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Mateo-Bonmatí E, Montez M, Maple R, Fiedler M, Fang X, Saalbach G, Passmore LA, Dean C. A CPF-like phosphatase module links transcription termination to chromatin silencing. Mol Cell 2024; 84:2272-2286.e7. [PMID: 38851185 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.05.016] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
The interconnections between co-transcriptional regulation, chromatin environment, and transcriptional output remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the mechanism underlying RNA 3' processing-mediated Polycomb silencing of Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). We show a requirement for ANTHESIS PROMOTING FACTOR 1 (APRF1), a homolog of yeast Swd2 and human WDR82, known to regulate RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) during transcription termination. APRF1 interacts with TYPE ONE SERINE/THREONINE PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 4 (TOPP4) (yeast Glc7/human PP1) and LUMINIDEPENDENS (LD), the latter showing structural features found in Ref2/PNUTS, all components of the yeast and human phosphatase module of the CPF 3' end-processing machinery. LD has been shown to co-associate in vivo with the histone H3 K4 demethylase FLOWERING LOCUS D (FLD). This work shows how the APRF1/LD-mediated polyadenylation/termination process influences subsequent rounds of transcription by changing the local chromatin environment at FLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Mateo-Bonmatí
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK; Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)/CSIC, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain.
| | - Miguel Montez
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Robert Maple
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Marc Fiedler
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Xiaofeng Fang
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Gerhard Saalbach
- Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | | | - Caroline Dean
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
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2
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Menon G, Mateo-Bonmati E, Reeck S, Maple R, Wu Z, Ietswaart R, Dean C, Howard M. Proximal termination generates a transcriptional state that determines the rate of establishment of Polycomb silencing. Mol Cell 2024; 84:2255-2271.e9. [PMID: 38851186 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.05.014] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
The mechanisms and timescales controlling de novo establishment of chromatin-mediated transcriptional silencing by Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) are unclear. Here, we investigate PRC2 silencing at Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), known to involve co-transcriptional RNA processing, histone demethylation activity, and PRC2 function, but so far not mechanistically connected. We develop and test a computational model describing proximal polyadenylation/termination mediated by the RNA-binding protein FCA that induces H3K4me1 removal by the histone demethylase FLD. H3K4me1 removal feeds back to reduce RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) processivity and thus enhance early termination, thereby repressing productive transcription. The model predicts that this transcription-coupled repression controls the level of transcriptional antagonism to PRC2 action. Thus, the effectiveness of this repression dictates the timescale for establishment of PRC2/H3K27me3 silencing. We experimentally validate these mechanistic model predictions, revealing that co-transcriptional processing sets the level of productive transcription at the locus, which then determines the rate of the ON-to-OFF switch to PRC2 silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Govind Menon
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Eduardo Mateo-Bonmati
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Svenja Reeck
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Robert Maple
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Zhe Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Robert Ietswaart
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Genetics, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Caroline Dean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
| | - Martin Howard
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
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3
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Bergis-Ser C, Reji M, Latrasse D, Bergounioux C, Benhamed M, Raynaud C. Chromatin dynamics and RNA metabolism are double-edged swords for the maintenance of plant genome integrity. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:857-873. [PMID: 38658791 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01678-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Maintenance of genome integrity is an essential process in all organisms. Mechanisms avoiding the formation of DNA lesions or mutations are well described in animals because of their relevance to human health and cancer. In plants, they are of growing interest because DNA damage accumulation is increasingly recognized as one of the consequences of stress. Although the cellular response to DNA damage is mostly studied in response to genotoxic treatments, the main source of DNA lesions is cellular activity itself. This can occur through the production of reactive oxygen species as well as DNA processing mechanisms such as DNA replication or transcription and chromatin dynamics. In addition, how lesions are formed and repaired is greatly influenced by chromatin features and dynamics and by DNA and RNA metabolism. Notably, actively transcribed regions or replicating DNA, because they are less condensed and are sites of DNA processing, are more exposed to DNA damage. However, at the same time, a wealth of cellular mechanisms cooperate to favour DNA repair at these genomic loci. These intricate relationships that shape the distribution of mutations along the genome have been studied extensively in animals but much less in plants. In this Review, we summarize how chromatin dynamics influence lesion formation and DNA repair in plants, providing a comprehensive view of current knowledge and highlighting open questions with regard to what is known in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Bergis-Ser
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université d'Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Meega Reji
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université d'Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Vithura, India
| | - David Latrasse
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université d'Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Catherine Bergounioux
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université d'Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Moussa Benhamed
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université d'Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Orsay, France
| | - Cécile Raynaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université d'Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France.
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4
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Yang X, Huang Y, Xia P. The property and function of proteins undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation in plants. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 38808958 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
A wide variety of membrane-less organelles in cells play an essential role in regulating gene expression, RNA processing, plant growth and development, and helping organisms cope with changing external environments. In biology, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) usually refers to a reversible process in which one or more specific molecular components are spontaneously separated from the bulk environment, producing two distinct liquid phases: concentrated and dilute. LLPS may be a powerful cellular compartmentalisation mechanism whereby biocondensates formed via LLPS when biomolecules exceed critical or saturating concentrations in the environment where they are found will be generated. It has been widely used to explain the formation of membrane-less organelles in organisms. LLPS studies in the context of plant physiology are now widespread, but most of the research is still focused on non-plant systems; the study of phase separation in plants needs to be more thorough. Proteins and nucleic acids are the main components involved in LLPS. This review summarises the specific features and properties of biomolecules undergoing LLPS in plants. We describe in detail these biomolecules' structural characteristics, the mechanism of formation of condensates, and the functions of these condensates. Finally, We summarised the phase separation mechanisms in plant growth, development, and stress adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejiao Yang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Huang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pengguo Xia
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
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Imaduwage I, Hewadikaram M. Predicted roles of long non-coding RNAs in abiotic stress tolerance responses of plants. MOLECULAR HORTICULTURE 2024; 4:20. [PMID: 38745264 PMCID: PMC11094901 DOI: 10.1186/s43897-024-00094-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The plant genome exhibits a significant amount of transcriptional activity, with most of the resulting transcripts lacking protein-coding potential. Non-coding RNAs play a pivotal role in the development and regulatory processes in plants. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which exceed 200 nucleotides, may play a significant role in enhancing plant resilience to various abiotic stresses, such as excessive heat, drought, cold, and salinity. In addition, the exogenous application of chemicals, such as abscisic acid and salicylic acid, can augment plant defense responses against abiotic stress. While how lncRNAs play a role in abiotic stress tolerance is relatively well-studied in model plants, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of this function in horticultural crop plants. It also delves into the potential role of lncRNAs in chemical priming of plants in order to acquire abiotic stress tolerance, although many limitations exist in proving lncRNA functionality under such conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuh Imaduwage
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science, NSBM Green University, Pitipana, Homagama, Sri Lanka
| | - Madhavi Hewadikaram
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science, NSBM Green University, Pitipana, Homagama, Sri Lanka.
