1
|
Tselika M, Belmezos N, Kallemi P, Andronis C, Chiumenti M, Navarro B, Lavigne M, Di Serio F, Kalantidis K, Katsarou K. PSTVd infection in Nicotiana benthamiana plants has a minor yet detectable effect on CG methylation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1258023. [PMID: 38023875 PMCID: PMC10645062 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1258023] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Viroids are small circular RNAs infecting a wide range of plants. They do not code for any protein or peptide and therefore rely on their structure for their biological cycle. Observed phenotypes of viroid infected plants are thought to occur through changes at the transcriptional/translational level of the host. A mechanism involved in such changes is RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Till today, there are contradictory works about viroids interference of RdDM. In this study, we investigated the epigenetic effect of viroid infection in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Using potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) as the triggering pathogen and via bioinformatic analyses, we identified endogenous gene promoters and transposable elements targeted by 24 nt host siRNAs that differentially accumulated in PSTVd-infected and healthy plants. The methylation status of these targets was evaluated following digestion with methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes coupled with PCR amplification, and bisulfite sequencing. In addition, we used Methylation Sensitive Amplification Polymorphism (MSAP) followed by sequencing (MSAP-seq) to study genomic DNA methylation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in CG sites upon viroid infection. In this study we identified a limited number of target loci differentially methylated upon PSTVd infection. These results enhance our understanding of the epigenetic host changes as a result of pospiviroid infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martha Tselika
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | | | - Paraskevi Kallemi
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Christos Andronis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Michela Chiumenti
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy
| | - Beatriz Navarro
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy
| | - Matthieu Lavigne
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Francesco Di Serio
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy
| | - Kriton Kalantidis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Konstantina Katsarou
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu P, Liu R, Xu Y, Zhang C, Niu Q, Lang Z. DNA cytosine methylation dynamics and functional roles in horticultural crops. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhad170. [PMID: 38025976 PMCID: PMC10660380 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Methylation of cytosine is a conserved epigenetic modification that maintains the dynamic balance of methylation in plants under the regulation of methyltransferases and demethylases. In recent years, the study of DNA methylation in regulating the growth and development of plants and animals has become a key area of research. This review describes the regulatory mechanisms of DNA cytosine methylation in plants. It summarizes studies on epigenetic modifications of DNA methylation in fruit ripening, development, senescence, plant height, organ size, and under biotic and abiotic stresses in horticultural crops. The review provides a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanisms of DNA methylation and their relevance to breeding, genetic improvement, research, innovation, and exploitation of new cultivars of horticultural crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Ruie Liu
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yaping Xu
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Caixi Zhang
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qingfeng Niu
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Zhaobo Lang
- Institute of Advanced Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Márquez-Molins J, Villalba-Bermell P, Corell-Sierra J, Pallás V, Gomez G. Integrative time-scale and multi-omics analysis of host responses to viroid infection. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023. [PMID: 37378473 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Viroids are circular RNAs of minimal complexity compelled to subvert plant-regulatory networks to accomplish their infectious process. Studies focused on the response to viroid-infection have mostly addressed specific regulatory levels and considered specifics infection-times. Thus, much remains to be done to understand the temporal evolution and complex nature of viroid-host interactions. Here we present an integrative analysis of the temporal evolution of the genome-wide alterations in cucumber plants infected with hop stunt viroid (HSVd) by integrating differential host transcriptome, sRNAnome and methylome. Our results support that HSVd promotes the redesign of the cucumber regulatory-pathways predominantly affecting specific regulatory layers at different infection-phases. The initial response was characterised by a reconfiguration of the host-transcriptome by differential exon-usage, followed by a progressive transcriptional downregulation modulated by epigenetic changes. Regarding endogenous small RNAs, the alterations were limited and mainly occurred at the late stage. Significant host-alterations were predominantly related to the downregulation of transcripts involved in plant-defence mechanisms, the restriction of pathogen-movement and the systemic spreading of defence signals. We expect that these data constituting the first comprehensive temporal-map of the plant-regulatory alterations associated with HSVd infection could contribute to elucidate the molecular basis of the yet poorly known host-response to viroid-induced pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joan Márquez-Molins
