1
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Zhou W, Shi H, Wang Z, Huang Y, Ni L, Chen X, Liu Y, Li H, Li C, Liu Y. Identification of Highly Repetitive Enhancers with Long-range Regulation Potential in Barley via STARR-seq. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2024; 22:qzae012. [PMID: 39167800 DOI: 10.1093/gpbjnl/qzae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers are DNA sequences that can strengthen transcription initiation. However, the global identification of plant enhancers is complicated due to uncertainty in the distance and orientation of enhancers, especially in species with large genomes. In this study, we performed self-transcribing active regulatory region sequencing (STARR-seq) for the first time to identify enhancers across the barley genome. A total of 7323 enhancers were successfully identified, and among 45 randomly selected enhancers, over 75% were effective as validated by a dual-luciferase reporter assay system in the lower epidermis of tobacco leaves. Interestingly, up to 53.5% of the barley enhancers were repetitive sequences, especially transposable elements (TEs), thus reinforcing the vital role of repetitive enhancers in gene expression. Both the common active mark H3K4me3 and repressive mark H3K27me3 were abundant among the barley STARR-seq enhancers. In addition, the functional range of barley STARR-seq enhancers seemed much broader than that of rice or maize and extended to ±100 kb of the gene body, and this finding was consistent with the high expression levels of genes in the genome. This study specifically depicts the unique features of barley enhancers and provides available barley enhancers for further utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Haoran Shi
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
- Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yuxin Huang
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Lin Ni
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Xudong Chen
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Haojie Li
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Caixia Li
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yaxi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
- Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
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2
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Zhu X, Chen A, Butler NM, Zeng Z, Xin H, Wang L, Lv Z, Eshel D, Douches DS, Jiang J. Molecular dissection of an intronic enhancer governing cold-induced expression of the vacuolar invertase gene in potato. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:1985-1999. [PMID: 38374801 PMCID: PMC11062429 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is the third most important food crop in the world. Potato tubers must be stored at cold temperatures to minimize sprouting and losses due to disease. However, cold temperatures strongly induce the expression of the potato vacuolar invertase gene (VInv) and cause reducing sugar accumulation. This process, referred to as "cold-induced sweetening," is a major postharvest problem for the potato industry. We discovered that the cold-induced expression of VInv is controlled by a 200 bp enhancer, VInvIn2En, located in its second intron. We identified several DNA motifs in VInvIn2En that bind transcription factors involved in the plant cold stress response. Mutation of these DNA motifs abolished VInvIn2En function as a transcriptional enhancer. We developed VInvIn2En deletion lines in both diploid and tetraploid potato using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9)-mediated gene editing. VInv transcription in cold-stored tubers was significantly reduced in the deletion lines. Interestingly, the VInvIn2En sequence is highly conserved among distantly related Solanum species, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and other non-tuber-bearing species. We conclude that the VInv gene and the VInvIn2En enhancer have adopted distinct roles in the cold stress response in tubers of tuber-bearing Solanum species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobiao Zhu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Biology, School of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Airu Chen
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Biology, School of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui Province, China
| | - Nathaniel M Butler
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Vegetable Crops Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Zixian Zeng
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Biological Science, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, Sichuan Province, China
- Plant Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Center, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Haoyang Xin
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Lixia Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Biology, School of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui Province, China
| | - Zhaoyan Lv
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Biology, School of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui Province, China
| | - Dani Eshel
- Department of Postharvest Science, The Volcani Institute, ARO, Rishon LeZion 50250, Israel
| | - David S Douches
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Michigan State University AgBioResearch, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jiming Jiang
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Michigan State University AgBioResearch, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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3
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Zhang Y, Dong Q, Wang Z, Liu Q, Yu H, Sun W, Cheema J, You Q, Ding L, Cao X, He C, Ding Y, Zhang H. A fine-scale Arabidopsis chromatin landscape reveals chromatin conformation-associated transcriptional dynamics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3253. [PMID: 38627396 PMCID: PMC11021422 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47678-7] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Plants, as sessile organisms, deploy transcriptional dynamics for adapting to extreme growth conditions such as cold stress. Emerging evidence suggests that chromatin architecture contributes to transcriptional regulation. However, the relationship between chromatin architectural dynamics and transcriptional reprogramming in response to cold stress remains unclear. Here, we apply a chemical-crosslinking assisted proximity capture (CAP-C) method to elucidate the fine-scale chromatin landscape, revealing chromatin interactions within gene bodies closely associated with RNA polymerase II (Pol II) densities across initiation, pausing, and termination sites. We observe dynamic changes in chromatin interactions alongside Pol II activity alterations during cold stress, suggesting local chromatin dynamics may regulate Pol II activity. Notably, cold stress does not affect large-scale chromatin conformations. We further identify a comprehensive promoter-promoter interaction (PPI) network across the genome, potentially facilitating co-regulation of gene expression in response to cold stress. Our study deepens the understanding of chromatin conformation-associated gene regulation in plant response to cold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Qianli Dong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Qinzhe Liu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Haopeng Yu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Wenqing Sun
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Jitender Cheema
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Qiancheng You
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Ling Ding
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan He
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Yiliang Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.
