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Liu Y, Shu J, Zhang Z, Ding N, Liu J, Liu J, Cui Y, Wang C, Chen C. A conserved Pol II elongator SPT6L mediates Pol V transcription to regulate RNA-directed DNA methylation in Arabidopsis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4460. [PMID: 38796517 PMCID: PMC11127964 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48940-8] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In plants, the plant-specific RNA polymerase V (Pol V) transcripts non-coding RNAs and provides a docking platform for the association of accessory proteins in the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway. Various components have been uncovered that are involved in the process of DNA methylation, but it is still not clear how the transcription of Pol V is regulated. Here, we report that the conserved RNA polymerase II (Pol II) elongator, SPT6L, binds to thousands of intergenic regions in a Pol II-independent manner. The intergenic enrichment of SPT6L, interestingly, co-occupies with the largest subunit of Pol V (NRPE1) and mutation of SPT6L leads to the reduction of DNA methylation but not Pol V enrichment. Furthermore, the association of SPT6L at Pol V loci is dependent on the Pol V associated factor, SPT5L, rather than the presence of Pol V, and the interaction between SPT6L and NRPE1 is compromised in spt5l. Finally, Pol V RIP-seq reveals that SPT6L is required to maintain the amount and length of Pol V transcripts. Our findings thus uncover the critical role of a Pol II conserved elongator in Pol V mediated DNA methylation and transcription, and shed light on the mutual regulation between Pol V and II in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jie Shu
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China
- Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510640, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ning Ding
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jinyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510640, China
| | - Yuhai Cui
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON, N5V 4T3, Canada
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Changhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China.
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Chen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China.
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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2
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Obermeyer S, Kapoor H, Markusch H, Grasser KD. Transcript elongation by RNA polymerase II in plants: factors, regulation and impact on gene expression. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:645-656. [PMID: 36703573 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) through chromatin is a dynamic and highly regulated step of eukaryotic gene expression. A combination of transcript elongation factors (TEFs) including modulators of RNAPII activity and histone chaperones facilitate efficient transcription on nucleosomal templates. Biochemical and genetic analyses, primarily performed in Arabidopsis, provided insight into the contribution of TEFs to establish gene expression patterns during plant growth and development. In addition to summarising the role of TEFs in plant gene expression, we emphasise in our review recent advances in the field. Thus, mechanisms are presented how aberrant intragenic transcript initiation is suppressed by repressing transcriptional start sites within coding sequences. We also discuss how transcriptional interference of ongoing transcription with neighbouring genes is prevented. Moreover, it appears that plants make no use of promoter-proximal RNAPII pausing in the way mammals do, but there are nucleosome-defined mechanism(s) that determine the efficiency of mRNA synthesis by RNAPII. Accordingly, a still growing number of processes related to plant growth, development and responses to changing environmental conditions prove to be regulated at the level of transcriptional elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Obermeyer
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemistry Centre, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Henna Kapoor
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemistry Centre, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hanna Markusch
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemistry Centre, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Klaus D Grasser
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemistry Centre, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
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3
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Čermák V, Kašpar T, Fischer L. SPT6L, a newly discovered ancestral component of the plant RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1372880. [PMID: 38576781 PMCID: PMC10991848 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1372880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is driven by small RNAs (sRNAs) complementary to the nascent transcript of RNA polymerase V (Pol V). sRNAs associated with ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins are tethered to Pol V mainly by the AGO-hook domain of its subunit NRPE1. We found, by in silico analyses, that Pol V strongly colocalizes on chromatin with another AGO-hook protein, SPT6-like (SPT6L), which is a known essential transcription elongation factor of Pol II. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that SPT6L acquired its AGO-binding capacity already in the most basal streptophyte algae, even before the emergence of Pol V, suggesting that SPT6L might be a driving force behind the RdDM evolution. Since its emergence, SPT6L with the AGO-hook represents the only conserved SPT6 homolog in Viridiplantae, implying that the same protein is involved in both Pol II and Pol V complexes. To better understand the role of SPT6L in the Pol V complex, we characterized genomic loci where these two colocalize and uncovered that DNA methylation there is more dynamic, driven by higher levels of sRNAs often from non-canonical RdDM pathways and more dependent on chromatin modifying and remodeling proteins like MORC. Pol V loci with SPT6L are highly depleted in helitrons but enriched in gene promoters for which locally and temporally precise methylation is necessary. In view of these results, we discuss potential roles of multiple AGO-hook domains present in the Pol V complex and speculate that SPT6L mediates de novo methylation of naïve loci by interconnecting Pol II and Pol V activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtěch Čermák
- Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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4
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Zhang HW, Huang K, Gu ZX, Wu XX, Wang JW, Zhang Y. A cryo-EM structure of KTF1-bound polymerase V transcription elongation complex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3118. [PMID: 37253723 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38619-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
De novo DNA methylation in plants relies on transcription of RNA polymerase V (Pol V) along with KTF1, which produce long non-coding RNAs for recruitment and assembly of the DNA methylation machinery. Here, we report a cryo-EM structure of the Pol V transcription elongation complex bound to KTF1. The structure reveals the conformation of the structural motifs in the active site of Pol V that accounts for its inferior RNA-extension ability. The structure also reveals structural features of Pol V that prevent it from interacting with the transcription factors of Pol II and Pol IV. The KOW5 domain of KTF1 binds near the RNA exit channel of Pol V providing a scaffold for the proposed recruitment of Argonaute proteins to initiate the assembly of the DNA methylation machinery. The structure provides insight into the Pol V transcription elongation process and the role of KTF1 during Pol V transcription-coupled DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Wei 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
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kun Huang
- 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
| | - Zhan-Xi 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
| | - Xiao-Xian Wu
- 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
| | - Jia-Wei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, 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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5
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Owsian D, Gruchota J, Arnaiz O, Nowak JK. The transient Spt4-Spt5 complex as an upstream regulator of non-coding RNAs during development. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:2603-2620. [PMID: 35188560 PMCID: PMC8934623 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Spt4-Spt5 complex is conserved and essential RNA polymerase elongation factor. To investigate the role of the Spt4-Spt5 complex in non-coding transcription during development, we used the unicellular model Paramecium tetraurelia. In this organism harboring both germline and somatic nuclei, massive transcription of the entire germline genome takes place during meiosis. This phenomenon starts a series of events mediated by different classes of non-coding RNAs that control developmentally programmed DNA elimination. We focused our study on Spt4, a small zinc-finger protein encoded in P. tetraurelia by two genes expressed constitutively and two genes expressed during meiosis. SPT4 genes are not essential in vegetative growth, but they are indispensable for sexual reproduction, even though genes from both expression families show functional redundancy. Silencing of the SPT4 genes resulted in the absence of double-stranded ncRNAs and reduced levels of scnRNAs – 25 nt-long sRNAs produced from these double-stranded precursors in the germline nucleus. Moreover, we observed that the presence of a germline-specific Spt4-Spt5m complex is necessary for transfer of the scnRNA-binding PIWI protein between the germline and somatic nucleus. Our study establishes that Spt4, together with Spt5m, is essential for expression of the germline genome and necessary for developmental genome rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawid Owsian
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Julita Gruchota
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Olivier Arnaiz
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jacek K Nowak
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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6
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Deja-Muylle A, Opdenacker D, Parizot B, Motte H, Lobet G, Storme V, Clauw P, Njo M, Beeckman T. Genetic Variability of Arabidopsis thaliana Mature Root System Architecture and Genome-Wide Association Study. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:814110. [PMID: 35154211 PMCID: PMC8831901 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.814110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Root system architecture (RSA) has a direct influence on the efficiency of nutrient uptake and plant growth, but the genetics of RSA are often studied only at the seedling stage. To get an insight into the genetic blueprint of a more mature RSA, we exploited natural variation and performed a detailed in vitro study of 241 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions using large petri dishes. A comprehensive analysis of 17 RSA traits showed high variability among the different accessions, unveiling correlations between traits and conditions of the natural habitat of the plants. A sub-selection of these accessions was grown in water-limiting conditions in a rhizotron set-up, which revealed that especially the spatial distribution showed a high consistency between in vitro and ex vitro conditions, while in particular, a large root area in the lower zone favored drought tolerance. The collected RSA phenotype data were used to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which stands out from the previous studies by its exhaustive measurements of RSA traits on more mature Arabidopsis accessions used for GWAS. As a result, we found not only several genes involved in the lateral root (LR) development or auxin signaling pathways to be associated with RSA traits but also new candidate genes that are potentially involved in the adaptation to the natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Deja-Muylle
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Davy Opdenacker
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Boris Parizot
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hans Motte
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guillaume Lobet
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Agrosphere (IBG-3), Jülich, Germany
| | - Veronique Storme
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Clauw
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Njo
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Beeckman
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
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7