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Bulgakov VP. Chromatin modifications and memory in regulation of stress-related polyphenols: finding new ways to control flavonoid biosynthesis. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024:1-17. [PMID: 38697923 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2024.2336529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The influence of epigenetic factors on plant defense responses and the balance between growth and defense is becoming a central area in plant biology. It is believed that the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites can be regulated by epigenetic factors, but this is not associated with the formation of a "memory" to the previous biosynthetic status. This review shows that some epigenetic effects can result in epigenetic memory, which opens up new areas of research in secondary metabolites, in particular flavonoids. Plant-controlled chromatin modifications can lead to the generation of stress memory, a phenomenon through which information regarding past stress cues is retained, resulting in a modified response to recurring stress. How deeply are the mechanisms of chromatin modification and memory generation involved in the control of flavonoid biosynthesis? This article collects available information from the literature and interactome databases to address this issue. Visualization of the interaction of chromatin-modifying proteins with the flavonoid biosynthetic machinery is presented. Chromatin modifiers and "bookmarks" that may be involved in the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis through memory have been identified. Through different mechanisms of chromatin modification, plants can harmonize flavonoid metabolism with: stress responses, developmental programs, light-dependent processes, flowering, and longevity programs. The available information points to the possibility of developing chromatin-modifying technologies to control flavonoid biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor P Bulgakov
- Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
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Liu H, Jiang Y, Shi R, Hao Y, Li M, Bai J, Wang H, Guan X, Song X, Ma C, Zhang L, Zhao X, Zheng X, Zhu D. Super enhancer-associated circRNA-circLrch3 regulates hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells pyroptosis by formation of R-loop with host gene. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 268:130853. [PMID: 38570000 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130853] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complex vascular disorder, characterized by pulmonary vessel remodeling and perivascular inflammation. Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) pyroptosis is a novel pathological mechanism implicated of pulmonary vessel remodeling. However, the involvement of circRNAs in the process of pyroptosis and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain inadequately understood. METHODS Western blotting, PI staining and LDH release were used to explore the role of circLrch3 in PASMCs pyroptosis. Moreover, S9.6 dot blot and DRIP-PCR were used to assess the formation of R-loop between circLrch3 and its host gene Lrch3. Chip-qPCR were used to evaluate the mechanism of super enhancer-associated circLrh3, which is transcriptionally activated by the transcription factor Tbx2. RESULTS CircLrch3 was markedly upregulated in hypoxic PASMCs. CircLrch3 knockdown inhibited hypoxia induced PASMCs pyroptosis in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, circLrch3 can form R-loop with host gene to upregulate the protein and mRNA expression of Lrch3. Furthermore, super enhancer interacted with the Tbx2 at the Lrch3 promoter locus, mediating the augmented transcription of circLrch3. CONCLUSION Our findings clarify the role of a super enhancer-associated circLrch3 in the formation of R-loop with the host gene Lrch3 to modulate pyroptosis in PASMCs, ultimately promoting the development of PH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyu Liu
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Yuan Jiang
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Ruimin Shi
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Yingying Hao
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Mengnan Li
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - June Bai
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Hongdan Wang
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Xiaoyu Guan
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Xinyue Song
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Cui Ma
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China
| | - Lixin Zhang
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China
| | - Xijuan Zhao
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China
| | - Xiaodong Zheng
- Department of Genetic And Cell Biology, Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China
| | - Daling Zhu
- Central Laboratory of Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing 163319, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China.
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8
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Fan S, Zhang Y, Zhu S, Shen L. Plant RNA-binding proteins: Phase separation dynamics and functional mechanisms underlying plant development and stress responses. MOLECULAR PLANT 2024; 17:531-551. [PMID: 38419328 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.02.016] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) accompany RNA from synthesis to decay, mediating every aspect of RNA metabolism and impacting diverse cellular and developmental processes in eukaryotes. Many RBPs undergo phase separation along with their bound RNA to form and function in dynamic membraneless biomolecular condensates for spatiotemporal coordination or regulation of RNA metabolism. Increasing evidence suggests that phase-separating RBPs with RNA-binding domains and intrinsically disordered regions play important roles in plant development and stress adaptation. Here, we summarize the current knowledge about how dynamic partitioning of RBPs into condensates controls plant development and enables sensing of experimental changes to confer growth plasticity under stress conditions, with a focus on the dynamics and functional mechanisms of RBP-rich nuclear condensates and cytoplasmic granules in mediating RNA metabolism. We also discuss roles of multiple factors, such as environmental signals, protein modifications, and N6-methyladenosine RNA methylation, in modulating the phase separation behaviors of RBPs, and highlight the prospects and challenges for future research on phase-separating RBPs in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Fan
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Yu Zhang
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Shaobo Zhu
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Lisha Shen
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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9
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Nielsen M, Menon G, Zhao Y, Mateo-Bonmati E, Wolff P, Zhou S, Howard M, Dean C. COOLAIR and PRC2 function in parallel to silence FLC during vernalization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311474121. [PMID: 38236739 PMCID: PMC10823242 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311474121] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Noncoding transcription induces chromatin changes that can mediate environmental responsiveness, but the causes and consequences of these mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we investigate how antisense transcription (termed COOLAIR) interfaces with Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) silencing during winter-induced epigenetic regulation of Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). We use genetic and chromatin analyses on lines ineffective or hyperactive for the antisense pathway in combination with computational modeling to define the mechanisms underlying FLC repression. Our results show that FLC is silenced through pathways that function with different dynamics: a COOLAIR transcription-mediated pathway capable of fast response and in parallel a slow PRC2 switching mechanism that maintains each allele in an epigenetically silenced state. Components of both the COOLAIR and PRC2 pathways are regulated by a common transcriptional regulator (NTL8), which accumulates by reduced dilution due to slow growth at low temperature. The parallel activities of the regulatory steps, and their control by temperature-dependent growth dynamics, create a flexible system for registering widely fluctuating natural temperature conditions that change year on year, and yet ensure robust epigenetic silencing of FLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Nielsen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Govind Menon
- Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Yusheng Zhao
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Eduardo Mateo-Bonmati
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Philip Wolff
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Shaoli Zhou
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Howard
- Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Dean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, NorwichNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
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10
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Liu Q, Liu W, Niu Y, Wang T, Dong J. Liquid-liquid phase separation in plants: Advances and perspectives from model species to crops. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 5:100663. [PMID: 37496271 PMCID: PMC10811348 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Membraneless biomolecular condensates play important roles in both normal biological activities and responses to environmental stimuli in living organisms. Liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS) is an organizational mechanism that has emerged in recent years to explain the formation of biomolecular condensates. In the past decade, advances in LLPS research have contributed to breakthroughs in disease fields. By contrast, although LLPS research in plants has progressed over the past 5 years, it has been concentrated on the model plant Arabidopsis, which has limited relevance to agricultural production. In this review, we provide an overview of recently reported advances in LLPS in plants, with a particular focus on photomorphogenesis, flowering, and abiotic and biotic stress responses. We propose that many potential LLPS proteins also exist in crops and may affect crop growth, development, and stress resistance. This possibility presents a great challenge as well as an opportunity for rigorous scientific research on the biological functions and applications of LLPS in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianwen Liu
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Wenxuan Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yiding Niu
- Key Laboratory of Forage and Endemic Crop Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
| | - Tao Wang
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiangli Dong
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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He Z, Li M, Pan X, Peng Y, Shi Y, Han Q, Shi M, She L, Borovskii G, Chen X, Gu X, Cheng X, Zhang W. R-loops act as regulatory switches modulating transcription of COLD-responsive genes in rice. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:267-282. [PMID: 37849024 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
COLD is a major naturally occurring stress that usually causes complex symptoms and severe yield loss in crops. R-loops function in various cellular processes, including development and stress responses, in plants. However, how R-loops function in COLD responses is largely unknown in COLD susceptible crops like rice (Oryza sativa L.). We conducted DRIP-Seq along with other omics data (RNA-Seq, DNase-Seq and ChIP-Seq) in rice with or without COLD treatment. COLD treatment caused R-loop reprogramming across the genome. COLD-biased R-loops had higher GC content and novel motifs for the binding of distinct transcription factors (TFs). Moreover, R-loops can directly/indirectly modulate the transcription of a subset of COLD-responsive genes, which can be mediated by R-loop overlapping TF-centered or cis-regulatory element-related regulatory networks and lncRNAs, accounting for c. 60% of COLD-induced expression of differential genes in rice, which is different from the findings in Arabidopsis. We validated two R-loop loci with contrasting (negative/positive) roles in the regulation of two individual COLD-responsive gene expression, as potential targets for enhanced COLD resistance. Our study provides detailed evidence showing functions of R-loop reprogramming during COLD responses and provides some potential R-loop loci for genetic and epigenetic manipulation toward breeding of rice varieties with enhanced COLD tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zexue He
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Mengqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Xiucai Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
- Xiangyang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xiangyang, Hubei Province, 441057, China
| | - Yulian Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Yining Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Qi Han
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Manli Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Linwei She
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Gennadii Borovskii
- Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) Irkutsk, Lermontova, 664033, Russia
| | - Xiaojun Chen
- Key Lab of Agricultural Biotechnology of Ningxia, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, YinChuan, 750002, China
| | - Xiaofeng Gu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xuejiao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production Co-Sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
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12
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Du P, Hu J, Du M, Gao X, Yang W, Zhang C, Zou X, Wang X, Li W. Interaction of a bacterial non-classically secreted RNase HⅠ with a citrus B-Box zinc finger protein delays flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana and suppresses the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T. Microbiol Res 2024; 278:127541. [PMID: 37972521 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127541] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Ribonuclease HI (RNase HI) is well conserved across prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and has long been known to localize in the nucleic acid-containing cellular compartments for acting as an R-loop eraser but has never been determined to be a secreted protein. "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" (CLas) is a fastidious α-proteobacterium that causes Huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating citrus disease often associated with flowering out of season. In this study, using the SecretomeP program coupled with an Escherichia coli-based alkaline phosphatase assay, we demonstrated that the CLas RNase HI (LasRNHⅠ) was a non-classically secreted protein. Further experiments identified that LasRNHⅠ could interact with a citrus B-box zinc finger protein CsBBX28 in the plant nucleolus. The in vitro assays indicated that CsBBX28 dramatically enhanced the R-loop-degrading activity of LasRNHⅠ. Remarkably, co-expression of CsBBX28 and LasRNHⅠ in Arabidopsis thaliana led to a much later flowering time than that of wild-type Arabidopsis, as well as that of the transgenic A. thaliana expressing only CsBBX28 or LasRNHⅠ, and lastingly and significantly repressed transcription of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), a floral pathway integrator. Similarly, ectopic expression of LasRNHⅠ in citrus greatly reduced the transcription level of FT. The data together disclosed the extracellular secretion of LasRNHⅠ, and that LasRNHⅠ physically interacted with CsBBX28 and served as a flowering repressor through suppressing the FT expression, suggesting a novel role of RNase HI in the bacteria interacting with the host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peixiu Du
- Key Laboratory for Northern Urban Agriculture of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, PR China; Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China; Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Junxia Hu
- Department of Plant Protection, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, PR China
| | - Meixia Du
- Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Xiaoyu Gao
- Department of Plant Protection, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, PR China
| | - Wendi Yang
- Department of Plant Protection, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, PR China
| | - Chao Zhang
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, PR China
| | - Xiuping Zou
- Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Weimin Li
- Key Laboratory for Northern Urban Agriculture of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, PR China; Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, PR China; Department of Plant Protection, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, PR China.