| | - Huakun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
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4
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Silver BD, Willett CG, Maher KA, Wang D, Deal RB. Differences in transcription initiation directionality underlie distinctions between plants and animals in chromatin modification patterns at genes and cis-regulatory elements. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae016. [PMID: 38253712 PMCID: PMC10917500 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional initiation is among the first regulated steps controlling eukaryotic gene expression. High-throughput profiling of fungal and animal genomes has revealed that RNA Polymerase II often initiates transcription in both directions at the promoter transcription start site, but generally only elongates productively into the gene body. Additionally, Pol II can initiate transcription in both directions at cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers. These bidirectional RNA Polymerase II initiation events can be observed directly with methods that capture nascent transcripts, and they are also revealed indirectly by the presence of transcription-associated histone modifications on both sides of the transcription start site or cis-regulatory elements. Previous studies have shown that nascent RNAs and transcription-associated histone modifications in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana accumulate mainly in the gene body, suggesting that transcription does not initiate widely in the upstream direction from genes in this plant. We compared transcription-associated histone modifications and nascent transcripts at both transcription start sites and cis-regulatory elements in A. thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, and Homo sapiens. Our results provide evidence for mostly unidirectional RNA Polymerase II initiation at both promoters and gene-proximal cis-regulatory elements of A. thaliana, whereas bidirectional transcription initiation is observed widely at promoters in both D. melanogaster and H. sapiens, as well as cis-regulatory elements in Drosophila. Furthermore, the distribution of transcription-associated histone modifications around transcription start sites in the Oryza sativa (rice) and Glycine max (soybean) genomes suggests that unidirectional transcription initiation is the norm in these genomes as well. These results suggest that there are fundamental differences in transcriptional initiation directionality between flowering plant and metazoan genomes, which are manifested as distinct patterns of chromatin modifications around RNA polymerase initiation sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna D Silver
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Courtney G Willett
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kelsey A Maher
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Dongxue Wang
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Roger B Deal
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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5
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Tremblay BJM, Santini CP, Cheng Y, Zhang X, Rosa S, Qüesta JI. Interplay between coding and non-coding regulation drives the Arabidopsis seed-to-seedling transition. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1724. [PMID: 38409232 PMCID: PMC10897432 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46082-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Translation of seed stored mRNAs is essential to trigger germination. However, when RNAPII re-engages RNA synthesis during the seed-to-seedling transition has remained in question. Combining csRNA-seq, ATAC-seq and smFISH in Arabidopsis thaliana we demonstrate that active transcription initiation is detectable during the entire germination process. Features of non-coding regulation such as dynamic changes in chromatin accessible regions, antisense transcription, as well as bidirectional non-coding promoters are widespread throughout the Arabidopsis genome. We show that sensitivity to exogenous ABSCISIC ACID (ABA) during germination depends on proximal promoter accessibility at ABA-responsive genes. Moreover, we provide genetic validation of the existence of divergent transcription in plants. Our results reveal that active enhancer elements are transcribed producing non-coding enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) as widely documented in metazoans. In sum, this study defining the extent and role of coding and non-coding transcription during key stages of germination expands our understanding of transcriptional mechanisms underlying plant developmental transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J M Tremblay
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina P Santini
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yajiao Cheng
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xue Zhang
- Plant Biology Department, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefanie Rosa
- Plant Biology Department, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Julia I Qüesta
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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6