- Department of Molecular Interactions and Regulation, Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat de València (UV), Parc Científic, Paterna, Spain
- Department of Virologia Molecular y Evolutiva de Plantas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Pascual Villalba-Bermell
- Department of Molecular Interactions and Regulation, Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat de València (UV), Parc Científic, Paterna, Spain
| | - Julia Corell-Sierra
- Department of Molecular Interactions and Regulation, Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat de València (UV), Parc Científic, Paterna, Spain
| | - Vicente Pallás
- Department of Virologia Molecular y Evolutiva de Plantas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gustavo Gomez
- Department of Molecular Interactions and Regulation, Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat de València (UV), Parc Científic, Paterna, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ortolá B, Daròs JA. Viroids: Non-Coding Circular RNAs Able to Autonomously Replicate and Infect Higher Plants. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020172. [PMID: 36829451 PMCID: PMC9952643 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Viroids are a unique type of infectious agent, exclusively composed of a relatively small (246-430 nt), highly base-paired, circular, non-coding RNA. Despite the small size and non-coding nature, the more-than-thirty currently known viroid species infectious of higher plants are able to autonomously replicate and move systemically through the host, thereby inducing disease in some plants. After recalling viroid discovery back in the late 60s and early 70s of last century and discussing current hypotheses about their evolutionary origin, this article reviews our current knowledge about these peculiar infectious agents. We describe the highly base-paired viroid molecules that fold in rod-like or branched structures and viroid taxonomic classification in two families, Pospiviroidae and Avsunviroidae, likely gathering nuclear and chloroplastic viroids, respectively. We review current knowledge about viroid replication through RNA-to-RNA rolling-circle mechanisms in which host factors, notably RNA transporters, RNA polymerases, RNases, and RNA ligases, are involved. Systemic movement through the infected plant, plant-to-plant transmission and host range are also discussed. Finally, we focus on the mechanisms of viroid pathogenesis, in which RNA silencing has acquired remarkable importance, and also for the initiation of potential biotechnological applications of viroid molecules.
Collapse
|
5
|
Di Serio F, Owens RA, Navarro B, Serra P, Martínez de Alba ÁE, Delgado S, Carbonell A, Gago-Zachert S. Role of RNA silencing in plant-viroid interactions and in viroid pathogenesis. Virus Res 2023; 323:198964. [PMID: 36223861 PMCID: PMC10194176 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Viroids are small, single-stranded, non-protein coding and circular RNAs able to infect host plants in the absence of any helper virus. They may elicit symptoms in their hosts, but the underlying molecular pathways are only partially known. Here we address the role of post-transcriptional RNA silencing in plant-viroid-interplay, with major emphasis on the involvement of this sequence-specific RNA degradation mechanism in both plant antiviroid defence and viroid pathogenesis. This review is a tribute to the memory of Dr. Ricardo Flores, who largely contributed to elucidate this and other molecular mechanisms involved in plant-viroid interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Serio
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council, Bari 70122, Italy.
| | - Robert A Owens
- Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Beatriz Navarro
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council, Bari 70122, Italy
| | - Pedro Serra
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València), Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Ángel Emilio Martínez de Alba
- Institute for Agribiotechnology Research (CIALE), Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca, Villamayor 37185, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sonia Delgado
- Instituto Agroforestal Mediterráneo (IAM-UPV), Camino de Vera, s/n 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alberto Carbonell
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València), Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Selma Gago-Zachert