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13
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Zhu P, Schon M, Questa J, Nodine M, Dean C. Causal role of a promoter polymorphism in natural variation of the Arabidopsis floral repressor gene FLC. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4381-4391.e3. [PMID: 37729909 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Noncoding polymorphism frequently associates with phenotypic variation, but causation and mechanism are rarely established. Noncoding single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) characterize the major haplotypes of the Arabidopsis thaliana floral repressor gene FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). This noncoding polymorphism generates a range of FLC expression levels, determining the requirement for and the response to winter cold. The major adaptive determinant of these FLC haplotypes was shown to be the autumnal levels of FLC expression. Here, we investigate how noncoding SNPs influence FLC transcriptional output. We identify an upstream transcription start site (uTSS) cluster at FLC, whose usage is increased by an A variant at the promoter SNP-230. This variant is present in relatively few Arabidopsis accessions, with the majority containing G at this site. We demonstrate a causal role for the A variant at -230 in reduced FLC transcriptional output. The G variant upregulates FLC expression redundantly with the major transcriptional activator FRIGIDA (FRI). We demonstrate an additive interaction of SNP-230 with an intronic SNP+259, which also differentially influences uTSS usage. Combinatorial interactions between noncoding SNPs and transcriptional activators thus generate quantitative variation in FLC transcription that has facilitated the adaptation of Arabidopsis accessions to distinct climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Zhu
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Michael Schon
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 PB, the Netherlands; Gregor Mendel Institute, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Julia Questa
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Michael Nodine
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 PB, the Netherlands; Gregor Mendel Institute, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Caroline Dean
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
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14
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Chorostecki U, Bologna NG, Ariel F. The plant noncoding transcriptome: a versatile environmental sensor. EMBO J 2023; 42:e114400. [PMID: 37735935 PMCID: PMC10577639 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023114400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant noncoding RNA transcripts have gained increasing attention in recent years due to growing evidence that they can regulate developmental plasticity. In this review article, we comprehensively analyze the relationship between noncoding RNA transcripts in plants and their response to environmental cues. We first provide an overview of the various noncoding transcript types, including long and small RNAs, and how the environment modulates their performance. We then highlight the importance of noncoding RNA secondary structure for their molecular and biological functions. Finally, we discuss recent studies that have unveiled the functional significance of specific long noncoding transcripts and their molecular partners within ribonucleoprotein complexes during development and in response to biotic and abiotic stress. Overall, this review sheds light on the fascinating and complex relationship between dynamic noncoding transcription and plant environmental responses, and highlights the need for further research to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms and exploit the potential of noncoding transcripts for crop resilience in the context of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uciel Chorostecki
- Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversitat Internacional de CatalunyaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Nicolas G. Bologna
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG)CSIC‐IRTA‐UAB‐UBBarcelonaSpain
| | - Federico Ariel
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia del Litoral, CONICET, FBCBUniversidad Nacional del LitoralSanta FeArgentina
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15
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Kang H, Xu T. N6-methyladenosine RNA methylation modulates liquid‒liquid phase separation in plants. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:3205-3213. [PMID: 37032432 PMCID: PMC10473200 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Membraneless biomolecular condensates form distinct subcellular compartments that enable a cell to orchestrate numerous biochemical reactions in a spatiotemporal-specific and dynamic manner. Liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS) facilitates the formation of membraneless biomolecular condensates, which are crucial for many cellular processes in plants, including embryogenesis, the floral transition, photosynthesis, pathogen defense, and stress responses. The main component required for LLPS is a protein harboring key characteristic features, such as intrinsically disordered regions, low-complexity sequence domains, and prion-like domains. RNA is an additional component involved in LLPS. Increasing evidence indicates that modifications in proteins and RNAs play pivotal roles in LLPS. In particular, recent studies have indicated that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of messenger RNA is crucial for LLPS in plants and animals. In this review, we provide an overview of recent developments in the role of mRNA methylation in LLPS in plant cells. Moreover, we highlight the major challenges in understanding the pivotal roles of RNA modifications and elucidating how m6A marks are interpreted by RNA-binding proteins crucial for LLPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunseung Kang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, Jiangsu Joint International Center of Genomics, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, China
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | - Tao Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, Jiangsu Joint International Center of Genomics, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, China
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16
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Field S, Jang GJ, Dean C, Strader LC, Rhee SY. Plants use molecular mechanisms mediated by biomolecular condensates to integrate environmental cues with development. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:3173-3186. [PMID: 36879427 PMCID: PMC10473230 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This review highlights recent literature on biomolecular condensates in plant development and discusses challenges for fully dissecting their functional roles. Plant developmental biology has been inundated with descriptive examples of biomolecular condensate formation, but it is only recently that mechanistic understanding has been forthcoming. Here, we discuss recent examples of potential roles biomolecular condensates play at different stages of the plant life cycle. We group these examples based on putative molecular functions, including sequestering interacting components, enhancing dwell time, and interacting with cytoplasmic biophysical properties in response to environmental change. We explore how these mechanisms could modulate plant development in response to environmental inputs and discuss challenges and opportunities for further research into deciphering molecular mechanisms to better understand the diverse roles that biomolecular condensates exert on life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sterling Field
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Geng-Jen Jang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Caroline Dean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Lucia C Strader
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Seung Y Rhee
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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17
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Zhu P, Dean C. Reply to: Cold induction of nuclear FRIGIDA condensation in Arabidopsis. Nature 2023; 619:E33-E37. [PMID: 37438593 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06190-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pan Zhu
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Caroline Dean
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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18
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Zhang X, Du M, Yang Z, Wang Z, Lim KJ. Biogenesis, Mode of Action and the Interactions of Plant Non-Coding RNAs. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10664. [PMID: 37445841 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The central dogma of genetics, which outlines the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein, has long been the guiding principle in molecular biology. In fact, more than three-quarters of the RNAs produced by transcription of the plant genome are not translated into proteins, and these RNAs directly serve as non-coding RNAs in the regulation of plant life activities at the molecular level. The breakthroughs in high-throughput transcriptome sequencing technology and the establishment and improvement of non-coding RNA experiments have now led to the discovery and confirmation of the biogenesis, mechanisms, and synergistic effects of non-coding RNAs. These non-coding RNAs are now predicted to play important roles in the regulation of gene expression and responses to stress and evolution. In this review, we focus on the synthesis, and mechanisms of non-coding RNAs, and we discuss their impact on gene regulation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Mingjun Du
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Zhengfu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Zhengjia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Kean-Jin Lim
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
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19
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Mattick JS, Amaral PP, Carninci P, Carpenter S, Chang HY, Chen LL, Chen R, Dean C, Dinger ME, Fitzgerald KA, Gingeras TR, Guttman M, Hirose T, Huarte M, Johnson R, Kanduri C, Kapranov P, Lawrence JB, Lee JT, Mendell JT, Mercer TR, Moore KJ, Nakagawa S, Rinn JL, Spector DL, Ulitsky I, Wan Y, Wilusz JE, Wu M. Long non-coding RNAs: definitions, functions, challenges and recommendations. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:430-447. [PMID: 36596869 PMCID: PMC10213152 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00566-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 372] [Impact Index Per Article: 372.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Genes specifying long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) occupy a large fraction of the genomes of complex organisms. The term 'lncRNAs' encompasses RNA polymerase I (Pol I), Pol II and Pol III transcribed RNAs, and RNAs from processed introns. The various functions of lncRNAs and their many isoforms and interleaved relationships with other genes make lncRNA classification and annotation difficult. Most lncRNAs evolve more rapidly than protein-coding sequences, are cell type specific and regulate many aspects of cell differentiation and development and other physiological processes. Many lncRNAs associate with chromatin-modifying complexes, are transcribed from enhancers and nucleate phase separation of nuclear condensates and domains, indicating an intimate link between lncRNA expression and the spatial control of gene expression during development. lncRNAs also have important roles in the cytoplasm and beyond, including in the regulation of translation, metabolism and signalling. lncRNAs often have a modular structure and are rich in repeats, which are increasingly being shown to be relevant to their function. In this Consensus Statement, we address the definition and nomenclature of lncRNAs and their conservation, expression, phenotypic visibility, structure and functions. We also discuss research challenges and provide recommendations to advance the understanding of the roles of lncRNAs in development, cell biology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Mattick