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Sun L, Zhou J, Xu X, Liu Y, Ma N, Liu Y, Nie W, Zou L, Deng XW, He H. Mapping nucleosome-resolution chromatin organization and enhancer-promoter loops in plants using Micro-C-XL. Nat Commun 2024; 15:35. [PMID: 38167349 PMCID: PMC10762229 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44347-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Although chromatin organizations in plants have been dissected at the scales of compartments and topologically associating domain (TAD)-like domains, there remains a gap in resolving fine-scale structures. Here, we use Micro-C-XL, a high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C)-based technology that involves micrococcal nuclease (instead of restriction enzymes) and long cross-linkers, to dissect single nucleosome-resolution chromatin organization in Arabidopsis. Insulation analysis reveals more than 14,000 boundaries, which mostly include chromatin accessibility, epigenetic modifications, and transcription factors. Micro-C-XL reveals associations between RNA Pols and local chromatin organizations, suggesting that gene transcription substantially contributes to the establishment of local chromatin domains. By perturbing Pol II both genetically and chemically at the gene level, we confirm its function in regulating chromatin organization. Visible loops and stripes are assigned to super-enhancers and their targeted genes, thus providing direct insights for the identification and mechanistic analysis of distal CREs and their working modes in plants. We further investigate possible factors regulating these chromatin loops. Subsequently, we expand Micro-C-XL to soybean and rice. In summary, we use Micro-C-XL for analyses of plants, which reveal fine-scale chromatin organization and enhancer-promoter loops and provide insights regarding three-dimensional genomes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhua Sun
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jingru Zhou
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Yi Liu
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ni Ma
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
- PKU-Tsinghua-NIBS Graduate Program, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yutong Liu
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Wenchao Nie
- Wuhan Frasergen Bioinformatics Co., Ltd., Wuhan, 430075, China
| | - Ling Zou
- Wuhan Frasergen Bioinformatics Co., Ltd., Wuhan, 430075, China
| | - Xing Wang Deng
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China.
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Hang He
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China.
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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7
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Silver BD, Willett CG, Maher KA, Wang D, Deal RB. Differences in transcription initiation directionality underlie distinctions between plants and animals in chromatin modification patterns at genes and cis-regulatory elements. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.565513. [PMID: 37961418 PMCID: PMC10635121 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional initiation is among the first regulated steps controlling eukaryotic gene expression. High-throughput profiling of fungal and animal genomes has revealed that RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) often initiates transcription in both directions at the promoter transcription start site (TSS), but generally only elongates productively into the gene body. Additionally, Pol II can initiate transcription in both directions at cis-regulatory elements (CREs) such as enhancers. These bidirectional Pol II initiation events can be observed directly with methods that capture nascent transcripts, and they are also revealed indirectly by the presence of transcription-associated histone modifications on both sides of the TSS or CRE. Previous studies have shown that nascent RNAs and transcription-associated histone modifications in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana accumulate mainly in the gene body, suggesting that transcription does not initiate widely in the upstream direction from genes in this plant. We compared transcription-associated histone modifications and nascent transcripts at both TSSs and CREs in Arabidopsis thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, and Homo sapiens. Our results provide evidence for mostly unidirectional Pol II initiation at both promoters and gene-proximal CREs of Arabidopsis thaliana, whereas bidirectional transcription initiation is observed widely at promoters in both Drosophila melanogaster and Homo sapiens, as well as CREs in Drosophila. Furthermore, the distribution of transcription-associated histone modifications around TSSs in the Oryza sativa (rice) and Glycine max (soybean) genomes suggests that unidirectional transcription initiation is the norm in these genomes as well. These results suggest that there are fundamental differences in transcriptional initiation directionality between flowering plant and metazoan genomes, which are manifested as distinct patterns of chromatin modifications around RNA polymerase initiation sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna D. Silver
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Courtney G. Willett
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Kelsey A. Maher
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Dongxue Wang
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Roger B. Deal
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
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8
