CDCA7-HELLS is the sole nucleosome remodeling complex whose deficiency abrogates the maintenance of DNA methylation. We here identify the unique zinc-finger domain of CDCA7 as an evolutionarily conserved hemimethylation-sensing zinc finger (HMZF) domain. Cryo-electron microscopy structural analysis of the CDCA7-nucleosome complex reveals that the HMZF domain can recognize hemimethylated CpG in the outward-facing DNA major groove within the nucleosome core particle, whereas UHRF1, the critical activator of the maintenance methyltransferase DNMT1, cannot. CDCA7 recruits HELLS to hemimethylated chromatin and facilitates UHRF1-mediated H3 ubiquitylation associated with replication-uncoupled maintenance DNA methylation. We propose that the CDCA7-HELLS nucleosome remodeling complex assists the maintenance of DNA methylation on chromatin by sensing hemimethylated CpG that is otherwise inaccessible to UHRF1 and DNMT1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel E. Wassing
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Atsuya Nishiyama
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Reia Shikimachi
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Qingyuan Jia
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Amika Kikuchi
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Moeri Hiruta
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Keita Sugimura
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Xin Hong
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Yoshie Chiba
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Junhui Peng
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christopher Jenness
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Makoto Nakanishi
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Li Zhao
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kyohei Arita
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hironori Funabiki
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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15
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Zhang H, Gu Z, Zeng Y, Zhang Y. Mechanism of heterochromatin remodeling revealed by the DDM1 bound nucleosome structures. Structure 2024; 32:1222-1230.e4. [PMID: 38870940 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
The SWI/SNF2 chromatin remodeling factor decreased DNA methylation 1 (DDM1) is essential for the silencing of transposable elements (TEs) in both euchromatic and heterochromatic regions. Here, we determined the cryo-EM structures of DDM1-nucleosomeH2A and DDM1-nucleosomeH2A.W complexes at near-atomic resolution in the presence of the ATP analog ADP-BeFx. The structures show that nucleosomal DNA is unwrapped more on the surface of the histone octamer containing histone H2A than that containing histone H2A.W. DDM1 embraces one DNA gyre of the nucleosome and interacts with the N-terminal tails of histone H4. Although we did not observe DDM1-H2A.W interactions in our structures, the results of the pull-down experiments suggest a direct interaction between DDM1 and the core region of histone H2A.W. Our work provides mechanistic insights into the heterochromatin remodeling process driven by DDM1 in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Zhanxi Gu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuan Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
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16
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da Costa GS, Cerqueira AF, de Brito CR, Mielke MS, Gaiotto FA. Epigenetics Regulation in Responses to Abiotic Factors in Plant Species: A Systematic Review. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2082. [PMID: 39124200 PMCID: PMC11314046 DOI: 10.3390/plants13152082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Plants have several mechanisms to adapt or acclimate to environmental stress. Morphological, physiological, or genetic changes are examples of complex plant responses. In recent years, our understanding of the role of epigenetic regulation, which encompasses changes that do not alter the DNA sequence, as an adaptive mechanism in response to stressful conditions has advanced significantly. Some studies elucidated and synthesized epigenetic mechanisms and their relationships with environmental change, while others explored the interplay between epigenetic modifications and environmental shifts, aiming to deepen our understanding of these complex processes. In this study, we performed a systematic review of the literature to analyze the progression of epigenetics studies on plant species' responses to abiotic factors. We also aimed to identify the most studied species, the type of abiotic factor studied, and the epigenetic technique most used in the scientific literature. For this, a search for articles in databases was carried out, and after analyzing them using pre-established inclusion criteria, a total of 401 studies were found. The most studied species were Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, highlighting the gap in studies of non-economic and tropical plant species. Methylome DNA sequencing is the main technique used for the detection of epigenetic interactions in published studies. Furthermore, most studies sought to understand the plant responses to abiotic changes in temperature, water, and salinity. It is worth emphasizing further research is necessary to establish a correlation between epigenetic responses and abiotic factors, such as extreme temperatures and light, associated with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Fernanda Amato Gaiotto
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado km 16, Ilhéus, BA 45662-900, Brazil; (G.S.d.C.)
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17
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Rao X, Yang S, Lü S, Yang P. DNA Methylation Dynamics in Response to Drought Stress in Crops. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1977. [PMID: 39065503 PMCID: PMC11280950 DOI: 10.3390/plants13141977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Drought is one of the most hazardous environmental factors due to its severe damage on plant growth, development and productivity. Plants have evolved complex regulatory networks and resistance strategies for adaptation to drought stress. As a conserved epigenetic regulation, DNA methylation dynamically alters gene expression and chromosome interactions in plants' response to abiotic stresses. The development of omics technologies on genomics, epigenomics and transcriptomics has led to a rapid increase in research on epigenetic variation in non-model crop species. In this review, we summarize the most recent findings on the roles of DNA methylation under drought stress in crops, including methylating and demethylating enzymes, the global methylation dynamics, the dual regulation of DNA methylation on gene expression, the RNA-dependent DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway, alternative splicing (AS) events and long non-coding RNAs (lnc RNAs). We also discuss drought-induced stress memory. These epigenomic findings provide valuable potential for developing strategies to improve crop drought tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pingfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China; (X.R.); (S.Y.); (S.L.)
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18
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Yang Y, Liu J, Singer SD, Yan G, Bennet DR, Liu Y, Hily JM, Xu W, Yang Y, Wang X, Zhong GY, Liu Z, An YC, Liu H, Liu Z. Ectopic enhancer-enhancer interactions as causal forces driving RNA-directed DNA methylation in gene regulatory regions. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024. [PMID: 39021281 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) are integral to the spatiotemporal and quantitative expression dynamics of target genes, thus directly influencing phenotypic variation and evolution. However, many of these CREs become highly susceptible to transcriptional silencing when in a transgenic state, particularly when organised as tandem repeats. We investigated the mechanism of this phenomenon and found that three of the six selected flower-specific CREs were prone to transcriptional silencing when in a transgenic context. We determined that this silencing was caused by the ectopic expression of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which were processed into 24-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that drove RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Detailed analyses revealed that aberrant ncRNA transcription within the AGAMOUS enhancer (AGe) in a transgenic context was significantly enhanced by an adjacent CaMV35S enhancer (35Se). This particular enhancer is known to mis-activate the regulatory activities of various CREs, including the AGe. Furthermore, an insertion of 35Se approximately 3.5 kb upstream of the AGe in its genomic locus also resulted in the ectopic induction of ncRNA/siRNA production and de novo methylation specifically in the AGe, but not other regions, as well as the production of mutant flowers. This confirmed that interactions between the 35Se and AGe can induce RdDM activity in both genomic and transgenic states. These findings highlight a novel epigenetic role for CRE-CRE interactions in plants, shedding light on the underlying forces driving hypermethylation in transgenes, duplicate genes/enhancers, and repetitive transposons, in which interactions between CREs are inevitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhou Yang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Jia Liu
- College of Landscape, Architecture and Life science/Institute of Special Plants, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Yongchuan, Chongqing, China
| | - Stacy D Singer
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Guohua Yan
- The Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dennis R Bennet
- USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, West Virginia, USA
| | - Yue Liu
- College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jean-Michel Hily
- Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin (IFV), Le Grau du Roi, France
| | - Weirong Xu
- School of Food & Wine, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yingzhen Yang
- USDA-ARS, Grape Genetic Research Unit, Geneva, New York, USA
| | - Xiping Wang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Gan-Yuan Zhong
- USDA-ARS, Grape Genetic Research Unit, Geneva, New York, USA
| | - Zhongchi Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Yong-Chiang An
- USDA-ARS, Plant Genetics Research Unit, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Huawei Liu
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Zongrang Liu
- USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, West Virginia, USA
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19
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Jiang J, Gwee J, Fang J, Leichter SM, Sanders D, Ji X, Song J, Zhong X. Substrate specificity and protein stability drive the divergence of plant-specific DNA methyltransferases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.11.603080. [PMID: 39071332 PMCID: PMC11275764 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.11.603080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism essential for transposon silencing and genome integrity. Across evolution, the substrates of DNA methylation have diversified between kingdoms to account for genome complexity. In plants, Chromomethylase3 (CMT3) and CMT2 are the major methyltransferases mediating CHG and CHH methylation, respectively. However, how these two enzymes diverge on substrate specificities during evolution remains unknown. Here, we reveal that CMT2 originates from a duplication of the evolutionarily more ancient CMT3 in flowering plants. Lacking a key arginine residue recognizing CHG in CMT2 impairs its CHG methylation activity in most flowering plants. An engineered V1200R mutation empowers CMT2 to restore both CHG and CHH methylation in Arabidopsis cmt2cmt3 mutant, testifying a loss-of-function effect for CMT2 after ∼200 million years of evolution. Interestingly, CMT2 has evolved a long and unstructured N-terminus critical for balancing protein stability, especially under heat stress. Furthermore, CMT2 N-terminus is plastic and can be tolerant to various natural mutations. Together, this study reveals the mechanism of chromomethylase divergence for context-specific DNA methylation in plants and sheds important lights on DNA methylation evolution and function.