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Section Microbial Biotechnology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale 06120, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sečnik A, Štajner N, Radišek S, Kunej U, Križman M, Jakše J. Cytosine Methylation in Genomic DNA and Characterization of DNA Methylases and Demethylases and Their Expression Profiles in Viroid-Infected Hop Plants ( Humulus lupulus Var. 'Celeia'). Cells 2022; 11:cells11162592. [PMID: 36010668 PMCID: PMC9406385 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abiotic and biotic stresses can lead to changes in host DNA methylation, which in plants is also mediated by an RNA-directed DNA methylation mechanism. Infections with viroids have been shown to affect DNA methylation dynamics in different plant hosts. The aim of our research was to determine the content of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) in genomic DNA at the whole genome level of hop plants (Humulus lupulus Var. 'Celeia') infected with different viroids and their combinations and to analyse the expression of the selected genes to improve our understanding of DNA methylation dynamics in plant-viroid systems. The adapted HPLC-UV method used proved to be suitable for this purpose, and thus we were able to estimate for the first time that the cytosine methylation level in viroid-free hop plants was 26.7%. Interestingly, the observed 5-mC level was the lowest in hop plants infected simultaneously with CBCVd, HLVd and HSVd (23.7%), whereas the highest level was observed in plants infected with HLVd (31.4%). In addition, we identified three DNA methylases and one DNA demethylase gene in the hop's draft genome. The RT-qPCR revealed upregulation of all newly identified genes in hop plants infected with all three viroids, while no altered expression was observed in any of the other hop plants tested, except for CBCVd-infected hop plants, in which one DNA methylase was also upregulated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Sečnik
- Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nataša Štajner
- Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sebastjan Radišek
- Plant Protection Department, Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing, 3310 Žalec, Slovenia
| | - Urban Kunej
- Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mitja Križman
- Laboratory for Food Chemistry, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jernej Jakše
- Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +386-1-3203280
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gómez G, Marquez-Molins J, Martinez G, Pallas V. Plant epigenome alterations: an emergent player in viroid-host interactions. Virus Res 2022; 318:198844. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
8
|
Steinbachová L, Matoušek J, Steger G, Matoušková H, Radišek S, Honys D. Transformation of Seed Non-Transmissible Hop Viroids in Nicotiana benthamiana Causes Distortions in Male Gametophyte Development. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:plants10112398. [PMID: 34834761 PMCID: PMC8624972 DOI: 10.3390/plants10112398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Viroids are small, non-coding, parasitic RNAs that promote developmental distortions in sensitive plants. We analyzed pollen of Nicotiana benthamiana after infection and/or ectopic transformation with cDNAs of citrus bark cracking viroid (CBCVd), apple fruit crinkle viroid (AFCVd) and potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) variant AS1. These viroids were seed non-transmissible in N. benthamiana. All viroids propagated to high levels in immature anthers similar to leaves, while their levels were drastically reduced by approximately 3.6 × 103, 800 and 59 times in mature pollen of CBCVd, AFCVd and PSTVd infected N. benthamiana, respectively, in comparison to leaves. These results suggest similar elimination processes during male gametophyte development as in the Nicotiana tabacum we presented in our previous study. Mature pollen of N. benthamiana showed no apparent defects in infected plants although all three viroids induced strong pathological symptoms on leaves. While Nicotiana species have naturally bicellular mature pollen, we noted a rare occurrence of mature pollen with three nuclei in CBCVd-infected N. benthamiana. Changes in the expression of ribosomal marker proteins in AFCVd-infected pollen were detected, suggesting some changes in pollen metabolism. N. benthamiana transformed with 35S-driven viroid cDNAs showed strong symptoms including defects in pollen development. A large number of aborted pollen (34% and 62%) and a slight increase of young pollen grains (8% and 15%) were found in mature pollen of AFCVd and CBCVd transformants, respectively, in comparison to control plants (3.9% aborted pollen and 0.3% young pollen). Moreover, pollen grains with malformed nuclei or trinuclear pollen were found in CBCVd-transformed plants. Our results suggest that "forcing" overexpression of seed non-transmissible viroid led to strong pollen pathogenesis. Viroid adaptation to pollen metabolism can be assumed as an important factor for viroid transmissibility through pollen and seeds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Steinbachová
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 263, 165 02 Prague 6, Czech Republic;
| | - Jaroslav Matoušek
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.M.); (H.M.)
| | - Gerhard Steger
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, D-40204 Düsseldorf, Germany;
| | - Helena Matoušková
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (J.M.); (H.M.)