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- UNSW RNA Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Paulo P Amaral
- INSPER Institute of Education and Research, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Piero Carninci
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Susan Carpenter
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamics Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ling-Ling Chen
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Runsheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Center for Big Data Research in Health, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Caroline Dean
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Marcel E Dinger
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- UNSW RNA Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Katherine A Fitzgerald
- Division of Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Mitchell Guttman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Tetsuro Hirose
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Maite Huarte
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression, Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Institute of Health Research of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Rory Johnson
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute for Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Chandrasekhar Kanduri
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Philipp Kapranov
- Institute of Genomics, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jeanne B Lawrence
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jeannie T Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua T Mendell
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Timothy R Mercer
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kathryn J Moore
- Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - John L Rinn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - David L Spector
- Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbour, NY, USA
| | - Igor Ulitsky
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yue Wan
- Laboratory of RNA Genomics and Structure, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeremy E Wilusz
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Therapeutic Innovation Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mian Wu
- Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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20
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Palos K, Yu L, Railey CE, Nelson Dittrich AC, Nelson ADL. Linking discoveries, mechanisms, and technologies to develop a clearer perspective on plant long noncoding RNAs. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1762-1786. [PMID: 36738093 PMCID: PMC10226578 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a large and diverse class of genes in eukaryotic genomes that contribute to a variety of regulatory processes. Functionally characterized lncRNAs play critical roles in plants, ranging from regulating flowering to controlling lateral root formation. However, findings from the past decade have revealed that thousands of lncRNAs are present in plant transcriptomes, and characterization has lagged far behind identification. In this setting, distinguishing function from noise is challenging. However, the plant community has been at the forefront of discovery in lncRNA biology, providing many functional and mechanistic insights that have increased our understanding of this gene class. In this review, we examine the key discoveries and insights made in plant lncRNA biology over the past two and a half decades. We describe how discoveries made in the pregenomics era have informed efforts to identify and functionally characterize lncRNAs in the subsequent decades. We provide an overview of the functional archetypes into which characterized plant lncRNAs fit and speculate on new avenues of research that may uncover yet more archetypes. Finally, this review discusses the challenges facing the field and some exciting new molecular and computational approaches that may help inform lncRNA comparative and functional analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Palos
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Li’ang Yu
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Caylyn E Railey
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Plant Biology Graduate Field, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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21
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Mateos JL, Staiger D. Toward a systems view on RNA-binding proteins and associated RNAs in plants: Guilt by association. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1708-1726. [PMID: 36461946 PMCID: PMC10226577 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have a broad impact on most biochemical, physiological, and developmental processes in a plant's life. RBPs engage in an on-off relationship with their RNA partners, accompanying virtually every stage in RNA processing and function. While the function of a plethora of RBPs in plant development and stress responses has been described, we are lacking a systems-level understanding of components in RNA-based regulation. Novel techniques have substantially enlarged the compendium of proteins with experimental evidence for binding to RNAs in the cell, the RNA-binding proteome. Furthermore, ribonomics methods have been adapted for use in plants to profile the in vivo binding repertoire of RBPs genome-wide. Here, we discuss how recent technological achievements have provided novel insights into the mode of action of plant RBPs at a genome-wide scale. Furthermore, we touch upon two emerging topics, the connection of RBPs to phase separation in the cell and to extracellular RNAs. Finally, we define open questions to be addressed to move toward an integrated understanding of RBP function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta L Mateos
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- RNA Biology and Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Dorothee Staiger
- RNA Biology and Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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22
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Marquardt S, Petrillo E, Manavella PA. Cotranscriptional RNA processing and modification in plants. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1654-1670. [PMID: 36259932 PMCID: PMC10226594 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The activities of RNA polymerases shape the epigenetic landscape of genomes with profound consequences for genome integrity and gene expression. A fundamental event during the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression is the coordination between transcription and RNA processing. Most primary RNAs mature through various RNA processing and modification events to become fully functional. While pioneering results positioned RNA maturation steps after transcription ends, the coupling between the maturation of diverse RNA species and their transcription is becoming increasingly evident in plants. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the crosstalk between RNA Polymerase II, IV, and V transcription and nascent RNA processing of both coding and noncoding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Marquardt
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Ezequiel Petrillo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Pablo A Manavella
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe 3000, Argentina
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23
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Tang J, Chen S, Jia G. Detection, regulation, and functions of RNA N 6-methyladenosine modification in plants. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 4:100546. [PMID: 36627844 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal chemical modification in eukaryotic mRNA and plays important roles in gene expression regulation, including transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. m6A is a reversible modification that is installed, removed, and recognized by methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and m6A-binding proteins (readers), respectively. Recently, the breadth of research on m6A in plants has expanded, and the vital roles of m6A in plant development, biotic and abiotic stress responses, and crop trait improvement have been investigated. In this review, we discuss recent developments in research on m6A and highlight the detection methods, distribution, regulatory proteins, and molecular and biological functions of m6A in plants. We also offer some perspectives on future investigations, providing direction for subsequent research on m6A in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Tang
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guifang Jia
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China.
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24
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Amara U, Hu J, Cai J, Kang H. FLK is an mRNA m 6A reader that regulates floral transition by modulating the stability and splicing of FLC in Arabidopsis. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:919-929. [PMID: 37050878 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A), which is added, removed, and interpreted by m6A writers, erasers, and readers, respectively, is the most abundant modification in eukaryotic mRNAs. The m6A marks play a pivotal role in the regulation of floral transition in plants. FLOWERING LOCUS K (FLK), an RNA-binding protein harboring K-homology (KH) motifs, is known to regulate floral transition by repressing the levels of a key floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) in Arabidopsis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying FLK-mediated FLC regulation remains unclear. In this study, we identified FLK as a novel mRNA m6A reader protein that directly binds the m6A site in the 3'-untranslated region of FLC transcripts to repressing FLC levels by reducing its stability and splicing. Importantly, FLK binding of FLC transcripts was abolished in vir-1, an m6A writer mutant, and the late-flowering phenotype of the flk mutant could not be rescued by genetic complementation using the mutant FLKm gene, in which the m6A reader encoding function was eliminated, indicating that FLK binds and regulates FLC expression in an m6A-dependent manner. Collectively, our study has addressed a long-standing question of how FLK regulates FLC transcript levels and established a molecular link between the FLK-mediated recognition of m6A modifications on FLC transcripts and floral transition in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umme Amara
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, South Korea
| | - Jianzhong Hu
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, South Korea
| | - Jing Cai
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, South Korea
| | - Hunseung Kang
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, South Korea.