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Fang C, Yang M, Tang Y, Zhang L, Zhao H, Ni H, Chen Q, Meng F, Jiang J. Dynamics of cis-regulatory sequences and transcriptional divergence of duplicated genes in soybean. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2303836120. [PMID: 37871213 PMCID: PMC10622917 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303836120] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional divergence of duplicated genes after whole genome duplication (WGD) has been described in many plant lineages and is often associated with subgenome dominance, a genome-wide mechanism. However, it is unknown what underlies the transcriptional divergence of duplicated genes in polyploid species that lack subgenome dominance. Soybean is a paleotetraploid with a WGD that occurred 5 to 13 Mya. Approximately 50% of the duplicated genes retained from this WGD exhibit transcriptional divergence. We developed accessible chromatin region (ACR) datasets from leaf, flower, and seed tissues using MNase-hypersensitivity sequencing. We validated enhancer function of several ACRs associated with known genes using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. The ACR datasets were used to examine and correlate the transcriptional patterns of 17,111 pairs of duplicated genes in different tissues. We demonstrate that ACR dynamics are correlated with divergence of both expression level and tissue specificity of individual gene pairs. Gain or loss of flanking ACRs and mutation of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) within the ACRs can change the balance of the expression level and/or tissue specificity of the duplicated genes. Analysis of DNA sequences associated with ACRs revealed that the extensive sequence rearrangement after the WGD reshaped the CRE landscape, which appears to play a key role in the transcriptional divergence of duplicated genes in soybean. This may represent a general mechanism for transcriptional divergence of duplicated genes in polyploids that lack subgenome dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Fang
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
| | - Mingyu Yang
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin150081, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin150030, China
| | - Yuecheng Tang
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin150081, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin150030, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Agro-Biotechnology Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun130033, China
| | - Hainan Zhao
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
| | - Hejia Ni
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin150030, China
| | - Qingshan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin150030, China
| | - Fanli Meng
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin150081, China
| | - Jiming Jiang
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Michigan State University AgBioResearch, East Lansing, MI48824
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9
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Chen YH, Lu J, Yang X, Huang LC, Zhang CQ, Liu QQ, Li QF. Gene editing of non-coding regulatory DNA and its application in crop improvement. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:6158-6175. [PMID: 37549968 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
The development of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) system has provided precise and efficient strategies to edit target genes and generate transgene-free crops. Significant progress has been made in the editing of protein-coding genes; however, studies on the editing of non-coding DNA with regulatory roles lags far behind. Non-coding regulatory DNAs, including those which can be transcribed into long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and miRNAs, together with cis-regulatory elements (CREs), play crucial roles in regulating plant growth and development. Therefore, the combination of CRISPR/Cas technology and non-coding regulatory DNA has great potential to generate novel alleles that affect various agronomic traits of crops, thus providing valuable genetic resources for crop breeding. Herein, we review recent advances in the roles of non-coding regulatory DNA, attempts to edit non-coding regulatory DNA for crop improvement, and potential application of novel editing tools in modulating non-coding regulatory DNA. Finally, the existing problems, possible solutions, and future applications of gene editing of non-coding regulatory DNA in modern crop breeding practice are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hao Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xia Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li-Chun Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chang-Quan Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiao-Quan Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qian-Feng Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
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10
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Qiao Y, Li YG, Wei TL, Liu HN, Pei MS, Zhu XJ, Zhu ZH, Guo DL. Identification of watermelon H3K4 and H3K27 genes and their expression profiles during watermelon fruit development. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:8259-8270. [PMID: 37572210 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08727-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ClaH3K4s and ClaH3K27s gene families are subfamilies of the SET family, each with a highly conserved SET structure domain and a PHD structural domain. Both participate in histone protein methylation, which affects the chromosome structure and gene expression, and is essential for fruit growth and development. METHODS AND RESULTS In order to demonstrate the structure and expression characteristics of ClaH3K4s and ClaH3K27s in watermelon, members of the watermelon H3K4 and H3K27 gene families were identified, and their chromosomal localization, gene structure, and protein structural domains were analyzed. The phylogeny and covariance of the gene families with other species were subsequently determined, and the expression profiles were obtained by performing RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR. The watermelon genome had five H3K4 genes with 3207-8043 bp nucleotide sequence lengths and four H3K27 genes with a 1107-5499 bp nucleotide sequence. Synteny analysis revealed the close relationship between watermelon and cucumber, with the majority of members displaying a one-to-one covariance. Approximately half of the 'Hua-Jing 13 watermelon' ClaH3K4s and ClaH3K27s genes were expressed more in the late fruit development stages, while the changes were minimal for the remaining half. H3K4-2 expression was observed to be slightly greater on day 21 compared to other periods. Moreover, ClaH3K27-1 and ClaH3K27-2 were hardly expressed throughout the developing period, and ClaH3K27-4 exhibited the highest expression. CONCLUSION These results serve as a basis for further functional characterization of the H3K4 and H3K27 genes in the fruit development of watermelon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Qiao
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, Henan Province, China
- Henan Engineering Technology Research Center of Quality Regulation and Controlling of Horticultural Plants, Luoyang, 471023, China
| | - Yan-Ge Li
- Luoyang Nongfa Agricultural Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Luoyang, 471100, Henan Province, China
| | - Tong-Lu Wei
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, Henan Province, China
- Henan Engineering Technology Research Center of Quality Regulation and Controlling of Horticultural Plants, Luoyang, 471023, China
| | - Hai-Nan Liu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, Henan Province, China
- Henan Engineering Technology Research Center of Quality Regulation and Controlling of Horticultural Plants, Luoyang, 471023, China
| | - Mao-Song Pei
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, Henan Province, China
- Henan Engineering Technology Research Center of Quality Regulation and Controlling of Horticultural Plants, Luoyang, 471023, China
| | - Xue-Jie Zhu
- Luoyang Nongfa Agricultural Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Luoyang, 471100, Henan Province, China
| | - Zhong-Hou Zhu
- Luoyang Nongfa Agricultural Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Luoyang, 471100, Henan Province, China
| | - Da-Long Guo
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, Henan Province, China.
- Henan Engineering Technology Research Center of Quality Regulation and Controlling of Horticultural Plants, Luoyang, 471023, China.
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11
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Tan Y, Yan X, Sun J, Wan J, Li X, Huang Y, Li L, Niu L, Hou C. Genome-wide enhancer identification by massively parallel reporter assay in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 116:234-250. [PMID: 37387536 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers are critical cis-regulatory elements controlling gene expression during cell development and differentiation. However, genome-wide enhancer characterization has been challenging due to the lack of a well-defined relationship between enhancers and genes. Function-based methods are the gold standard for determining the biological function of cis-regulatory elements; however, these methods have not been widely applied to plants. Here, we applied a massively parallel reporter assay on Arabidopsis to measure enhancer activities across the genome. We identified 4327 enhancers with various combinations of epigenetic modifications distinctively different from animal enhancers. Furthermore, we showed that enhancers differ from promoters in their preference for transcription factors. Although some enhancers are not conserved and overlap with transposable elements forming clusters, enhancers are generally conserved across thousand Arabidopsis accessions, suggesting they are selected under evolution pressure and could play critical roles in the regulation of important genes. Moreover, comparison analysis reveals that enhancers identified by different strategies do not overlap, suggesting these methods are complementary in nature. In sum, we systematically investigated the features of enhancers identified by functional assay in A. thaliana, which lays the foundation for further investigation into enhancers' functional mechanisms in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjun Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xiaohao Yan
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jialei Sun
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jing Wan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Health and Precision Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yingzhang Huang
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Longjian Niu
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Health and Precision Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chunhui Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
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12