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20
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Osakabe A, Takizawa Y, Horikoshi N, Hatazawa S, Negishi L, Sato S, Berger F, Kakutani T, Kurumizaka H. Molecular and structural basis of the chromatin remodeling activity by Arabidopsis DDM1. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5187. [PMID: 38992002 PMCID: PMC11239853 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49465-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The histone H2A variant H2A.W occupies transposons and thus prevents access to them in Arabidopsis thaliana. H2A.W is deposited by the chromatin remodeler DDM1, which also promotes the accessibility of chromatin writers to heterochromatin by an unknown mechanism. To shed light on this question, we solve the cryo-EM structures of nucleosomes containing H2A and H2A.W, and the DDM1-H2A.W nucleosome complex. These structures show that the DNA end flexibility of the H2A nucleosome is higher than that of the H2A.W nucleosome. In the DDM1-H2A.W nucleosome complex, DDM1 binds to the N-terminal tail of H4 and the nucleosomal DNA and increases the DNA end flexibility of H2A.W nucleosomes. Based on these biochemical and structural results, we propose that DDM1 counters the low accessibility caused by nucleosomes containing H2A.W to enable the maintenance of repressive epigenetic marks on transposons and prevent their activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihisa Osakabe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan.
| | - Yoshimasa Takizawa
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Horikoshi
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Suguru Hatazawa
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Lumi Negishi
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shoko Sato
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Frédéric Berger
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Tetsuji Kakutani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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21
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Nandety RS, Oh S, Lee HK, Krom N, Gupta R, Mysore KS. Genome-wide methylation landscape during somatic embryogenesis in Medicago truncatula reveals correlation between Tnt1 retrotransposition and hyperactive methylation regions. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 119:557-576. [PMID: 38627952 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Medicago truncatula is a model legume for fundamental research on legume biology and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Tnt1, a retrotransposon from tobacco, was used to generate insertion mutants in M. truncatula R108. Approximately 21 000 insertion lines have been generated and publicly available. Tnt1 retro-transposition event occurs during somatic embryogenesis (SE), a pivotal process that triggers massive methylation changes. We studied the SE of M. truncatula R108 using leaf explants and explored the dynamic shifts in the methylation landscape from leaf explants to callus formation and finally embryogenesis. Higher cytosine methylation in all three contexts of CG, CHG, and CHH patterns was observed during SE compared to the controls. Higher methylation patterns were observed in assumed promoter regions (~2-kb upstream regions of transcription start site) of the genes, while lowest was recorded in the untranslated regions. Differentially methylated promoter region analysis showed a higher CHH methylation in embryogenesis tissue samples when compared to CG and CHG methylation. Strong correlation (89.71%) was identified between the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and the site of Tnt1 insertions in M. truncatula R108 and stronger hypermethylation of genes correlated with higher number of Tnt1 insertions in all contexts of CG, CHG, and CHH methylation. Gene ontology enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified genes and pathways enriched in the signal peptide processing, ATP hydrolysis, RNA polymerase activity, transport, secondary metabolites, and nitrogen metabolism pathways. Combined gene expression analysis and methylation profiling showed an inverse relationship between methylation in the DMRs (regions spanning genes) and the expression of genes. Our results show that a dynamic shift in methylation happens during the SE process in the context of CG, CHH and CHG methylation, and the Tnt1 retrotransposition correlates with the hyperactive methylation regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Sekhar Nandety
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, USA
- Cereal Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, USA
| | - Sunhee Oh
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
| | - Hee-Kyung Lee
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
| | - Nick Krom
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
| | - Rajeev Gupta
- Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, USA
- Cereal Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, USA
| | - Kirankumar S Mysore
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
- Institute for Agricultural Biosciences, Oklahoma State University, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA
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22
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Zhang Y, Jang H, Luo Z, Dong Y, Xu Y, Kantamneni Y, Schmitz RJ. Dynamic evolution of the heterochromatin sensing histone demethylase IBM1. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011358. [PMID: 38991029 PMCID: PMC11265718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin is critical for maintaining genome stability, especially in flowering plants, where it relies on a feedback loop involving the H3K9 methyltransferase, KRYPTONITE (KYP), and the DNA methyltransferase CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (CMT3). The H3K9 demethylase INCREASED IN BONSAI METHYLATION 1 (IBM1) counteracts the detrimental consequences of KYP-CMT3 activity in transcribed genes. IBM1 expression in Arabidopsis is uniquely regulated by methylation of the 7th intron, allowing it to monitor global H3K9me2 levels. We show the methylated intron is prevalent across flowering plants and its underlying sequence exhibits dynamic evolution. We also find extensive genetic and expression variations in KYP, CMT3, and IBM1 across flowering plants. We identify Arabidopsis accessions resembling weak ibm1 mutants and Brassicaceae species with reduced IBM1 expression or deletions. Evolution towards reduced IBM1 activity in some flowering plants could explain the frequent natural occurrence of diminished or lost CMT3 activity and loss of gene body DNA methylation, as cmt3 mutants in A. thaliana mitigate the deleterious effects of IBM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinwen Zhang
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Hosung Jang
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ziliang Luo
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yinxin Dong
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yangyang Xu
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yamini Kantamneni
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
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23
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Wang Z, Xia A, Wang Q, Cui Z, Lu M, Ye Y, Wang Y, He Y. Natural polymorphisms in ZMET2 encoding a DNA methyltransferase modulate the number of husk layers in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:2129-2142. [PMID: 38431291 PMCID: PMC11213254 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation affects agronomic traits and the environmental adaptability of crops, but the natural polymorphisms in DNA methylation-related genes and their contributions to phenotypic variation in maize (Zea mays) remain elusive. Here, we show that a polymorphic 10-bp insertion/deletion variant in the 3'UTR of Zea methyltransferase2 (ZMET2) alters its transcript level and accounts for variation in the number of maize husk layers. ZMET2 encodes a chromomethylase and is required for maintaining genome-wide DNA methylation in the CHG sequence context. Disruption of ZMET2 increased the number of husk layers and resulted in thousands of differentially methylated regions, a proportion of which were also distinguishable in natural ZMET2 alleles. Population genetic analyses indicated that ZMET2 was a target of selection and might play a role in the spread of maize from tropical to temperate regions. Our results provide important insights into the natural variation of ZMET2 that confers both global and locus-specific effects on DNA methylation, which contribute to phenotypic diversity in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Aiai Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Zhenhai Cui
- Shenyang Key Laboratory of Maize Genomic Selection Breeding, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Ming Lu
- Maize Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling 136100, China
| | - Yusheng Ye
- Maize Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110065, China
| | - Yanbo Wang
- Maize Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110065, China
| | - Yan He
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
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24
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Cao S, Sawettalake N, Li P, Fan S, Shen L. DNA methylation variations underlie lettuce domestication and divergence. Genome Biol 2024; 25:158. [PMID: 38886807 PMCID: PMC11184767 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03310-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is an economically important vegetable crop worldwide. Lettuce is believed to be domesticated from a single wild ancestor Lactuca serriola and subsequently diverged into two major morphologically distinct vegetable types: leafy lettuce and stem lettuce. However, the role of epigenetic variation in lettuce domestication and divergence remains largely unknown. RESULTS To understand the genetic and epigenetic basis underlying lettuce domestication and divergence, we generate single-base resolution DNA methylomes from 52 Lactuca accessions, including major lettuce cultivars and wild relatives. We find a significant increase of DNA methylation during lettuce domestication and uncover abundant epigenetic variations associated with lettuce domestication and divergence. Interestingly, DNA methylation variations specifically associated with leafy and stem lettuce are related to regulation and metabolic processes, respectively, while those associated with both types are enriched in stress responses. Moreover, we reveal that domestication-induced DNA methylation changes could influence expression levels of nearby and distal genes possibly through affecting chromatin accessibility and chromatin loop. CONCLUSION Our study provides population epigenomic insights into crop domestication and divergence and valuable resources for further domestication for diversity and epigenetic breeding to boost crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Cao