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25
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Savoca V, Rivosecchi J, Gaiatto A, Rossi A, Mosca R, Gialdini I, Zubovic L, Tebaldi T, Macchi P, Cusanelli E. TERRA stability is regulated by RALY and polyadenylation in a telomere-specific manner. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112406. [PMID: 37060569 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) is a long non-coding RNA transcribed from telomeres that plays key roles in telomere maintenance. A fraction of TERRA is polyadenylated, and the presence of the poly(A) tail influences TERRA localization and stability. However, the mechanisms of TERRA biogenesis remain mostly elusive. Here, we show that the stability of TERRA transcripts is regulated by the RNA-binding protein associated with lethal yellow mutation (RALY). RALY depletion results in lower TERRA levels, impaired localization of TERRA at telomeres, and ultimately telomere damage. Importantly, we show that TERRA polyadenylation is telomere specific and that RALY preferentially stabilizes non-polyadenylated TERRA transcripts. Finally, we report that TERRA interacts with the poly(A)-binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1). Altogether, our results indicate that TERRA stability is regulated by the interplay between RALY and PABPN1, defined by the TERRA polyadenylation state. Our findings also suggest that different telomeres may trigger distinct TERRA-mediated responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Savoca
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy
| | - Julieta Rivosecchi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy
| | - Alice Gaiatto
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy
| | - Annalisa Rossi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy
| | - Riccardo Mosca
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy
| | - Irene Gialdini
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy
| | - Lorena Zubovic
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy
| | - Toma Tebaldi
- Laboratory of RNA and Disease Data Science, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy; Section of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Paolo Macchi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy.
| | - Emilio Cusanelli
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology - CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Povo, Italy.
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26
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Gullotta G, Korte A, Marquardt S. Functional variation in the non-coding genome: molecular implications for food security. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:2338-2351. [PMID: 36316269 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The growing world population, in combination with the anticipated effects of climate change, is pressuring food security. Plants display an impressive arsenal of cellular mechanisms conferring resilience to adverse environmental conditions, and humans rely on these mechanisms for stable food production. The elucidation of the molecular basis of the mechanisms used by plants to achieve resilience promises knowledge-based approaches to enhance food security. DNA sequence polymorphisms can reveal genomic regions that are linked to beneficial traits of plants. However, our ability to interpret how a given DNA sequence polymorphism confers a fitness advantage at the molecular level often remains poor. A key factor is that these polymorphisms largely localize to the enigmatic non-coding genome. Here, we review the functional impact of sequence variations in the non-coding genome on plant biology in the context of crop breeding and agricultural traits. We focus on examples of non-coding with particularly convincing functional support. Our survey combines findings that are consistent with the view that the non-coding genome contributes to cellular mechanisms assisting many plant traits. Understanding how DNA sequence polymorphisms in the non-coding genome shape plant traits at the molecular level offers a largely unexplored reservoir of solutions to address future challenges in plant growth and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Gullotta
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Bülowsvej 21A, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Arthur Korte
- Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, University of Würzburg, Hubland Nord 32, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Marquardt
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Bülowsvej 21A, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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27
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Shen L, Ma J, Li P, Wu Y, Yu H. Recent advances in the plant epitranscriptome. Genome Biol 2023; 24:43. [PMID: 36882788 PMCID: PMC9990323 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02872-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical modifications of RNAs, known as the epitranscriptome, are emerging as widespread regulatory mechanisms underlying gene regulation. The field of epitranscriptomics advances recently due to improved transcriptome-wide sequencing strategies for mapping RNA modifications and intensive characterization of writers, erasers, and readers that deposit, remove, and recognize RNA modifications, respectively. Herein, we review recent advances in characterizing plant epitranscriptome and its regulatory mechanisms in post-transcriptional gene regulation and diverse physiological processes, with main emphasis on N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and 5-methylcytosine (m5C). We also discuss the potential and challenges for utilization of epitranscriptome editing in crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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.
| | - Jinqi Ma
- 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
| | - Ping Li
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Yujin Wu
- 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
| | - Hao Yu
- 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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28
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Jeon M, Jeong G, Yang Y, Luo X, Jeong D, Kyung J, Hyun Y, He Y, Lee I. Vernalization-triggered expression of the antisense transcript COOLAIR is mediated by CBF genes. eLife 2023; 12:84594. [PMID: 36722843 PMCID: PMC10036118 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
To synchronize flowering time with spring, many plants undergo vernalization, a floral-promotion process triggered by exposure to long-term winter cold. In Arabidopsis thaliana, this is achieved through cold-mediated epigenetic silencing of the floral repressor, FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). COOLAIR, a cold-induced antisense RNA transcribed from the FLC locus, has been proposed to facilitate FLC silencing. Here, we show that C-repeat (CRT)/dehydration-responsive elements (DREs) at the 3'-end of FLC and CRT/DRE-binding factors (CBFs) are required for cold-mediated expression of COOLAIR. CBFs bind to CRT/DREs at the 3'-end of FLC, both in vitro and in vivo, and CBF levels increase gradually during vernalization. Cold-induced COOLAIR expression is severely impaired in cbfs mutants in which all CBF genes are knocked-out. Conversely, CBF-overexpressing plants show increased COOLAIR levels even at warm temperatures. We show that COOLAIR is induced by CBFs during early stages of vernalization but COOLAIR levels decrease in later phases as FLC chromatin transitions to an inactive state to which CBFs can no longer bind. We also demonstrate that cbfs and FLCΔCOOLAIR mutants exhibit a normal vernalization response despite their inability to activate COOLAIR expression during cold, revealing that COOLAIR is not required for the vernalization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeongjune Jeon
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Goowon Jeong
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yupeng Yang
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology & National Key Laboratory for Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Luo
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, China
| | - Daesong Jeong
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinseul Kyung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Youbong Hyun
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuehui He
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology & National Key Laboratory for Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, China
| | - Ilha Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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29
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Lee HG, Kim J, Seo PJ. N 6-methyladenosine-modified RNA acts as a molecular glue that drives liquid-liquid phase separation in plants. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2022; 17:2079308. [PMID: 35621186 PMCID: PMC9154792 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2079308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Liquid-like condensates are organized by multivalent intrinsically disordered proteins and RNA molecules. We here demonstrate that N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-modified RNA is widespread in establishing diverse plant cell condensates. Several m6A-reader proteins contain putative prion-like domains, and the ect2/3/4 mutant exhibited reduced formation of key nuclear and cytoplasmic condensates in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Gil Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jiwoo Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Pil Joon Seo
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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30
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Wang Y, Deng XW, Zhu D. From molecular basics to agronomic benefits: Insights into noncoding RNA-mediated gene regulation in plants. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:2290-2308. [PMID: 36453685 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The development of plants is largely dependent on their growth environment. To better adapt to a particular habitat, plants have evolved various subtle regulatory mechanisms for altering gene expression. Non coding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute a major portion of the transcriptomes of eukaryotes. Various ncRNAs have been recognized as important regulators of the expression of genes involved in essential biological processes throughout the whole life cycles of plants. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the biogenesis and contributions of small nucle olar RNA (snoRNA)- and regulatory long non coding RNA (lncRNA)-mediated gene regulation in plant development and environmental responses. Many regulatory ncRNAs appear to be associated with increased yield, quality and disease resistance of various species and cultivars. These ncRNAs may potentially be used as genetic resources for improving agronomic traits and for molecular breeding. The challenges in understanding plant ncRNA biology and the possibilities to make better use of these valuable gene resources in the future are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqiu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xing Wang Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, 261325, China
| | - Danmeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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31
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Zhou J, Zhang W, Sun Q. R-loop: The new genome regulatory element in plants. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:2275-2289. [PMID: 36223078 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
An R-loop is a three-stranded chromatin structure that consists of a displaced single strand of DNA and an RNA:DNA hybrid duplex, which was thought to be a rare by-product of transcription. However, recent genome-wide data have shown that R-loops are widespread and pervasive in a variety of genomes, and a growing body of experimental evidence indicates that R-loops have both beneficial and harmful effects on an organism. To maximize benefit and avoid harm, organisms have evolved several means by which they tightly regulate R-loop levels. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the biogenesis and effects of R-loops, the mechanisms that regulate them, and methods of R-loop profiling, reviewing recent research advances on R-loops in plants. Furthermore, we provide perspectives on future research directions for R-loop biology in plants, which might lead to a more comprehensive understanding of R-loop functions in plant genome regulation and contribute to future agricultural improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincong Zhou
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Weifeng Zhang
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qianwen Sun
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
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32