| | - Sebastjan Radišek
- Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing, Cesta Žalskega tabora 2, SI-3310 Žalec, Slovenia;
| | - David Honys
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 263, 165 02 Prague 6, Czech Republic;
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Marquez‐Molins J, Gomez G, Pallas V. Hop stunt viroid: A polyphagous pathogenic RNA that has shed light on viroid-host interactions. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2021; 22:153-162. [PMID: 33305492 PMCID: PMC7814962 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
TAXONOMY Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) is the type species of the genus Hostuviroid (family Pospiviroidae). The other species of this genus is Dahlia latent viroid, which presents an identical central conserved region (CCR) but lacks other structural hallmarks present in Hop stunt viroid. HSVd replication occurs in the nucleus through an asymmetric rolling-circle model as in the other members of the family Pospiviroidae, which also includes the genera Pospiviroid, Cocadviroid, Apscaviroid, and Coleoviroid. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES Hop stunt viroid consists of a single-stranded, circular RNA of 295-303 nucleotides depending on isolates and sequence variants. The most stable secondary structure is a rod-like or quasi-rod-like conformation with two characteristic domains: a CCR and a terminal conserved hairpin similar to that of cocadviroids. HSVd lacks a terminal conserved region. HOSTS AND SYMPTOMS HSVd infects a very broad range of natural hosts and has been reported to be the causal agent of five different diseases (citrus cachexia, cucumber pale fruit, peach and plum apple apricot distortion, and hop stunt). It is distributed worldwide. TRANSMISSION HSVd is transmitted mechanically and by seed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joan Marquez‐Molins
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat de ValènciaPaternaSpain
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de PlantasConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValenciaSpain
| | - Gustavo Gomez
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat de ValènciaPaternaSpain
| | - Vicente Pallas
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de PlantasConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValenciaSpain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Alterations of Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) DNA Methylation Patterns Associated with Gene Expression in Response to Rice Black Streaked Dwarf Virus. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165753. [PMID: 32796598 PMCID: PMC7570085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) causes severe yield losses in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in China. Studies have shown that the mechanisms of DNA methylation-mediated plant defense against DNA viruses and RNA viruses are different. However, in rice its function in response to infection of RBSDV, a double-stranded RNA virus, remains unclear. In this study, high-throughput single-base resolution bisulfite sequencing (BS-Seq) was carried out to analyze the distribution pattern and characteristics of cytosine methylation in RBSDV-infected rice. Widespread differences were identified in CG and non-CG contexts between the RBSDV-infected and RBSDV-free rice. We identified a large number of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) along the genome of RBSDV-infected rice. Additionally, the transcriptome sequencing analysis obtained 1119 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Correlation analysis of DMRs-related genes (DMGs) and DEGs filtered 102 genes with positive correlation and 71 genes with negative correlation between methylation level at promoter regions and gene expression. Key genes associated with maintaining DNA methylation in rice were analyzed by RT-qPCR and indicated that OsDMT702 might be responsible for the global increase of DNA methylation level in rice under RBSDV stress. Our results suggest important roles of rice DNA methylation in response to RBSDV and provide potential target genes for rice antiviral immunity.
Collapse
|
11
|
Wambui Mbichi R, Wang QF, Wan T. RNA directed DNA methylation and seed plant genome evolution. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2020; 39:983-996. [PMID: 32594202 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
RNA Directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) is a pathway that mediates de novo DNA methylation, an evolutionary conserved chemical modification of cytosine bases, which exists in living organisms and utilizes small interfering RNA. Plants utilize DNA methylation for transposable element (TE) repression, regulation of gene expression and developmental regulation. TE activity strongly influences genome size and evolution, therefore making DNA methylation a key component in understanding divergence in genome evolution among seed plants. Multiple proteins that have extensively been studied in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana catalyze RNA dependent DNA Methylation pathway along with small interfering RNA. Several developmental functions have also been attributed to DNA methylation. This review will highlight aspects of RdDM pathway dynamics, evolution and functions in seed plants with focus on recent findings on conserved and non-conserved attributes between angiosperms and gymnosperms to potentially explain how methylation has impacted variations in evolutionary and developmental complexity among them and advance current understanding of this crucial epigenetic pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Wambui Mbichi
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
- Key laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qing-Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China.
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Tao Wan
- Key laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen, China.
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wambui Mbichi R, Wang QF, Wan T. RNA directed DNA methylation and seed plant genome evolution. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2020; 39:983-996. [PMID: 32594202 PMCID: PMC7359171 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-020-02558-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
RNA Directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) is a pathway that mediates de novo DNA methylation, an evolutionary conserved chemical modification of cytosine bases, which exists in living organisms and utilizes small interfering RNA. Plants utilize DNA methylation for transposable element (TE) repression, regulation of gene expression and developmental regulation. TE activity strongly influences genome size and evolution, therefore making DNA methylation a key component in understanding divergence in genome evolution among seed plants. Multiple proteins that have extensively been studied in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana catalyze RNA dependent DNA Methylation pathway along with small interfering RNA. Several developmental functions have also been attributed to DNA methylation. This review will highlight aspects of RdDM pathway dynamics, evolution and functions in seed plants with focus on recent findings on conserved and non-conserved attributes between angiosperms and gymnosperms to potentially explain how methylation has impacted variations in evolutionary and developmental complexity among them and advance current understanding of this crucial epigenetic pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Wambui Mbichi
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
- Key laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qing-Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China.