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Cui Y, Cao Q, Li Y, He M, Liu X. Advances in cis-element- and natural variation-mediated transcriptional regulation and applications in gene editing of major crops. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:5441-5457. [PMID: 37402253 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad248] [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: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation is crucial to control of gene expression. Both spatio-temporal expression patterns and expression levels of genes are determined by the interaction between cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors. Numerous studies have focused on the trans-acting factors that mediate transcriptional regulatory networks. However, cis-acting elements, such as enhancers, silencers, transposons, and natural variations in the genome, are also vital for gene expression regulation and could be utilized by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated gene editing to improve crop quality and yield. In this review, we discuss current understanding of cis-element-mediated transcriptional regulation in major crops, including rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and maize (Zea mays), as well as the latest advancements in gene editing techniques and their applications in crops to highlight prospective strategies for crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Cui
- College of Teacher Education, Molecular and Cellular Postdoctoral Research Station, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Qiao Cao
- Shijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province 050041, China
| | - Yongpeng Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Mingqi He
- Shijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province 050041, China
| | - Xigang Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
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13
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Deng L, Zhou Q, Zhou J, Zhang Q, Jia Z, Zhu G, Cheng S, Cheng L, Yin C, Yang C, Shen J, Nie J, Zhu JK, Li G, Zhao L. 3D organization of regulatory elements for transcriptional regulation in Arabidopsis. Genome Biol 2023; 24:181. [PMID: 37550699 PMCID: PMC10405511 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03018-4] [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: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although spatial organization of compartments and topologically associating domains at large scale is relatively well studied, the spatial organization of regulatory elements at fine scale is poorly understood in plants. RESULTS Here we perform high-resolution chromatin interaction analysis using paired-end tag sequencing approach. We map chromatin interactions tethered with RNA polymerase II and associated with heterochromatic, transcriptionally active, and Polycomb-repressive histone modifications in Arabidopsis. Analysis of the regulatory repertoire shows that distal active cis-regulatory elements are linked to their target genes through long-range chromatin interactions with increased expression of the target genes, while poised cis-regulatory elements are linked to their target genes through long-range chromatin interactions with depressed expression of the target genes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that transcription factor MYC2 is critical for chromatin spatial organization, and propose that MYC2 occupancy and MYC2-mediated chromatin interactions coordinately facilitate transcription within the framework of 3D chromatin architecture. Analysis of functionally related gene-defined chromatin connectivity networks reveals that genes implicated in flowering-time control are functionally compartmentalized into separate subdomains via their spatial activity in the leaf or shoot apical meristem, linking active mark- or Polycomb-repressive mark-associated chromatin conformation to coordinated gene expression. CONCLUSION The results reveal that the regulation of gene transcription in Arabidopsis is not only by linear juxtaposition, but also by long-range chromatin interactions. Our study uncovers the fine scale genome organization of Arabidopsis and the potential roles of such organization in orchestrating transcription and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Deng
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qiangwei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Agricultural Bioinformatics Key Laboratory of Hubei Province and Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center of Agricultural Big Data, 3D Genomics Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhibo Jia
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Guangfeng Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Sheng Cheng
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Agricultural Bioinformatics Key Laboratory of Hubei Province and Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center of Agricultural Big Data, 3D Genomics Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Lulu Cheng
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Caijun Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chao Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jinxiong Shen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Junwei Nie
- Vazyme Biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Jian-Kang Zhu
- Institute of Advanced Biotechnology and School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Center for Advanced Bioindustry Technologies, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Guoliang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
- Agricultural Bioinformatics Key Laboratory of Hubei Province and Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center of Agricultural Big Data, 3D Genomics Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Lun Zhao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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14