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Nunchanoke Sawettalake
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Ping Li
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Sheng Fan
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Lisha Shen
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
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25
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Torres JR, Sanchez DH. Emerging roles of plant transcriptional gene silencing under heat. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38864847 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Plants continuously endure unpredictable environmental fluctuations that upset their physiology, with stressful conditions negatively impacting yield and survival. As a contemporary threat of rapid progression, global warming has become one of the most menacing ecological challenges. Thus, understanding how plants integrate and respond to elevated temperatures is crucial for ensuring future crop productivity and furthering our knowledge of historical environmental acclimation and adaptation. While the canonical heat-shock response and thermomorphogenesis have been extensively studied, evidence increasingly highlights the critical role of regulatory epigenetic mechanisms. Among these, the involvement under heat of heterochromatic suppression mediated by transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) remains the least understood. TGS refers to a multilayered metabolic machinery largely responsible for the epigenetic silencing of invasive parasitic nucleic acids and the maintenance of parental imprints. Its molecular effectors include DNA methylation, histone variants and their post-translational modifications, and chromatin packing and remodeling. This work focuses on both established and emerging insights into the contribution of TGS to the physiology of plants under stressful high temperatures. We summarized potential roles of constitutive and facultative heterochromatin as well as the most impactful regulatory genes, highlighting events where the loss of epigenetic suppression has not yet been associated with corresponding changes in epigenetic marks.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Roberto Torres
- Facultad de Agronomía, IFEVA (CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego H Sanchez
- Facultad de Agronomía, IFEVA (CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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26
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Kerckhofs E, Schubert D. Conserved functions of chromatin regulators in basal Archaeplastida. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:1301-1311. [PMID: 37680033 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin is a dynamic network that regulates genome organization and gene expression. Different types of chromatin regulators are highly conserved among Archaeplastida, including unicellular algae, while some chromatin genes are only present in land plant genomes. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the function of conserved chromatin factors in basal land plants and algae. We focus on the role of Polycomb-group genes which mediate H3K27me3-based silencing and play a role in balancing gene dosage and regulating haploid-to-diploid transitions by tissue-specific repression of the transcription factors KNOX and BELL in many representatives of the green lineage. Moreover, H3K27me3 predominantly occupies repetitive elements which can lead to their silencing in a unicellular alga and basal land plants, while it covers mostly protein-coding genes in higher land plants. In addition, we discuss the role of nuclear matrix constituent proteins as putative functional lamin analogs that are highly conserved among land plants and might have an ancestral function in stress response regulation. In summary, our review highlights the importance of studying chromatin regulation in a wide range of organisms in the Archaeplastida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Kerckhofs
- Epigenetics of Plants, Institute for Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Schubert
- Epigenetics of Plants, Institute for Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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27
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Hövel I, Bader R, Louwers M, Haring M, Peek K, Gent JI, Stam M. RNA-directed DNA methylation mutants reduce histone methylation at the paramutated maize booster1 enhancer. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:1161-1179. [PMID: 38366582 PMCID: PMC11142347 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Paramutation is the transfer of mitotically and meiotically heritable silencing information between two alleles. With paramutation at the maize (Zea mays) booster1 (b1) locus, the low-expressed B' epiallele heritably changes the high-expressed B-I epiallele into B' with 100% frequency. This requires specific tandem repeats and multiple components of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway, including the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (encoded by mediator of paramutation1, mop1), the second-largest subunit of RNA polymerase IV and V (NRP(D/E)2a, encoded by mop2), and the largest subunit of RNA Polymerase IV (NRPD1, encoded by mop3). Mutations in mop genes prevent paramutation and release silencing at the B' epiallele. In this study, we investigated the effect of mutations in mop1, mop2, and mop3 on chromatin structure and DNA methylation at the B' epiallele, and especially the regulatory hepta-repeat 100 kb upstream of the b1 gene. Mutations in mop1 and mop3 resulted in decreased repressive histone modifications H3K9me2 and H3K27me2 at the hepta-repeat. Associated with this decrease were partial activation of the hepta-repeat enhancer function, formation of a multi-loop structure, and elevated b1 expression. In mop2 mutants, which do not show elevated b1 expression, H3K9me2, H3K27me2 and a single-loop structure like in wild-type B' were retained. Surprisingly, high CG and CHG methylation levels at the B' hepta-repeat remained in all three mutants, and CHH methylation was low in both wild type and mutants. Our results raise the possibility of MOP factors mediating RNA-directed histone methylation rather than RNA-directed DNA methylation at the b1 locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Hövel
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 1210, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rechien Bader
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 1210, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke Louwers
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 1210, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- argenx BV, Industriepark Zwijnaarde 7, 9052 Zwijnaarde (Ghent), Belgium
| | - Max Haring
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 1210, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- University Library, Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 19185, 1000 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kevin Peek
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 1210, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan I Gent
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Maike Stam
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, P.O. Box 1210, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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28
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Harris CJ, Zhong Z, Ichino L, Feng S, Jacobsen SE. H1 restricts euchromatin-associated methylation pathways from heterochromatic encroachment. eLife 2024; 12:RP89353. [PMID: 38814684 PMCID: PMC11139477 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Silencing pathways prevent transposable element (TE) proliferation and help to maintain genome integrity through cell division. Silenced genomic regions can be classified as either euchromatic or heterochromatic, and are targeted by genetically separable epigenetic pathways. In plants, the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway targets mostly euchromatic regions, while CMT DNA methyltransferases are mainly associated with heterochromatin. However, many epigenetic features - including DNA methylation patterning - are largely indistinguishable between these regions, so how the functional separation is maintained is unclear. The linker histone H1 is preferentially localized to heterochromatin and has been proposed to restrict RdDM from encroachment. To test this hypothesis, we followed RdDM genomic localization in an h1 mutant by performing ChIP-seq on the largest subunit, NRPE1, of the central RdDM polymerase, Pol V. Loss of H1 resulted in NRPE1 enrichment predominantly in heterochromatic TEs. Increased NRPE1 binding was associated with increased chromatin accessibility in h1, suggesting that H1 restricts NRPE1 occupancy by compacting chromatin. However, RdDM occupancy did not impact H1 localization, demonstrating that H1 hierarchically restricts RdDM positioning. H1 mutants experience major symmetric (CG and CHG) DNA methylation gains, and by generating an h1/nrpe1 double mutant, we demonstrate these gains are largely independent of RdDM. However, loss of NRPE1 occupancy from a subset of euchromatic regions in h1 corresponded to the loss of methylation in all sequence contexts, while at ectopically bound heterochromatic loci, NRPE1 deposition correlated with increased methylation specifically in the CHH context. Additionally, we found that H1 similarly restricts the occupancy of the methylation reader, SUVH1, and polycomb-mediated H3K27me3. Together, the results support a model whereby H1 helps maintain the exclusivity of heterochromatin by preventing encroachment from other competing pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jake Harris
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Zhenhui Zhong
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Lucia Ichino
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Suhua Feng