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Tao Wan
- Key laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen, China.
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cottilli P, Belda-Palazón B, Adkar-Purushothama CR, Perreault JP, Schleiff E, Rodrigo I, Ferrando A, Lisón P. Citrus exocortis viroid causes ribosomal stress in tomato plants. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:8649-8661. [PMID: 31392997 PMCID: PMC6895259 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Viroids are naked RNAs that do not code for any known protein and yet are able to infect plants causing severe diseases. Because of their RNA nature, many studies have focused on the involvement of viroids in RNA-mediated gene silencing as being their pathogenesis mechanism. Here, the alterations caused by the Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) on the tomato translation machinery were studied as a new aspect of viroid pathogenesis. The presence of viroids in the ribosomal fractions of infected tomato plants was detected. More precisely, CEVd and its derived viroid small RNAs were found to co-sediment with tomato ribosomes in vivo, and to provoke changes in the global polysome profiles, particularly in the 40S ribosomal subunit accumulation. Additionally, the viroid caused alterations in ribosome biogenesis in the infected tomato plants, affecting the 18S rRNA maturation process. A higher expression level of the ribosomal stress mediator NAC082 was also detected in the CEVd-infected tomato leaves. Both the alterations in the rRNA processing and the induction of NAC082 correlate with the degree of viroid symptomatology. Taken together, these results suggest that CEVd is responsible for defective ribosome biogenesis in tomato, thereby interfering with the translation machinery and, therefore, causing ribosomal stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cottilli
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas. Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación (CPI), Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Borja Belda-Palazón
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas. Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación (CPI), Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Charith Raj Adkar-Purushothama
- RNA Group, Département de Biochimie, Faculté de Médecine des Sciences de la Santé, Pavillon de Recherche Appliquée au Cancer, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec J1E 4K8, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Perreault
- RNA Group, Département de Biochimie, Faculté de Médecine des Sciences de la Santé, Pavillon de Recherche Appliquée au Cancer, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec J1E 4K8, Canada
| | - Enrico Schleiff
- Department of Biosciences, Molecular Cell Biology of Plants & Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Science, Goethe University; Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies; Frankfurt/Main 60438, Germany
| | - Ismael Rodrigo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas. Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación (CPI), Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Alejandro Ferrando
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas. Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación (CPI), Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - Purificación Lisón
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas. Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación (CPI), Valencia 46022, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wang C, Wang C, Zou J, Yang Y, Li Z, Zhu S. Epigenetics in the plant-virus interaction. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2019; 38:1031-1038. [PMID: 31065780 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-019-02414-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Plants have developed diverse molecular mechanisms to resist viruses. RNA silencing plays a dominant role in antiviral defense. Recent studies have correlated plant antiviral silencing to epigenetic modification in genomic DNA and protein by remodeling the expression levels of coding genes. The plant host methylation level is reprogrammed in response to viral challenge. Genomes of some viruses have been implicated in the epigenetic modification via small RNA-mediated transcriptional gene silencing and post-transcriptional gene silencing. These mechanisms can be primed prior to a virus attack through methylation changes for antiviral defense. This review highlights the findings concerning the methylation changes in plant-virus interactions and demonstrates a possible direction to improve the understanding of plant host methylation regulation in response to viral infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenguang Wang
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing, 100176, China
| | - Chaonan Wang
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing, 100176, China
| | - Jingze Zou
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yunshu Yang
- Beijing Academy of Food Sciences, Beijing, 100162, China
| | - Zhihong Li
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Shuifang Zhu
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China.
- Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing, 100176, China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
DNA methylation is a conserved epigenetic modification that is important for gene regulation and genome stability. Aberrant patterns of DNA methylation can lead to plant developmental abnormalities. A specific DNA methylation state is an outcome of dynamic regulation by de novo methylation, maintenance of methylation and active demethylation, which are catalysed by various enzymes that are targeted by distinct regulatory pathways. In this Review, we discuss DNA methylation in plants, including methylating and demethylating enzymes and regulatory factors, and the coordination of methylation and demethylation activities by a so-called methylstat mechanism; the functions of DNA methylation in regulating transposon silencing, gene expression and chromosome interactions; the roles of DNA methylation in plant development; and the involvement of DNA methylation in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
Collapse
|
16
|
Marquez-Molins J, Navarro JA, Pallas V, Gomez G. Highly efficient construction of infectious viroid-derived clones. PLANT METHODS 2019; 15:87. [PMID: 31388344 PMCID: PMC6670230 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-019-0470-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Viroid research generally relies on infectious cDNA clones that consist of dimers of the entire viroid sequence. At present, those dimers are generated by self-ligation of monomeric cDNA, a strategy that presents several disadvantages: (i) low efficiency, (ii) it is a non-oriented reaction requiring tedious screenings and (iii) additional steps are required for cloning into a binary vector for agroinfiltration or for in vitro RNA production. RESULTS We have developed a novel strategy for simultaneous construction of a viroid dimeric cDNA and cloning into a multipurpose binary vector ready for agroinfiltration or in vitro transcription. The assembly is based on IIs restriction enzymes and positive selection and supposes a universal procedure for obtaining infectious clones of a viroid independently of its sequence, with a high efficiency. Thus, infectious clones of one viroid of each family were obtained and its infectivity was analyzed by molecular hybridization. CONCLUSION This is a zero-background strategy for direct cloning into a binary vector, optimized for the generation of infectious viroids. As a result, this methodology constitutes a powerful tool for viroid research and exemplifies the applicability of type IIs restriction enzymes and the lethal gene ccdB to design efficient and affordable direct cloning approaches of PCR products into binary vectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joan Marquez-Molins
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat de València (UV), Parc Científic, Cat. Agustín Escardino 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Jose Antonio Navarro
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, CPI 8E, Av. de los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Pallas
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, CPI 8E, Av. de los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Gustavo Gomez
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universitat de València (UV), Parc Científic, Cat. Agustín Escardino 9, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Assis R. Lineage-Specific Expression Divergence in Grasses Is Associated with Male Reproduction, Host-Pathogen Defense, and Domestication. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:207-219. [PMID: 30398650 PMCID: PMC6331041 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Poaceae (grasses) is an agriculturally important and widely distributed family of plants with extraordinary phenotypic diversity, much of which was generated under recent lineage-specific evolution. Yet, little is known about the genes and functional modules involved in the lineage-specific divergence of grasses. Here, I address this question on a genome-wide scale by applying a novel branch-based statistic of lineage-specific expression divergence, LED, to RNA-seq data from nine tissues of the wild grass Brachypodium distachyon and its domesticated relatives Oryza sativa japonica (rice) and Sorghum bicolor (sorghum). I find that LED is generally smallest in B. distachyon and largest in O. sativa japonica, which underwent domestication earlier than S. bicolor, supporting the hypothesis that domestication may increase the rate of lineage-specific expression divergence in grasses. Moreover, in all three species, LED is positively correlated with protein-coding sequence divergence and tissue specificity, and negatively correlated with network connectivity. Further analysis reveals that genes with large LED are often primarily expressed in anther, implicating lineage-specific expression divergence in the evolution of male reproductive phenotypes. Gene ontology enrichment analysis also identifies an overrepresentation of terms related to male reproduction in the two domesticated grasses, as well as to those involved in host-pathogen defense in all three species. Last, examinations of genes with the largest LED reveal that their lineage-specific expression divergence may have contributed to antimicrobial functions in B. distachyon, to enhanced adaptation and yield during domestication in O. sativa japonica, and to defense against a widespread and devastating fungal pathogen in S. bicolor. Together, these findings suggest that lineage-specific expression divergence in grasses may increase under domestication and preferentially target rapidly evolving genes involved in male reproduction, host-pathogen defense, and the origin of domesticated phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Assis
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Vertical and Horizontal Transmission of Pospiviroids. Viruses 2018; 10:v10120706. [PMID: 30545048 PMCID: PMC6315636 DOI: 10.3390/v10120706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Viroids are highly structured, single-stranded, non-protein-coding circular RNA pathogens. Some viroids are vertically transmitted through both viroid-infected ovule and pollen. For example, potato spindle tuber viroid, a species that belongs to Pospiviroidae family, is delivered to the embryo through the ovule or pollen during the development of reproductive tissues before embryogenesis. In addition, some of Pospiviroidae are also horizontally transmitted by pollen. Tomato planta macho viroid in pollen infects to the ovary from pollen tube during pollen tube elongation and eventually causes systemic infection, resulting in the establishment of horizontal transmission. Furthermore, fertilization is not required to accomplish the horizontal transmission. In this review, we will overview the recent research progress in vertical and horizontal transmission of viroids, mainly by focusing on histopathological studies, and also discuss the impact of seed transmission on viroid dissemination and seed health.