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Hu J, Cai J, Xu T, Kang H. Epitranscriptomic mRNA modifications governing plant stress responses: underlying mechanism and potential application. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:2245-2257. [PMID: 36002976 PMCID: PMC9674322 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Plants inevitably encounter environmental adversities, including abiotic and biotic stresses, which significantly impede plant growth and reduce crop yield. Thus, fine-tuning the fate and function of stress-responsive RNAs is indispensable for plant survival under such adverse conditions. Recently, post-transcriptional RNA modifications have been studied as a potent route to regulate plant gene expression under stress. Among over 160 mRNA modifications identified to date, N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) in mRNAs is notable because of its multifaceted roles in plant development and stress response. Recent transcriptome-wide mapping has revealed the distribution and patterns of m6 A in diverse stress-responsive mRNAs in plants, building a foundation for elucidating the molecular link between m6 A and stress response. Moreover, the identification and characterization of m6 A writers, readers and erasers in Arabidopsis and other model crops have offered insights into the biological roles of m6 A in plant abiotic stress responses. Here, we review the recent progress of research on mRNA modifications, particularly m6 A, and their dynamics, distribution, regulation and biological functions in plant stress responses. Further, we posit potential strategies for breeding stress-tolerant crops by engineering mRNA modifications and propose the future direction of research on RNA modifications to gain a much deeper understanding of plant stress biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhong Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, School of Life SciencesJiangsu Normal UniversityXuzhouJiangsu ProvinceChina
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life SciencesChonnam National UniversityGwangjuKorea
| | - Jing Cai
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life SciencesChonnam National UniversityGwangjuKorea
| | - Tao Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, School of Life SciencesJiangsu Normal UniversityXuzhouJiangsu ProvinceChina
| | - Hunseung Kang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, School of Life SciencesJiangsu Normal UniversityXuzhouJiangsu ProvinceChina
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life SciencesChonnam National UniversityGwangjuKorea
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33
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Bhatia G, Prall W, Sharma B, Gregory BD. Covalent RNA modifications and their budding crosstalk with plant epigenetic processes. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 69:102287. [PMID: 35988352 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Our recent cognizance of diverse RNA classes undergoing dynamic covalent chemical modifications (or epitranscriptomic marks) in plants has provided fresh insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms of gene expression regulation. Comparatively, epigenetic marks comprising heritable modifications of DNA and histones have been extensively studied in plants and their impact on plant gene expression is quite established. Based on our growing knowledge of the plant epitranscriptome and epigenome, it is logical to explore how the two regulatory layers intermingle to intricately determine gene expression levels underlying key biological processes such as development and response to stress. Herein, we focus on the emerging evidence of crosstalk between the plant epitranscriptome with epigenetic regulation involving DNA modification, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Bhatia
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Wil Prall
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bishwas Sharma
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Brian D Gregory
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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34
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Sun B, Bhati KK, Song P, Edwards A, Petri L, Kruusvee V, Blaakmeer A, Dolde U, Rodrigues V, Straub D, Yang J, Jia G, Wenkel S. FIONA1-mediated methylation of the 3’UTR of FLC affects FLC transcript levels and flowering in Arabidopsis. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010386. [PMID: 36166469 PMCID: PMC9543952 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Adenosine bases of RNA can be transiently modified by the deposition of a methyl-group to form N6-methyladenosine (m6A). This adenosine-methylation is an ancient process and the enzymes involved are evolutionary highly conserved. A genetic screen designed to identify suppressors of late flowering transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the miP1a microProtein yielded a new allele of the FIONA1 (FIO1) m6A-methyltransferase. To characterize the early flowering phenotype of fio1 mutant plants we employed an integrative approach of mRNA-seq, Nanopore direct RNA-sequencing and meRIP-seq to identify differentially expressed transcripts as well as differentially methylated RNAs. We provide evidence that FIO1 is the elusive methyltransferase responsible for the 3’-end methylation of the FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) transcript. Furthermore, our genetic and biochemical data suggest that 3’-methylation stabilizes FLC mRNAs and non-methylated FLC is a target for rapid degradation. Plants constantly measure environmental parameters such as temperature, light-quality, -quantity and -duration, as well as other parameters to adjust their growth and development. The transition to flowering is a crucial transition during plant development because it impacts the number of fertile offspring a plant can produce. Thus, this transition is under tight control by various transcription factors and epigenetic mechanisms. In a genetic screen for early flowering mutants, we identified the gene encoding the FIONA1 methyltransferase to act as a repressor of flowering. Investigation of the changes of the transcriptome and m6A-RNA-methylome revealed a large number of differentially expressed genes and methylated RNAs. Among these RNAs is the also the mRNA of the floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C that shows loss of m6A methylation in the 3’UTR that causes destabilization of the FLC transcript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Sun
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Kaushal Kumar Bhati
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Peizhe Song
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ashleigh Edwards
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Louise Petri
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Valdeko Kruusvee
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Anko Blaakmeer
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Ulla Dolde
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Vandasue Rodrigues
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Daniel Straub
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC), University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Junbo Yang
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Guifang Jia
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Stephan Wenkel
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- NovoCrops Center, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- * E-mail:
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35
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Mikulski P, Wolff P, Lu T, Nielsen M, Echevarria EF, Zhu D, Questa JI, Saalbach G, Martins C, Dean C. VAL1 acts as an assembly platform co-ordinating co-transcriptional repression and chromatin regulation at Arabidopsis FLC. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5542. [PMID: 36130923 PMCID: PMC9492735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32897-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycomb (PcG) silencing is crucial for development, but how targets are specified remains incompletely understood. The cold-induced Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) silencing of Arabidopsis thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) provides an excellent system to elucidate PcG regulation. Association of the DNA binding protein VAL1 to FLC PcG nucleation regionis an important step. VAL1 co-immunoprecipitates APOPTOSIS AND SPLICING ASSOCIATED PROTEIN (ASAP) complex and PRC1. Here, we show that ASAP and PRC1 are necessary for co-transcriptional repression and chromatin regulation at FLC. ASAP mutants affect FLC transcription in warm conditions, but the rate of FLC silencing in the cold is unaffected. PRC1-mediated H2Aub accumulation increases at the FLC nucleation region during cold, but unlike the PRC2-delivered H3K27me3, does not spread across the locus. H2Aub thus involved in the transition to epigenetic silencing at FLC, facilitating H3K27me3 accumulation and long-term epigenetic memory. Overall, our work highlights the importance of VAL1 as an assembly platform co-ordinating activities necessary for epigenetic silencing at FLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Mikulski
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Philip Wolff
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Tiancong Lu
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.,State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mathias Nielsen
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Danling Zhu
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.,SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Julia I Questa
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.,Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Carlo Martins
- Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Caroline Dean
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. .,MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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36
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Yang M, Zhu P, Cheema J, Bloomer R, Mikulski P, Liu Q, Zhang Y, Dean C, Ding Y. In vivo single-molecule analysis reveals COOLAIR RNA structural diversity. Nature 2022; 609:394-399. [PMID: 35978193 PMCID: PMC9452300 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05135-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cellular RNAs are heterogeneous with respect to their alternative processing and secondary structures, but the functional importance of this complexity is still poorly understood. A set of alternatively processed antisense non-coding transcripts, which are collectively called COOLAIR, are generated at the Arabidopsis floral-repressor locus FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC)1. Different isoforms of COOLAIR influence FLC transcriptional output in warm and cold conditions2-7. Here, to further investigate the function of COOLAIR, we developed an RNA structure-profiling method to determine the in vivo structure of single RNA molecules rather than the RNA population average. This revealed that individual isoforms of the COOLAIR transcript adopt multiple structures with different conformational dynamics. The major distally polyadenylated COOLAIR isoform in warm conditions adopts three predominant structural conformations, the proportions and conformations of which change after cold exposure. An alternatively spliced, strongly cold-upregulated distal COOLAIR isoform6 shows high structural diversity, in contrast to proximally polyadenylated COOLAIR. A hyper-variable COOLAIR structural element was identified that was complementary to the FLC transcription start site. Mutations altering the structure of this region changed FLC expression and flowering time, consistent with an important regulatory role of the COOLAIR structure in FLC transcription. Our work demonstrates that isoforms of non-coding RNA transcripts adopt multiple distinct and functionally relevant structural conformations, which change in abundance and shape in response to external conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglei Yang
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Pan Zhu
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | | | | | - Qi Liu
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Yueying Zhang
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Caroline Dean
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
| | - Yiliang Ding
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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37
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NODULIN HOMEOBOX is required for heterochromatin homeostasis in Arabidopsis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5058. [PMID: 36030240 PMCID: PMC9420119 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32709-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Arabidopsis NODULIN HOMEOBOX (NDX) is a nuclear protein described as a regulator of specific euchromatic genes within transcriptionally active chromosome arms. Here we show that NDX is primarily a heterochromatin regulator that functions in pericentromeric regions to control siRNA production and non-CG methylation. Most NDX binding sites coincide with pericentromeric het-siRNA loci that mediate transposon silencing, and are antagonistic with R-loop structures that are prevalent in euchromatic chromosomal arms. Inactivation of NDX leads to differential siRNA accumulation and DNA methylation, of which CHH/CHG hypomethylation colocalizes with NDX binding sites. Hi-C analysis shows significant chromatin structural changes in the ndx mutant, with decreased intrachromosomal interactions at pericentromeres where NDX is enriched in wild-type plants, and increased interchromosomal contacts between KNOT-forming regions, similar to those observed in DNA methylation mutants. We conclude that NDX is a key regulator of heterochromatin that is functionally coupled to het-siRNA loci and non-CG DNA methylation pathways. Arabidopsis NDX was previously reported as a regulator of euchromatic gene expression. Here the authors show that NDX functions at pericentromeric regions and regulates heterochromatin homeostasis by controlling siRNA production and non-CG methylation.