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Steven E Jacobsen
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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29
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Cao S, Chen ZJ. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance during plant evolution and breeding. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024:S1360-1385(24)00112-2. [PMID: 38806375 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Plants can program and reprogram their genomes to create genetic variation and epigenetic modifications, leading to phenotypic plasticity. Although consequences of genetic changes are comprehensible, the basis for transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic variation is elusive. This review addresses contributions of external (environmental) and internal (genomic) factors to the establishment and maintenance of epigenetic memory during plant evolution, crop domestication, and modern breeding. Dynamic and pervasive changes in DNA methylation and chromatin modifications provide a diverse repertoire of epigenetic variation potentially for transgenerational inheritance. Elucidating and harnessing epigenetic inheritance will help us develop innovative breeding strategies and biotechnological tools to improve crop yield and resilience in the face of environmental challenges. Beyond plants, epigenetic principles are shared across sexually reproducing organisms including humans with relevance to medicine and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Cao
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Z Jeffrey Chen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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30
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Wang W, Zhang T, Liu C, Liu C, Jiang Z, Zhang Z, Ali S, Li Z, Wang J, Sun S, Chen Q, Zhang Q, Xie L. A DNA demethylase reduces seed size by decreasing the DNA methylation of AT-rich transposable elements in soybean. Commun Biol 2024; 7:613. [PMID: 38773248 PMCID: PMC11109123 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06306-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how to increase soybean yield is crucial for global food security. The genetic and epigenetic factors influencing seed size, a major crop yield determinant, are not fully understood. We explore the role of DNA demethylase GmDMEa in soybean seed size. Our research indicates that GmDMEa negatively correlates with soybean seed size. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we edited GmDMEa in the Dongnong soybean cultivar, known for small seeds. Modified plants had larger seeds and greater yields without altering plant architecture or seed nutrition. GmDMEa preferentially demethylates AT-rich transposable elements, thus activating genes and transcription factors associated with the abscisic acid pathway, which typically decreases seed size. Chromosomal substitution lines confirm that these modifications are inheritable, suggesting a stable epigenetic method to boost seed size in future breeding. Our findings provide insights into epigenetic seed size control and suggest a strategy for improving crop yields through the epigenetic regulation of crucial genes. This work implies that targeted epigenetic modification has practical agricultural applications, potentially enhancing food production without compromising crop quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanpeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Tianxu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- The Center for Basic Forestry Research, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chunyu Liu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chunyan Liu
- College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zhenfeng Jiang
- College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zhaohan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Shahid Ali
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zhuozheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- The Center for Basic Forestry Research, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Shanwen Sun
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- The Center for Basic Forestry Research, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Qingshan Chen
- College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Qingzhu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
- The Center for Basic Forestry Research, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Linan Xie
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
- The Center for Basic Forestry Research, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
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31
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Fan Y, Sun C, Yan K, Li P, Hein I, Gilroy EM, Kear P, Bi Z, Yao P, Liu Z, Liu Y, Bai J. Recent Advances in Studies of Genomic DNA Methylation and Its Involvement in Regulating Drought Stress Response in Crops. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1400. [PMID: 38794470 PMCID: PMC11125032 DOI: 10.3390/plants13101400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
As global arid conditions worsen and groundwater resources diminish, drought stress has emerged as a critical impediment to plant growth and development globally, notably causing declines in crop yields and even the extinction of certain cultivated species. Numerous studies on drought resistance have demonstrated that DNA methylation dynamically interacts with plant responses to drought stress by modulating gene expression and developmental processes. However, the precise mechanisms underlying these interactions remain elusive. This article consolidates the latest research on the role of DNA methylation in plant responses to drought stress across various species, focusing on methods of methylation detection, mechanisms of methylation pattern alteration (including DNA de novo methylation, DNA maintenance methylation, and DNA demethylation), and overall responses to drought conditions. While many studies have observed significant shifts in genome-wide or gene promoter methylation levels in drought-stressed plants, the identification of specific genes and pathways involved remains limited. This review aims to furnish a reference for detailed research into plant responses to drought stress through epigenetic approaches, striving to identify drought resistance genes regulated by DNA methylation, specific signaling pathways, and their molecular mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youfang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.F.); (P.L.); (Z.B.); (P.Y.); (Z.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Chao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.F.); (P.L.); (Z.B.); (P.Y.); (Z.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Kan Yan
- School of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China;
| | - Pengcheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.F.); (P.L.); (Z.B.); (P.Y.); (Z.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Ingo Hein
- The James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK; (I.H.); (E.M.G.)
| | | | - Philip Kear
- International Potato Center (CIP), CIP China Center for Asia Pacific (CCCAP), Beijing 102199, China;
| | - Zhenzhen Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.F.); (P.L.); (Z.B.); (P.Y.); (Z.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Panfeng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.F.); (P.L.); (Z.B.); (P.Y.); (Z.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Zhen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.F.); (P.L.); (Z.B.); (P.Y.); (Z.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yuhui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.F.); (P.L.); (Z.B.); (P.Y.); (Z.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jiangping Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.F.); (P.L.); (Z.B.); (P.Y.); (Z.L.); (Y.L.)
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32
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Shi Z, Zhao W, Li C, Tan W, Zhu Y, Han Y, Ai P, Li Z, Wang Z. Overexpression of the Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium ROS1 gene promotes flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana by reducing the methylation level of CONSTANS. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 342:112019. [PMID: 38346563 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
DNA demethylation is involved in the regulation of flowering in plants, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. The RELEASE OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1) gene, encoding a DNA demethyltransferase, plays key roles in many developmental processes. In this study, the ROS1 gene was isolated from Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium, where it was strongly expressed in the leaves, buds and flowers. Overexpression of the ClROS1 gene caused an early flowering phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana. RNA-seq analysis of the transgenic plants revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in the circadian rhythm pathway and that the positive regulator of flowering, CONSTANS (CO), was up-regulated. Additionally, whole-genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS), PCR following methylation-dependent digestion with the enzyme McrBC, and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) confirmed that the methylation level of the AtCO promoter was reduced, specifically in CG context. Overall, our results demonstrated that ClROS1 accelerates flowering by reducing the methylation level of the AtCO promoter. These findings clarify the epigenetic mechanism by which ClROS1-mediated DNA demethylation regulates flowering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongya Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
| | - Wenqian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
| | - Chenran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
| | - Wenchao Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
| | - Yifei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
| | - Yanchao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
| | - Penghui Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
| | - Zhongai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
| | - Zicheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Plant Germplasm Resources and Genetic Laboratory, Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Chrysanthemum Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China.