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhang X, Lai Y, Zhang W, Ahmad J, Qiu Y, Zhang X, Duan M, Liu T, Song J, Wang H, Li X. MicroRNAs and their targets in cucumber shoot apices in response to temperature and photoperiod. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:819. [PMID: 30442111 PMCID: PMC6238408 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5204-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cucumber is one of the most important vegetables worldwide and is used as a research model for study of phloem transport, sex determination and temperature-photoperiod physiology. The shoot apex is the most important plant tissue in which the cell fate and organ meristems have been determined. In this study, a series of whole-genome small RNA, degradome and transcriptome analyses were performed on cucumber shoot apical tissues treated with high vs. low temperature and long vs. short photoperiod. RESULTS A total of 164 known miRNAs derived from 68 families and 203 novel miRNAs from 182 families were identified. Their 4611 targets were predicted using psRobot and TargetFinder, amongst which 349 were validated by degradome sequencing. Fourteen targets of six miRNAs were differentially expressed between the treatments. A total of eight known and 16 novel miRNAs were affected by temperature and photoperiod. Functional annotations revealed that "Plant hormone signal transduction" pathway was significantly over-represented in the miRNA targets. The miR156/157/SBP-Boxes and novel-mir153/ethylene-responsive transcription factor/senescence-related protein/aminotransferase/acyl-CoA thioesterase are the two most credible miRNA/targets combinations modulating the plant's responsive processes to the temperature-photoperiod changes. Moreover, the newly evolved, cucumber-specific novel miRNA (novel-mir153) was found to target 2087 mRNAs by prediction and has 232 targets proven by degradome analysis, accounting for 45.26-58.88% of the total miRNA targets in this plant. This is the largest sum of genes targeted by a single miRNA to the best of our knowledge. CONCLUSIONS These results contribute to a better understanding of the miRNAs mediating plant adaptation to combinations of temperature and photoperiod and sheds light on the recent evolution of new miRNAs in cucumber.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yunsong Lai
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.,Institute of Pomology & Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jalil Ahmad
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xiaoxue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Mengmeng Duan
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Tongjin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jiangping Song
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Haiping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xixiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Annacondia ML, Magerøy MH, Martinez G. Stress response regulation by epigenetic mechanisms: changing of the guards. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2018; 162:239-250. [PMID: 29080251 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Plants are sessile organisms that lack a specialized immune system to cope with biotic and abiotic stress. Instead, plants have complex regulatory networks that determine the appropriate distribution of resources between the developmental and the defense programs. In the last years, epigenetic regulation of repeats and gene expression has evolved as an important player in the transcriptional regulation of stress-related genes. Here, we review the current knowledge about how different stresses interact with different levels of epigenetic control of the genome. Moreover, we analyze the different examples of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and connect them with the known features of genome epigenetic regulation. Although yet to be explored, the interplay between epigenetics and stress resistance seems to be a relevant and dynamic player of the interaction of plants with their environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luz Annacondia
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - German Martinez
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
In the last decade, the accumulation and roles of small RNAs have been slowly uncovered. Recently, the RNA silencing pathways active in the male gametophyte of plants have started to be analyzed in depth. Although several studies have shed light on the small RNA populations present in the pollen, we still lack a clear picture of their regulatory activity. This chapter outlines an extraction method of mature pollen grains and its different downstream applications for the purification and detection of small RNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- German Martinez
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center of Plant Biology, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|