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38
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Kyung J, Jeon M, Lee I. Recent advances in the chromatin-based mechanism of FLOWERING LOCUS C repression through autonomous pathway genes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:964931. [PMID: 36035698 PMCID: PMC9411803 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.964931] [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: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Proper timing of flowering, a phase transition from vegetative to reproductive development, is crucial for plant fitness. The floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is the major determinant of flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana. In rapid-cycling A. thaliana accessions, which bloom rapidly, FLC is constitutively repressed by autonomous pathway (AP) genes, regardless of photoperiod. Diverse AP genes have been identified over the past two decades, and most of them repress FLC through histone modifications. However, the detailed mechanism underlying such modifications remains unclear. Several recent studies have revealed novel mechanisms to control FLC repression in concert with histone modifications. This review summarizes the latest advances in understanding the novel mechanisms by which AP proteins regulate FLC repression, including changes in chromatin architecture, RNA polymerase pausing, and liquid-liquid phase separation- and ncRNA-mediated gene silencing. Furthermore, we discuss how each mechanism is coupled with histone modifications in FLC chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinseul Kyung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Myeongjune Jeon
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ilha Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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39
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Qi PL, Zhou HR, Zhao QQ, Feng C, Ning YQ, Su YN, Cai XW, Yuan DY, Zhang ZC, Su XM, Chen SS, Li L, Chen S, He XJ. Characterization of an autonomous pathway complex that promotes flowering in Arabidopsis. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7380-7395. [PMID: 35766439 PMCID: PMC9303297 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have identified several autonomous pathway components that are required for the promotion of flowering, little is known about how these components cooperate. Here, we identified an autonomous pathway complex (AuPC) containing both known components (FLD, LD and SDG26) and previously unknown components (EFL2, EFL4 and APRF1). Loss-of-function mutations of all of these components result in increased FLC expression and delayed flowering. The delayed-flowering phenotype is independent of photoperiod and can be overcome by vernalization, confirming that the complex specifically functions in the autonomous pathway. Chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with sequencing indicated that, in the AuPC mutants, the histone modifications (H3Ac, H3K4me3 and H3K36me3) associated with transcriptional activation are increased, and the histone modification (H3K27me3) associated with transcriptional repression is reduced, suggesting that the AuPC suppresses FLC expression at least partially by regulating these histone modifications. Moreover, we found that the AuPC component SDG26 associates with FLC chromatin via a previously uncharacterized DNA-binding domain and regulates FLC expression and flowering time independently of its histone methyltransferase activity. Together, these results provide a framework for understanding the molecular mechanism by which the autonomous pathway regulates flowering time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Lin Qi
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China.,PTN Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hao-Ran Zhou
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Qiang-Qiang Zhao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China.,Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Chao Feng
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yong-Qiang Ning
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yin-Na Su
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xue-Wei Cai
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Dan-Yang Yuan
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zhao-Chen Zhang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xiao-Min Su
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Shan-Shan Chen
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Lin Li
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - She Chen
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China.,Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xin-Jian He
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China.,Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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40
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Zhang Y, Fan S, Hua C, Teo ZWN, Kiang JX, Shen L, Yu H. Phase separation of HRLP regulates flowering time in Arabidopsis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn5488. [PMID: 35731874 PMCID: PMC9217094 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn5488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
RNA binding proteins mediate posttranscriptional RNA metabolism and play regulatory roles in many developmental processes in eukaryotes. Despite their known effects on the floral transition from vegetative to reproductive growth in plants, the underlying mechanisms remain largely obscure. Here, we show that a hitherto unknown RNA binding protein, hnRNP R-LIKE PROTEIN (HRLP), inhibits cotranscriptional splicing of a key floral repressor gene FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). This, in turn, facilitates R-loop formation near FLC intron I to repress its transcription, thereby promoting the floral transition in Arabidopsis thaliana. HRLP, together with the splicing factor ARGININE/SERINE-RICH 45, forms phase-separated nuclear condensates with liquid-like properties, which is essential for HRLP function in regulating FLC splicing, R-loop formation, and RNA Polymerase II recruitment. Our findings reveal that inhibition of cotranscriptional splicing of FLC by nuclear HRLP condensates constitutes the molecular basis for down-regulation of FLC transcript levels to ensure the reproductive success of Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Sheng Fan
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Changmei Hua
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Zhi Wei Norman Teo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Jian Xuan Kiang
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Lisha Shen
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
- Corresponding author. (L.S.); (H.Y.)
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
- Corresponding author. (L.S.); (H.Y.)
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41
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Payne-Dwyer AL, Leake MC. Single-Molecular Quantification of Flowering Control Proteins Within Nuclear Condensates in Live Whole Arabidopsis Root. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2476:311-328. [PMID: 35635712 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2221-6_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Here we describe the coupled standardization of two complementary fluorescence imaging techniques and apply it to liquid-liquid phase-separated condensates formed from an EGFP fluorescent reporter of flowering control locus A (FCA), a protein that associates with chromosomal DNA in plants during epigenetic regulation of the flowering process. First, we use home-built single-molecule Slimfield microscopy to establish a fluorescent protein standard. This sample comprises live yeast cells expressing Mig1 protein, a metabolic regulator which localizes to the nucleus under conditions of high glucose, fused to the same type of EGFP label as for the FCA fusion construct. Then we employ commercial confocal AiryScan microscopy to study the same standard. Finally, we demonstrate how to quantify FCA-EGFP nuclear condensates in intact root tips at rapid timescales and apply this calibration. This method is a valuable approach to obtaining single-molecule precise stoichiometry and copy number estimates of protein condensates that are integrated into the chromosome architecture of plants, using confocal instrumentation that lacks de facto single-molecule detection sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex L Payne-Dwyer
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, UK.
- Departments of Physics and Biology, University of York, York, UK.
| | - Mark C Leake
- Departments of Physics and Biology, University of York, York, UK
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42
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Gonzalo L, Tossolini I, Gulanicz T, Cambiagno DA, Kasprowicz-Maluski A, Smolinski DJ, Mammarella MF, Ariel FD, Marquardt S, Szweykowska-Kulinska Z, Jarmolowski A, Manavella PA. R-loops at microRNA encoding loci promote co-transcriptional processing of pri-miRNAs in plants. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:402-418. [PMID: 35449404 PMCID: PMC9023350 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01125-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In most organisms, the maturation of nascent RNAs is coupled to transcription. Unlike in animals, the RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcribes microRNA genes (MIRNAs) as long and structurally variable pri-miRNAs in plants. Current evidence suggests that the miRNA biogenesis complex assembly initiates early during the transcription of pri-miRNAs in plants. However, it is unknown whether miRNA processing occurs co-transcriptionally. Here, we used native elongating transcript sequencing data and imaging techniques to demonstrate that plant miRNA biogenesis occurs coupled to transcription. We found that the entire biogenesis occurs co-transcriptionally for pri-miRNAs processed from the loop of the hairpin but requires a second nucleoplasmic step for those processed from the base. Furthermore, we found that co- and post-transcriptional miRNA processing mechanisms co-exist for most miRNAs in a dynamic balance. Notably, we discovered that R-loops, formed near the transcription start site region of MIRNAs, promote co-transcriptional pri-miRNA processing. Furthermore, our results suggest the neofunctionalization of co-transcriptionally processed miRNAs, boosting countless regulatory scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Gonzalo
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ileana Tossolini
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Tomasz Gulanicz
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
- Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
| | - Damian A Cambiagno
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Unidad de Estudios Agropecuarios (UDEA), INTA-CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Anna Kasprowicz-Maluski
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Dariusz Jan Smolinski
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
- Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
| | - María Florencia Mammarella
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Federico D Ariel
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Sebastian Marquardt
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Zofia Szweykowska-Kulinska
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Artur Jarmolowski
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Pablo A Manavella
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.