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Azevedo J, Picart C, Dureau L, Pontier D, Jaquinod-Kieffer S, Hakimi MA, Lagrange T. UAP56 associates with DRM2 and is localized to chromatin in Arabidopsis. FEBS Open Bio 2019; 9:973-985. [PMID: 30951268 PMCID: PMC6487834 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated sequence expression and transposable element mobilization are tightly controlled by multilayer processes, which include DNA 5′‐cytosine methylation. The RNA‐directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway, which uses siRNAs to guide sequence‐specific directed DNA methylation, emerged specifically in plants. RdDM ensures DNA methylation maintenance on asymmetric CHH sites and specifically initiates de novo methylation in all cytosine sequence contexts through the action of DRM DNA methyltransferases, of which DRM2 is the most prominent. The RdDM pathway has been well described, but how DRM2 is recruited onto DNA targets and associates with other RdDM factors remains unknown. To address these questions, we developed biochemical approaches to allow the identification of factors that may escape genetic screens, such as proteins encoded by multigenic families. Through both conventional and affinity purification of DRM2, we identified DEAD box RNA helicases U2AF56 Associated Protein 56 (UAP56a/b), which are widespread among eukaryotes, as new DRM2 partners. We have shown that, similar to DRM2 and other RdDM actors, UAP56 has chromatin‐associated protein properties. We confirmed this association both in vitro and in vivo in reproductive tissues. In addition, our experiments also suggest that UAP56 may exhibit differential distribution in cells depending on plant organ. While originally identified for its role in splicing, our study suggests that UAP56 may also have other roles, and our findings allow us to initiate discussion about its potential role in the RdDM pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinthe Azevedo
- LGDP-UMR5096, CNRS, Perpignan, France.,LGDP-UMR5096, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, France
| | - Claire Picart
- LGDP-UMR5096, CNRS, Perpignan, France.,LGDP-UMR5096, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, France
| | - Laurent Dureau
- LGDP-UMR5096, CNRS, Perpignan, France.,LGDP-UMR5096, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, France
| | - Dominique Pontier
- LGDP-UMR5096, CNRS, Perpignan, France.,LGDP-UMR5096, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, France
| | - Sylvie Jaquinod-Kieffer
- Laboratoire Biologie Grande Echelle, Institut de Biosciences et Biotechnologies de Grenoble, UMR_S 1038, CEA, INSERM, Université Grenoble Alpes, France
| | - Mohamed-Ali Hakimi
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Team Host-pathogen Interactions and Immunity to Infection, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, France
| | - Thierry Lagrange
- LGDP-UMR5096, CNRS, Perpignan, France.,LGDP-UMR5096, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, France
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8
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Ji D, Manavski N, Meurer J, Zhang L, Chi W. Regulated chloroplast transcription termination. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2018; 1860:69-77. [PMID: 30414934 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Transcription termination by the RNA polymerase (RNAP) is a fundamental step of gene expression that involves the release of the nascent transcript and dissociation of the RNAP from the DNA template. However, the functional importance of termination extends beyond the mere definition of the gene borders. Chloroplasts originate from cyanobacteria and possess their own gene expression system. Plastids have a unique hybrid transcription system consisting of two different types of RNAPs of dissimilar phylogenetic origin together with several additional nuclear encoded components. Although the basic components involved in chloroplast transcription have been identified, little attention has been paid to the chloroplast transcription termination. Recent identification and functional characterization of novel factors in regulating transcription termination in Arabidopsis chloroplasts via genetic and biochemical approaches have provided insights into the mechanisms and significance of transcription termination in chloroplast gene expression. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the transcription termination in chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daili Ji
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Nikolay Manavski
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biologie Moleculaire des Plantes, 12 rue du General Zimmer, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jörg Meurer
- Plant Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Lixin Zhang
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Wei Chi
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
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9
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Wendte JM, Haag JR, Singh J, McKinlay A, Pontes OM, Pikaard CS. Functional Dissection of the Pol V Largest Subunit CTD in RNA-Directed DNA Methylation. Cell Rep 2018; 19:2796-2808. [PMID: 28658626 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.05.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant multisubunit RNA polymerase V (Pol V) transcription recruits Argonaute-small interfering RNA (siRNA) complexes that specify sites of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) for gene silencing. Pol V's largest subunit, NRPE1, evolved from the largest subunit of Pol II but has a distinctive C-terminal domain (CTD). We show that the Pol V CTD is dispensable for catalytic activity in vitro yet essential in vivo. One CTD subdomain (DeCL) is required for Pol V function at virtually all loci. Other CTD subdomains have locus-specific effects. In a yeast two-hybrid screen, the 3'→ 5' exoribonuclease RRP6L1 was identified as an interactor with the DeCL and glutamine-serine (QS)-rich subdomains located downstream of an Argonaute-binding subdomain. Experimental evidence indicates that RRP6L1 trims the 3' ends of Pol V transcripts sliced by Argonaute 4 (AGO4), suggesting a model whereby the CTD enables the spatial and temporal coordination of AGO4 and RRP6L1 RNA processing activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jered M Wendte
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 915 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Jeremy R Haag
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 915 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jasleen Singh
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 915 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Anastasia McKinlay