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Deans NC, Talbot JERB, Li M, Sáez-González C, Hövel I, Heavens D, Stam M, Hollick JB. Paramutation at the maize pl1 locus is associated with RdDM activity at distal tandem repeats. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011296. [PMID: 38814980 PMCID: PMC11166354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Exceptions to Mendelian inheritance often highlight novel chromosomal behaviors. The maize Pl1-Rhoades allele conferring plant pigmentation can display inheritance patterns deviating from Mendelian expectations in a behavior known as paramutation. However, the chromosome features mediating such exceptions remain unknown. Here we show that small RNA production reflecting RNA polymerase IV function within a distal downstream set of five tandem repeats is coincident with meiotically-heritable repression of the Pl1-Rhoades transcription unit. A related pl1 haplotype with three, but not one with two, repeat units also displays the trans-homolog silencing typifying paramutations. 4C interactions, CHD3a-dependent small RNA profiles, nuclease sensitivity, and polyadenylated RNA levels highlight a repeat subregion having regulatory potential. Our comparative and mutant analyses show that transcriptional repression of Pl1-Rhoades correlates with 24-nucleotide RNA production and cytosine methylation at this subregion indicating the action of a specific DNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex. These findings support a working model in which pl1 paramutation depends on trans-chromosomal RNA-directed DNA methylation operating at a discrete cis-linked and copy-number-dependent transcriptional regulatory element.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie C. Deans
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Centers for Applied Plant Sciences and RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Joy-El R. B. Talbot
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Mowei Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Centers for Applied Plant Sciences and RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Cristian Sáez-González
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Iris Hövel
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Maike Stam
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jay B. Hollick
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Centers for Applied Plant Sciences and RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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34
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Kakoulidou I, Johannes F. DNA methylation remodeling in F1 hybrids. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:671-681. [PMID: 36752648 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
F1 hybrids derived from a cross between two inbred parental lines often display widespread changes in DNA methylation patterns relative to their parents. To which extent these changes drive non-additive gene expression levels and phenotypic heterosis in F1 individuals is not fully resolved. Current mechanistic models propose that DNA methylation remodeling in hybrids is the result of epigenetic interactions between parental alleles via small interfering RNA (sRNA). These models have strong empirical support but are limited to genomic regions where the two parental lines differ in DNA methylation status. However, most remodeling events occur in parental regions with similar methylation patterns, and seem to be strongly conditioned by distally acting factors, even in isogenic hybrid systems. The molecular basis of these distal interactions is currently unknown, and will likely emerge as an active area of research in the future. Despite these gaps in our molecular understanding, parental DNA methylation states are statistically associated with heterosis, independent of genetic information, and may serve as biomarkers in crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Kakoulidou
- Plant Epigenomics, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramman-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Frank Johannes
- Plant Epigenomics, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramman-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
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35
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Simon L, Probst AV. Maintenance and dynamic reprogramming of chromatin organization during development. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:657-670. [PMID: 36700345 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Controlled transcription of genes is critical for cell differentiation and development. Gene expression regulation therefore involves a multilayered control from nucleosome composition in histone variants and their post-translational modifications to higher-order folding of chromatin fibers and chromatin interactions in nuclear space. Recent technological advances have allowed gaining insight into these mechanisms, the interplay between local and higher-order chromatin organization, and the dynamic changes that occur during stress response and developmental transitions. In this review, we will discuss chromatin organization from the nucleosome to its three-dimensional structure in the nucleus, and consider how these different layers of organization are maintained during the cell cycle or rapidly reprogrammed during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauriane Simon
- iGReD, CNRS, Inserm, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Aline V Probst
- iGReD, CNRS, Inserm, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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36
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He S, Yu Y, Wang L, Zhang J, Bai Z, Li G, Li P, Feng X. Linker histone H1 drives heterochromatin condensation via phase separation in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:1829-1843. [PMID: 38309957 PMCID: PMC11062459 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
In the eukaryotic nucleus, heterochromatin forms highly condensed, visible foci known as heterochromatin foci (HF). These HF are enriched with linker histone H1, a key player in heterochromatin condensation and silencing. However, it is unknown how H1 aggregates HF and condenses heterochromatin. In this study, we established that H1 facilitates heterochromatin condensation by enhancing inter- and intrachromosomal interactions between and within heterochromatic regions of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome. We demonstrated that H1 drives HF formation via phase separation, which requires its C-terminal intrinsically disordered region (C-IDR). A truncated H1 lacking the C-IDR fails to form foci or recover HF in the h1 mutant background, whereas C-IDR with a short stretch of the globular domain (18 out of 71 amino acids) is sufficient to rescue both defects. In addition, C-IDR is essential for H1's roles in regulating nucleosome repeat length and DNA methylation in Arabidopsis, indicating that phase separation capability is required for chromatin functions of H1. Our data suggest that bacterial H1-like proteins, which have been shown to condense DNA, are intrinsically disordered and capable of mediating phase separation. Therefore, we propose that phase separation mediated by H1 or H1-like proteins may represent an ancient mechanism for condensing chromatin and DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo He
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yiming Yu
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | - Liang Wang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhengyong Bai
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Guohong Li
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Pilong Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaoqi Feng
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
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37
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Mabry ME, Abrahams RS, Al-Shehbaz IA, Baker WJ, Barak S, Barker MS, Barrett RL, Beric A, Bhattacharya S, Carey SB, Conant GC, Conran JG, Dassanayake M, Edger PP, Hall JC, Hao Y, Hendriks KP, Hibberd JM, King GJ, Kliebenstein DJ, Koch MA, Leitch IJ, Lens F, Lysak MA, McAlvay AC, McKibben MTW, Mercati F, Moore RC, Mummenhoff K, Murphy DJ, Nikolov LA, Pisias M, Roalson EH, Schranz ME, Thomas SK, Yu Q, Yocca A, Pires JC, Harkess AE. Complementing model species with model clades. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:1205-1226. [PMID: 37824826 PMCID: PMC11062466 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Model species continue to underpin groundbreaking plant science research. At the same time, the phylogenetic resolution of the land plant tree of life continues to improve. The intersection of these 2 research paths creates a unique opportunity to further extend the usefulness of model species across larger taxonomic groups. Here we promote the utility of the Arabidopsis thaliana model species, especially the ability to connect its genetic and functional resources, to species across the entire Brassicales order. We focus on the utility of using genomics and phylogenomics to bridge the evolution and diversification of several traits across the Brassicales to the resources in Arabidopsis, thereby extending scope from a model species by establishing a "model clade." These Brassicales-wide traits are discussed in the context of both the model species Arabidopsis and the family Brassicaceae. We promote the utility of such a "model clade" and make suggestions for building global networks to support future studies in the model order Brassicales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makenzie E Mabry
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - R Shawn Abrahams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | | | | | - Simon Barak
- Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel
| | - Michael S Barker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Russell L Barrett
- National Herbarium of New South Wales, Australian Botanic Garden, Locked Bag 6002, Mount Annan, NSW 2567, Australia