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43
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Alecki C, Vera M. Role of Nuclear Non-Canonical Nucleic Acid Structures in Organismal Development and Adaptation to Stress Conditions. Front Genet 2022; 13:823241. [PMID: 35281835 PMCID: PMC8906566 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.823241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decades, numerous examples have involved nuclear non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the regulation of gene expression. ncRNAs can interact with the genome by forming non-canonical nucleic acid structures such as R-loops or DNA:RNA triplexes. They bind chromatin and DNA modifiers and transcription factors and favor or prevent their targeting to specific DNA sequences and regulate gene expression of diverse genes. We review the function of these non-canonical nucleic acid structures in regulating gene expression of multicellular organisms during development and in response to different stress conditions and DNA damage using examples described in several organisms, from plants to humans. We also overview recent techniques developed to study where R-loops or DNA:RNA triplexes are formed in the genome and their interaction with proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Célia Alecki
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maria Vera
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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44
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Baile F, Gómez-Zambrano Á, Calonje M. Roles of Polycomb complexes in regulating gene expression and chromatin structure in plants. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:100267. [PMID: 35059633 PMCID: PMC8760139 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2021.100267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary conserved Polycomb Group (PcG) repressive system comprises two central protein complexes, PcG repressive complex 1 (PRC1) and PRC2. These complexes, through the incorporation of histone modifications on chromatin, have an essential role in the normal development of eukaryotes. In recent years, a significant effort has been made to characterize these complexes in the different kingdoms, and despite there being remarkable functional and mechanistic conservation, some key molecular principles have diverged. In this review, we discuss current views on the function of plant PcG complexes. We compare the composition of PcG complexes between animals and plants, highlight the role of recently identified plant PcG accessory proteins, and discuss newly revealed roles of known PcG partners. We also examine the mechanisms by which the repression is achieved and how these complexes are recruited to target genes. Finally, we consider the possible role of some plant PcG proteins in mediating local and long-range chromatin interactions and, thus, shaping chromatin 3D architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Baile
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF-CSIC-US), Avenida Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Ángeles Gómez-Zambrano
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF-CSIC-US), Avenida Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Myriam Calonje
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF-CSIC-US), Avenida Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Seville, Spain
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45
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Song T, Lv S, Li N, Zhao X, Ma X, Yan Y, Wang W, Sun L. OUP accepted manuscript. J Mol Cell Biol 2022; 14:6536920. [PMID: 35212732 PMCID: PMC9264158 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
m6A, a conserved and abundant modification on RNA, regulates RNA processing and function. RNA m6A machinery, including writers, erasers, and readers of m6A, is indispensable for m6A installation and function. Intriguingly, recent studies have revealed that m6A machinery can be recruited to chromatin by pleiotropic factors, including nascent RNA, transcription factors, regulatory RNA, histone modifications, and epigenetic machinery. Consequently, recruitment of m6A machinery can directly regulate chromatin biology, such as transcription, DNA damage repair, and DNA recombination beyond installation of m6A on nascent mRNA. Here, we discuss recent evidence showing that m6A machinery is targeted to chromatin and the direct biological consequences along with the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suli Lv
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Neng Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xuefeng Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xianyun Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yingying Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Weixia Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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46
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Nuclear roles for Argonaute proteins in the control of flowering. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2120124118. [PMID: 34949645 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120124118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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47
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The role of chromatin at transcription-replication conflicts as a genome safeguard. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2727-2736. [PMID: 34821364 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
DNA replication ensures the correct copying of the genome and the faithful transfer of the genetic information to the offspring. However, obstacles to replication fork (RF) progression cause RF stalling and compromise efficient genome duplication. Since replication uses the same DNA template as transcription, both transcription and replication must be coordinated to prevent Transcription-Replication Conflicts (TRCs) that could stall RF progression. Several factors contribute to limit the occurrence of such conflicts and their harmful impact on genome integrity. Increasing evidence indicates that chromatin homeostasis plays a key role in the cellular response to TRCs as well as in the preservation of genome integrity. Indeed, chromatin regulating enzymes are frequently mutated in cancer cells, a common characteristic of which is genome instability. Therefore, understanding the role of chromatin in TRC occurrence and resolution may help identify the molecular mechanism by which chromatin protects genome integrity, and the causes and physiological relevance of the high mutation rates of chromatin regulating factors in cancer. Here we review the current knowledge in the field, as well as the perspectives and future applications.
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Xu C, Fang X, Lu T, Dean C. Antagonistic cotranscriptional regulation through ARGONAUTE1 and the THO/TREX complex orchestrates FLC transcriptional output. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2113757118. [PMID: 34789567 PMCID: PMC8617408 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113757118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative transcriptional control is essential for physiological and developmental processes in many organisms. Transcriptional output is influenced by cotranscriptional processes interconnected to chromatin regulation, but how the functions of different cotranscriptional regulators are integrated is poorly understood. The Arabidopsis floral repressor locus FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is cotranscriptionally repressed by alternative processing of the antisense transcript COOLAIR. Proximal 3'-end processing of COOLAIR resolves a cotranscriptionally formed R-loop, and this process physically links to a histone-modifying complex FLD/SDG26/LD. This induces a chromatin environment locally that determines low transcription initiation and a slow elongation rate to both sense and antisense strands. Here, we show that ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) genetically functions in this cotranscriptional repression mechanism. AGO1 associates with COOLAIR and influences COOLAIR splicing dynamics to promote proximal COOLAIR, R-loop resolution, and chromatin silencing. Proteomic analyses revealed physical associations between AGO1, subunits of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II), the splicing-related proteins-the spliceosome NineTeen Complex (NTC) and related proteins (NTR)-and the THO/TREX complex. We connect these activities by demonstrating that the THO/TREX complex activates FLC expression acting antagonistically to AGO1 in COOLAIR processing. Together these data reveal that antagonistic cotranscriptional regulation through AGO1 or THO/TREX influences COOLAIR processing to deliver a local chromatin environment that determines FLC transcriptional output. The involvement of these conserved cotranscriptional regulators suggests similar mechanisms may underpin quantitative transcriptional regulation generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congyao Xu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaofeng Fang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Tiancong Lu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Dean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom
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Liu K, Sun Q. Intragenic tRNA-promoted R-loops orchestrate transcription interference for plant oxidative stress responses. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:3574-3591. [PMID: 34463741 PMCID: PMC8566210 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes are transcribed by at least three RNA polymerases, RNAPI, II, and III. Co-transcriptional R-loops play diverse roles in genome regulation and maintenance. However, little is known about how R-loops regulate transcription interference, the transcriptional event that is caused by different RNA polymerases transcribing the same genomic templates. Here, we established that the intragenic transfer RNA (tRNA) genes can promote sense R-loop enrichment (named intra-tR-loops) in Arabidopsis thaliana, and found that intra-tR-loops are decreased in an RNAPIII mutant, NUCLEAR RNA POLYMERASE C, SUBUNIT 7(nrpc7-1). NRPC7 is co-localized with RNAPIIS2P at intragenic tRNA genes and interferes with RNAPIIS2P elongation. Conversely, the binding of NRPC7 at intragenic tRNA genes is increased following inhibition of RNAPII elongation. The transcription of specific tRNA host genes is inhibited by RNAPIII, and the inhibition of tRNA host genes is intra-tR-loop dependent. Moreover, alleviating the inhibition of tRNAPro-induced intra-tR-loops on its host gene AtNUDX1 promotes oxidative stress tolerance in A. thaliana. Our work suggests intra-tR-loops regulate host gene expression by modulating RNA polymerases interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunpeng Liu
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
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Gao J, Zhang P, Li X, Wu W, Wei H, Zhang W. Toward an understanding of the detection and function of R-loops in plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:6110-6122. [PMID: 34115858 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although lagging behind studies in humans and other mammals, studies of R-loops in plants have recently entered an exciting stage in which the roles of R-loops in gene expression, genome stability, epigenomic signatures, and plant development and stress responses are being elucidated. Here, we review the strengths and weaknesses of existing methodologies, which were largely developed for R-loop studies in mammals, and then discuss the potential challenges of applying these methodologies to R-loop studies in plants. We then focus on recent advances in the functional characterization of R-loops in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice. Recent studies in plants indicate that there are coordinated relationships between R-loops and gene expression, and between R-loops and epigenomic signatures that depend, in part, on the types of R-loops involved. Finally, we discuss the emerging roles of R-loops in plants and directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, JCIC-MCP, CIC-MCP, Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Pengyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, JCIC-MCP, CIC-MCP, Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Xinxu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, JCIC-MCP, CIC-MCP, Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Wenqi Wu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Hairong Wei
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, JCIC-MCP, CIC-MCP, Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
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