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 915 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Olga M Pontes
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Craig S Pikaard
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 915 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, 915 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Indiana University, 915 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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10
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Grasser M, Grasser KD. The plant RNA polymerase II elongation complex: A hub coordinating transcript elongation and mRNA processing. Transcription 2017; 9:117-122. [PMID: 28886274 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2017.1356902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterisation of the Arabidopsis RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) elongation complex revealed an assembly of a conserved set of transcript elongation factors associated with chromatin remodellers, histone modifiers as well as with various pre-mRNA splicing and polyadenylation factors. Therefore, transcribing RNAPII streamlines the processes of mRNA synthesis and processing in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Grasser
- a Department of Cell Biology & Plant Biochemistry, Biochemistry Centre , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
| | - Klaus D Grasser
- a Department of Cell Biology & Plant Biochemistry, Biochemistry Centre , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
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11
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Yakovlev IA, Fossdal CG. In Silico Analysis of Small RNAs Suggest Roles for Novel and Conserved miRNAs in the Formation of Epigenetic Memory in Somatic Embryos of Norway Spruce. Front Physiol 2017; 8:674. [PMID: 28943851 PMCID: PMC5596105 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic memory in Norway spruce affects the timing of bud burst and bud set, vitally important adaptive traits for this long-lived forest species. Epigenetic memory is established in response to the temperature conditions during embryogenesis. Somatic embryogenesis at different epitype inducing (EpI) temperatures closely mimics the natural processes of epigenetic memory formation in seeds, giving rise to epigenetically different clonal plants in a reproducible and predictable manner, with respect to altered bud phenology. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and other small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) play an essential role in the regulation of plant gene expression and may affect this epigenetic mechanism. We used NGS sequencing and computational in silico methods to identify and profile conserved and novel miRNAs among small RNAs in embryogenic tissues of Norway spruce at three EpI temperatures (18, 23 and 28°C). We detected three predominant classes of sRNAs related to a length of 24 nt, followed by a 21–22 nt class and a third 31 nt class of sRNAs. More than 2100 different miRNAs within the prevailing length 21–22 nt were identified. Profiling these putative miRNAs allowed identification of 1053 highly expressed miRNAs, including 523 conserved and 530 novels. 654 of these miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed (DEM) depending on EpI temperature. For most DEMs, we defined their putative mRNA targets. The targets represented mostly by transcripts of multiple-repeats proteins, like TIR, NBS-LRR, PPR and TPR repeat, Clathrin/VPS proteins, Myb-like, AP2, etc. Notably, 124 DE miRNAs targeted 203 differentially expressed epigenetic regulators. Developing Norway spruce embryos possess a more complex sRNA structure than that reported for somatic tissues. A variety of the predicted miRNAs showed distinct EpI temperature dependent expression patterns. These putative EpI miRNAs target spruce genes with a wide range of functions, including genes known to be involved in epigenetic regulation, which in turn could provide a feedback process leading to the formation of epigenetic marks. We suggest that TIR, NBS and LRR domain containing proteins could fulfill more general functions for signal transduction from external environmental stimuli and conversion them into molecular response. Fine-tuning of the miRNA production likely participates in both developmental regulation and epigenetic memory formation in Norway spruce.
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Wendte JM, Pikaard CS. The RNAs of RNA-directed DNA methylation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2016; 1860:140-148. [PMID: 27521981 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RNA-directed chromatin modification that includes cytosine methylation silences transposable elements in both plants and mammals, contributing to genome defense and stability. In Arabidopsis thaliana, most RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is guided by small RNAs derived from double-stranded precursors synthesized at cytosine-methylated loci by nuclear multisubunit RNA Polymerase IV (Pol IV), in close partnership with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, RDR2. These small RNAs help keep transposons transcriptionally inactive. However, if transposons escape silencing, and are transcribed by multisubunit RNA polymerase II (Pol II), their mRNAs can be recognized and degraded, generating small RNAs that can also guide initial DNA methylation, thereby enabling subsequent Pol IV-RDR2 recruitment. In both pathways, the small RNAs find their target sites by interacting with longer noncoding RNAs synthesized by multisubunit RNA Polymerase V (Pol V). Despite a decade of progress, numerous questions remain concerning the initiation, synthesis, processing, size and features of the RNAs that drive RdDM. Here, we review recent insights, questions and controversies concerning RNAs produced by Pols IV and V, and their functions in RdDM. We also provide new data concerning Pol V transcript 5' and 3' ends. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Plant Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Networks. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Plant Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Networks, edited by Dr. Erich Grotewold and Dr. Nathan Springer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jered M Wendte
- Department of Biology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, 915 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Craig S Pikaard
- Department of Biology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, 915 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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