| | - Aleksandra Beric
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Samik Bhattacharya
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, D-49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Sarah B Carey
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | - Gavin C Conant
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bioinformatics Research Center, Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - John G Conran
- ACEBB and SGC, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Maheshi Dassanayake
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Patrick P Edger
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48864, USA
| | - Jocelyn C Hall
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Yue Hao
- Cancer and Cell Biology Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Kasper P Hendriks
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, D-49076 Osnabrück, Germany
- Functional Traits, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, Leiden 2300 RA, the Netherlands
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Graham J King
- Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
| | | | - Marcus A Koch
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ilia J Leitch
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Frederic Lens
- Functional Traits, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, Leiden 2300 RA, the Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Plant Sciences, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martin A Lysak
- CEITEC, and NCBR, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alex C McAlvay
- Institute of Economic Botany, New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, NY 10458, USA
| | - Michael T W McKibben
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Francesco Mercati
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Biosciences and Bioresource (IBBR), Palermo 90129, Italy
| | | | - Klaus Mummenhoff
- Department of Biology, Botany, University of Osnabrück, D-49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Daniel J Murphy
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | | | - Michael Pisias
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Eric H Roalson
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - M Eric Schranz
- Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Shawn K Thomas
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Bioinformatics and Analytics Core, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Qingyi Yu
- Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
| | - Alan Yocca
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | - J Chris Pires
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1170, USA
| | - Alex E Harkess
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
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38
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Shao Z, Chen J, Wang S, Wang W, Zhu L. Sulfonamide-induced DNA hypomethylation disturbed sugar metabolism in rice (Oryza sativa L.). ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 187:108737. [PMID: 38735075 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation is well-accepted as a bridge to unravel the complex interplay between genome and environmental exposures, and its alteration regulated the cellular metabolic responses towards pollutants. However, the mechanism underlying site-specific aberrant DNA methylation and metabolic disorders under pollutant stresses remained elusive. Herein, the multilevel omics interferences of sulfonamides (i.e., sulfadiazine and sulfamerazine), a group of antibiotics pervasive in farmland soils, towards rice in 14 days of 1 mg/L hydroponic exposure were systematically evaluated. Metabolome and transcriptome analyses showed that 57.1-71.4 % of mono- and disaccharides were accumulated, and the differentially expressed genes were involved in the promotion of sugar hydrolysis, as well as the detoxification of sulfonamides. Most differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were hypomethylated ones (accounting for 87-95 %), and 92 % of which were located in the CHH context (H = A, C, or T base). KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that CHH-DMRs in the promoter regions were enriched in sugar metabolism. To reveal the significant hypomethylation of CHH, multi-spectroscopic and thermodynamic approaches, combined with molecular simulation were conducted to investigate the molecular interaction between sulfonamides and DNA in different sequence contexts, and the result demonstrated that sulfonamides would insert into the minor grooves of DNA, and exhibited a stronger affinity with the CHH contexts of DNA compared to CG or CHG contexts. Computational modeling of DNA 3D structures further confirmed that the binding led to a pitch increase of 0.1 Å and a 3.8° decrease in the twist angle of DNA in the CHH context. This specific interaction and the downregulation of methyltransferase CMT2 (log2FC = -4.04) inhibited the DNA methylation. These results indicated that DNA methylation-based assessment was useful for metabolic toxicity prediction and health risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zexi Shao
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Jie Chen
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Shuyuan Wang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Lizhong Zhu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
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39
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Bente H, Köhler C. Molecular basis and evolutionary drivers of endosperm-based hybridization barriers. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:155-169. [PMID: 38298124 PMCID: PMC11060687 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
The endosperm, a transient seed tissue, plays a pivotal role in supporting embryo growth and germination. This unique feature sets flowering plants apart from gymnosperms, marking an evolutionary innovation in the world of seed-bearing plants. Nevertheless, the importance of the endosperm extends beyond its role in providing nutrients to the developing embryo by acting as a versatile protector, preventing hybridization events between distinct species and between individuals with different ploidy. This phenomenon centers on growth and differentiation of the endosperm and the speed at which both processes unfold. Emerging studies underscore the important role played by type I MADS-box transcription factors, including the paternally expressed gene PHERES1. These factors, along with downstream signaling pathways involving auxin and abscisic acid, are instrumental in regulating endosperm development and, consequently, the establishment of hybridization barriers. Moreover, mutations in various epigenetic regulators mitigate these barriers, unveiling a complex interplay of pathways involved in their formation. In this review, we discuss the molecular underpinnings of endosperm-based hybridization barriers and their evolutionary drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinrich Bente
- Department of Plant Reproductive Biology and Epigenetics, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam 14476, Germany
| | - Claudia Köhler
- Department of Plant Reproductive Biology and Epigenetics, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam 14476, Germany
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala 75007, Sweden
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40
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Merkulov P, Serganova M, Petrov G, Mityukov V, Kirov I. Long-read sequencing of extrachromosomal circular DNA and genome assembly of a Solanum lycopersicum breeding line revealed active LTR retrotransposons originating from S. Peruvianum L. introgressions. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:404. [PMID: 38658857 PMCID: PMC11044480 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10314-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are a major force in the evolution of plant genomes. Differences in the transposition activities and landscapes of TEs can vary substantially, even in closely related species. Interspecific hybridization, a widely employed technique in tomato breeding, results in the creation of novel combinations of TEs from distinct species. The implications of this process for TE transposition activity have not been studied in modern cultivars. In this study, we used nanopore sequencing of extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) and identified two highly active Ty1/Copia LTR retrotransposon families of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), called Salsa and Ketchup. Elements of these families produce thousands of eccDNAs under controlled conditions and epigenetic stress. EccDNA sequence analysis revealed that the major parts of eccDNA produced by Ketchup and Salsa exhibited low similarity to the S. lycopersicum genomic sequence. To trace the origin of these TEs, whole-genome nanopore sequencing and de novo genome assembly were performed. We found that these TEs occurred in a tomato breeding line via interspecific introgression from S. peruvianum. Our findings collectively show that interspecific introgressions can contribute to both genetic and phenotypic diversity not only by introducing novel genetic variants, but also by importing active transposable elements from other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Merkulov
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, 127550, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Melania Serganova
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, 127550, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Georgy Petrov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Vladislav Mityukov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205, Moscow, Russia
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems (Kharkevich Institute), Russian Academy of Sciences, 127051, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya Kirov
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, 127550, Moscow, Russia.
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701, Dolgoprudny, Russia.
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41
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Song B, Yu J, Li X, Li J, Fan J, Liu H, Wei W, Zhang L, Gu K, Liu D, Zhao K, Wu J. Increased DNA methylation contributes to the early ripening of pear fruits during domestication and improvement. Genome Biol 2024; 25:87. [PMID: 38581061 PMCID: PMC10996114 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03220-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic modification. However, its contribution to trait changes and diversity in the domestication of perennial fruit trees remains unknown. RESULTS Here, we investigate the variation in DNA methylation during pear domestication and improvement using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing in 41 pear accessions. Contrary to the significant decrease during rice domestication, we detect a global increase in DNA methylation during pear domestication and improvement. We find this specific increase in pear is significantly correlated with the downregulation of Demeter-like1 (DML1, encoding DNA demethylase) due to human selection. We identify a total of 5591 differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Methylation in the CG and CHG contexts undergoes co-evolution during pear domestication and improvement. DMRs have higher genetic diversity than selection sweep regions, especially in the introns. Approximately 97% of DMRs are not associated with any SNPs, and these DMRs are associated with starch and sucrose metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. We also perform correlation analysis between DNA methylation and gene expression. We find genes close to the hypermethylated DMRs that are significantly associated with fruit ripening. We further verify the function of a hyper-DMR-associated gene, CAMTA2, and demonstrate that overexpression of CAMTA2 in tomato and pear callus inhibits fruit ripening. CONCLUSIONS Our study describes a specific pattern of DNA methylation in the domestication and improvement of a perennial pear tree and suggests that increased DNA methylation plays an essential role in the early ripening of pear fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobo Song
- College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinshan Yu
- College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaolong Li
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiaming Li
- College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Fan
- Institute of Fruit and Tea, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Hainan Liu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, China
| | - Weilin Wei
- College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lingchao Zhang
- College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kaidi Gu
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Dongliang Liu
- College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kejiao Zhao
- College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Wu
- College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China.
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Harkess A, Bewick AJ, Lu Z, Fourounjian P, Michael TP, Schmitz RJ, Meyers BC. The unusual predominance of maintenance DNA methylation in Spirodela polyrhiza. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae004. [PMID: 38190722 PMCID: PMC10989885 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Duckweeds are among the fastest reproducing plants, able to clonally divide at exponential rates. However, the genetic and epigenetic impact of clonality on plant genomes is poorly understood. 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is a modified base often described as necessary for the proper regulation of certain genes and transposons and for the maintenance of genome integrity in plants. However, the extent of this dogma is limited by the current phylogenetic sampling of land plant species diversity. Here we analyzed DNA methylomes, small RNAs, mRNA-seq, and H3K9me2 histone modification for Spirodela polyrhiza. S. polyrhiza has lost highly conserved genes involved in de novo methylation of DNA at sites often associated with repetitive DNA, and within genes, however, symmetrical DNA methylation and heterochromatin are maintained during cell division at certain transposons and repeats. Consequently, small RNAs that normally guide methylation to silence repetitive DNA like retrotransposons are diminished. Despite the loss of a highly conserved methylation pathway, and the reduction of small RNAs that normally target repetitive DNA, transposons have not proliferated in the genome, perhaps due in part to the rapid, clonal growth lifestyle of duckweeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Harkess
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132, USA
| | - Adam J Bewick
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Zefu Lu
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Paul Fourounjian
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Todd P Michael
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Blake C Meyers
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132, USA
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri—Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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43
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Vu GTH, Cao HX, Hofmann M, Steiner W, Gailing O. Uncovering epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of growth in Douglas-fir: identification of differential methylation regions in mega-sized introns. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:863-875. [PMID: 37984804 PMCID: PMC10955500 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Tree growth performance can be partly explained by genetics, while a large proportion of growth variation is thought to be controlled by environmental factors. However, to what extent DNA methylation, a stable epigenetic modification, contributes to phenotypic plasticity in the growth performance of long-lived trees remains unclear. In this study, a comparative analysis of targeted DNA genotyping, DNA methylation and mRNAseq profiling for needles of 44-year-old Douglas-fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) having contrasting growth characteristics was performed. In total, we identified 195 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 115 differentially methylated loci (DML) that are associated with genes involved in fitness-related processes such as growth, stress management, plant development and energy resources. Interestingly, all four intronic DML were identified in mega-sized (between 100 and 180 kbp in length) and highly expressed genes, suggesting specialized regulation mechanisms of these long intron genes in gymnosperms. DNA repetitive sequences mainly comprising long-terminal repeats of retroelements are involved in growth-associated DNA methylation regulation (both hyper- and hypomethylation) of 99 DML (86.1% of total DML). Furthermore, nearly 14% of the DML was not tagged by single nucleotide polymorphisms, suggesting a unique contribution of the epigenetic variation in tree growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giang Thi Ha Vu
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree BreedingUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed)University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Hieu Xuan Cao
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree BreedingUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed)University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Martin Hofmann
- Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche VersuchsanstaltAbteilung WaldgenressourcenHann. MündenGermany
| | - Wilfried Steiner
- Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche VersuchsanstaltAbteilung WaldgenressourcenHann. MündenGermany
| | - Oliver Gailing
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree BreedingUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed)University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
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44
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Kakoulidou I, Piecyk RS, Meyer RC, Kuhlmann M, Gutjahr C, Altmann T, Johannes F. Mapping parental DMRs predictive of local and distal methylome remodeling in epigenetic F1 hybrids. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202402599. [PMID: 38290756 PMCID: PMC10828516 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202402599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
F1 hybrids derived from a cross between two inbred parental lines often display widespread changes in DNA methylation and gene expression patterns relative to their parents. An emerging challenge is to understand how parental epigenomic differences contribute to these events. Here, we generated a large mapping panel of F1 epigenetic hybrids, whose parents are isogenic but variable in their DNA methylation patterns. Using a combination of multi-omic profiling and epigenetic mapping strategies we show that differentially methylated regions in parental pericentromeres act as major reorganizers of hybrid methylomes and transcriptomes, even in the absence of genetic variation. These parental differentially methylated regions are associated with hybrid methylation remodeling events at thousands of target regions throughout the genome, both locally (in cis) and distally (in trans). Many of these distally-induced methylation changes lead to nonadditive expression of nearby genes and associate with phenotypic heterosis. Our study highlights the pleiotropic potential of parental pericentromeres in the functional remodeling of hybrid genomes and phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Kakoulidou
- https://ror.org/02kkvpp62 Plant Epigenomics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Robert S Piecyk
- https://ror.org/02kkvpp62 Plant Epigenomics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rhonda C Meyer
- https://ror.org/02skbsp27 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Markus Kuhlmann
- https://ror.org/02skbsp27 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Caroline Gutjahr
- Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Thomas Altmann
- https://ror.org/02skbsp27 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Frank Johannes
- https://ror.org/02kkvpp62 Plant Epigenomics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- https://ror.org/02kkvpp62 Institute of Advanced Studies, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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Dew-Budd KJ, Chow HT, Kendall T, David BC, Rozelle JA, Mosher RA, Beilstein MA. Mating system is associated with seed phenotypes upon loss of RNA-directed DNA methylation in Brassicaceae. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:2136-2148. [PMID: 37987565 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
In plants, de novo DNA methylation is guided by 24-nt short interfering (si)RNAs in a process called RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Primarily targeted at transposons, RdDM causes transcriptional silencing and can indirectly influence expression of neighboring genes. During reproduction, a small number of siRNA loci are dramatically upregulated in the maternally derived seed coat, suggesting that RdDM might have a special function during reproduction. However, the developmental consequence of RdDM has been difficult to dissect because disruption of RdDM does not result in overt phenotypes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), where the pathway has been most thoroughly studied. In contrast, Brassica rapa mutants lacking RdDM have a severe seed production defect, which is determined by the maternal sporophytic genotype. To explore the factors that underlie the different phenotypes of these species, we produced RdDM mutations in 3 additional members of the Brassicaceae family: Camelina sativa, Capsella rubella, and Capsella grandiflora. Among these 3 species, only mutations in the obligate outcrosser, C. grandiflora, displayed a seed production defect similar to Brassica rapa mutants, suggesting that mating system is a key determinant for reproductive phenotypes in RdDM mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Dew-Budd
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Hiu Tung Chow
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Timmy Kendall
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Brandon C David
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - James A Rozelle
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Rebecca A Mosher
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Mark A Beilstein
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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46
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Liu J, Zhong X. Population epigenetics: DNA methylation in the plant omics era. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:2039-2048. [PMID: 38366882 PMCID: PMC10980424 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation plays an important role in many biological processes. The mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of DNA methylation are well understood thanks to decades of research using DNA methylation mutants, primarily in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accession Col-0. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) using the methylomes of natural accessions have uncovered a complex and distinct genetic basis of variation in DNA methylation at the population level. Sequencing following bisulfite treatment has served as an excellent method for quantifying DNA methylation. Unlike studies focusing on specific accessions with reference genomes, population-scale methylome research often requires an additional round of sequencing beyond obtaining genome assemblies or genetic variations from whole-genome sequencing data, which can be cost prohibitive. Here, we provide an overview of recently developed bisulfite-free methods for quantifying methylation and cost-effective approaches for the simultaneous detection of genetic and epigenetic information. We also discuss the plasticity of DNA methylation in a specific Arabidopsis accession, the contribution of DNA methylation to plant adaptation, and the genetic determinants of variation in DNA methylation in natural populations. The recently developed technology and knowledge will greatly benefit future studies in population epigenomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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47
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Bradamante G, Nguyen VH, Incarbone M, Meir Z, Bente H, Donà M, Lettner N, Scheid OM, Gutzat R. Two ARGONAUTE proteins loaded with transposon-derived small RNAs are associated with the reproductive cell lineage in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:863-880. [PMID: 38060984 PMCID: PMC10980394 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
In sexually propagating organisms, genetic, and epigenetic mutations are evolutionarily relevant only if they occur in the germline and are hence transmitted to the next generation. In contrast to most animals, plants are considered to lack an early segregating germline, implying that somatic cells can contribute genetic information to progeny. Here we demonstrate that 2 ARGONAUTE proteins, AGO5 and AGO9, mark cells associated with sexual reproduction in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) throughout development. Both AGOs are loaded with dynamically changing small RNA populations derived from highly methylated, pericentromeric, long transposons. Sequencing of single stem cell nuclei revealed that many of these transposons are co-expressed within an AGO5/9 expression domain in the shoot apical meristem (SAM). Co-occurrence of transposon expression and specific ARGONAUTE (AGO) expression in the SAM is reminiscent of germline features in animals and supports the existence of an early segregating germline in plants. Our results open the path to investigating transposon biology and epigenome dynamics at cellular resolution in the SAM stem cell niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Bradamante
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vu Hoang Nguyen
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Incarbone
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Zohar Meir
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science & Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Heinrich Bente
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mattia Donà
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicole Lettner
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ortrun Mittelsten Scheid
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruben Gutzat
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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48
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Ren Z, Gou R, Zhuo W, Chen Z, Yin X, Cao Y, Wang Y, Mi Y, Liu Y, Wang Y, Fan LM, Deng XW, Qian W. The MBD-ACD DNA methylation reader complex recruits MICRORCHIDIA6 to regulate ribosomal RNA gene expression in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:1098-1118. [PMID: 38092516 PMCID: PMC10980342 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark implicated in selective rRNA gene expression, but the DNA methylation readers and effectors remain largely unknown. Here, we report a protein complex that reads DNA methylation to regulate variant-specific 45S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The complex, consisting of METHYL-CpG-BINDING DOMAIN PROTEIN5 (MBD5), MBD6, ALPHA-CRYSTALLIN DOMAIN PROTEIN15.5 (ACD15.5), and ACD21.4, directly binds to 45S rDNA. While MBD5 and MBD6 function redundantly, ACD15.5 and ACD21.4 are indispensable for variant-specific rRNA gene expression. These 4 proteins undergo phase separation in vitro and in vivo and are interdependent for their phase separation. The α-crystallin domain of ACD15.5 and ACD21.4, which is essential for their function, enables phase separation of the complex, likely by mediating multivalent protein interactions. The effector MICRORCHIDIA6 directly interacts with ACD15.5 and ACD21.4, but not with MBD5 and MBD6, and is recruited to 45S rDNA by the MBD-ACD complex to regulate variant-specific 45S rRNA expression. Our study reveals a pathway in Arabidopsis through which certain 45S rRNA gene variants are silenced, while others are activated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhitong Ren
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agriculture Sciences in Weifang, Peking University Institute of advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China
- School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Runyu Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wanqing Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhiyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaochang Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agriculture Sciences in Weifang, Peking University Institute of advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
| | - Yuxin Cao
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agriculture Sciences in Weifang, Peking University Institute of advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
| | - Yue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yingjie Mi
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agriculture Sciences in Weifang, Peking University Institute of advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
| | - Yannan Liu
- School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yingxiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- College of Life Sciences, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China
| | - Liu-Min Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xing Wang Deng
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agriculture Sciences in Weifang, Peking University Institute of advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
- School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Weiqiang Qian
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agriculture Sciences in Weifang, Peking University Institute of advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
- School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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49
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Luo JH, Guo T, Wang M, Liu JH, Zheng LM, He Y. RNA m6A modification facilitates DNA methylation during maize kernel development. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:2165-2182. [PMID: 37995374 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in mRNA and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in DNA have critical functions for regulating gene expression and modulating plant growth and development. However, the interplay between m6A and 5mC is an elusive territory and remains unclear mechanistically in plants. We reported an occurrence of crosstalk between m6A and 5mC in maize (Zea mays) via the interaction between mRNA adenosine methylase (ZmMTA), the core component of the m6A methyltransferase complex, and decrease in DNA methylation 1 (ZmDDM1), a key chromatin-remodeling factor that regulates DNA methylation. Genes with m6A modification were coordinated with a much higher level of DNA methylation than genes without m6A modification. Dysfunction of ZmMTA caused severe arrest during maize embryogenesis and endosperm development, leading to a significant decrease in CHH methylation in the 5' region of m6A-modified genes. Instead, loss of function of ZmDDM1 had no noteworthy effects on ZmMTA-related activity. This study establishes a direct link between m6A and 5mC during maize kernel development and provides insights into the interplay between RNA modification and DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Hong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ting Guo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Min Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jing-Han Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lei-Ming Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yan He
- Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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50
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Candela-Ferre J, Diego-Martin B, Pérez-Alemany J, Gallego-Bartolomé J. Mind the gap: Epigenetic regulation of chromatin accessibility in plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:1998-2016. [PMID: 38236303 PMCID: PMC10980423 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Chromatin plays a crucial role in genome compaction and is fundamental for regulating multiple nuclear processes. Nucleosomes, the basic building blocks of chromatin, are central in regulating these processes, determining chromatin accessibility by limiting access to DNA for various proteins and acting as important signaling hubs. The association of histones with DNA in nucleosomes and the folding of chromatin into higher-order structures are strongly influenced by a variety of epigenetic marks, including DNA methylation, histone variants, and histone post-translational modifications. Additionally, a wide array of chaperones and ATP-dependent remodelers regulate various aspects of nucleosome biology, including assembly, deposition, and positioning. This review provides an overview of recent advances in our mechanistic understanding of how nucleosomes and chromatin organization are regulated by epigenetic marks and remodelers in plants. Furthermore, we present current technologies for profiling chromatin accessibility and organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Candela-Ferre
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, 46022Spain
| | - Borja Diego-Martin
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, 46022Spain
| | - Jaime Pérez-Alemany
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, 46022Spain
| | - Javier Gallego-Bartolomé
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, 46022Spain
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