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Bao Y, Wei Y, Liu Y, Gao J, Cheng S, Liu G, You Q, Liu P, Lu Q, Li P, Zhang S, Hu N, Han Y, Liu S, Wu Y, Yang Q, Li Z, Ao G, Liu F, Wang K, Jiang J, Zhang T, Zhang W, Peng R. Genome-wide chromatin accessibility landscape and dynamics of transcription factor networks during ovule and fiber development in cotton. BMC Biol 2023; 21:165. [PMID: 37525156 PMCID: PMC10391996 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01665-4] [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: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of cotton fiber is regulated by the orchestrated binding of regulatory proteins to cis-regulatory elements associated with developmental genes. The cis-trans regulatory dynamics occurred throughout the course of cotton fiber development are elusive. Here we generated genome-wide high-resolution DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) maps to understand the regulatory mechanisms of cotton ovule and fiber development. RESULTS We generated DNase I hypersensitive site (DHS) profiles from cotton ovules at 0 and 3 days post anthesis (DPA) and fibers at 8, 12, 15, and 18 DPA. We obtained a total of 1185 million reads and identified a total of 199,351 DHSs through ~ 30% unique mapping reads. It should be noted that more than half of DNase-seq reads mapped multiple genome locations and were not analyzed in order to achieve a high specificity of peak profile and to avoid bias from repetitive genomic regions. Distinct chromatin accessibilities were observed in the ovules (0 and 3 DPA) compared to the fiber elongation stages (8, 12, 15, and 18 DPA). Besides, the chromatin accessibility during ovules was particularly elevated in genomic regions enriched with transposable elements (TEs) and genes in TE-enriched regions were involved in ovule cell division. We analyzed cis-regulatory modules and revealed the influence of hormones on fiber development from the regulatory divergence of transcription factor (TF) motifs. Finally, we constructed a reliable regulatory network of TFs related to ovule and fiber development based on chromatin accessibility and gene co-expression network. From this network, we discovered a novel TF, WRKY46, which may shape fiber development by regulating the lignin content. CONCLUSIONS Our results not only reveal the contribution of TEs in fiber development, but also predict and validate the TFs related to fiber development, which will benefit the research of cotton fiber molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Bao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Yangyang Wei
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Yuling Liu
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Jingjing Gao
- National Key Laboratory for 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, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuang Cheng
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China
| | - Guanqing Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Qi You
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Quanwei Lu
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Pengtao Li
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Shulin Zhang
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Nan Hu
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Yangshuo Han
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Shuo Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Yuechao Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Qingqing Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Zhaoguo Li
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
- Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China
| | - Guowei Ao
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Kunbo Wang
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China
| | - Jiming Jiang
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Michigan State University AgBioResearch, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Tao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
| | - Wenli Zhang
- National Key Laboratory for 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, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Renhai Peng
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China.
- Research Base, Anyang Institute of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China.
- Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China.
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15
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D'Amelia V, Curaba J, Abid MA, Esposito S, Cavagnaro P, Carputo D, Iorizzo M. Functional characterization of DcMYB11, an R2R3 MYB associated with the purple pigmentation of carrot petiole. PLANTA 2023; 258:50. [PMID: 37488440 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04200-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION DcMYB11, an R2R3 MYB gene associated with petiole anthocyanin pigmentation in carrot, was functionally characterized. A putative enhancer sequence is able to increase DcMYB11 activity. The accumulation of anthocyanin pigments can exhibit different patterns across plant tissues and crop varieties. This variability allowed the investigation of the molecular mechanisms behind the biosynthesis of these pigments in several plant species. Among crops, carrots have a well-defined anthocyanin pigmentation pattern depending on the genic background. In this work, we report on the discovery of DNA structural differences affecting the activity of an R2R3 MYB (encoded by DcMYB11) involved in anthocyanin regulation in carrot petiole. To this end, we first verified the function of DcMYB11 using heterologous systems and identified three different alleles which may explain differences in petiole pigmentation. Characterization of the DcMYB11 alleles at the 5' upstream sequence unveiled a sequence that functions as a putative enhancer. In conclusion, this study provides novel insight into the molecular mechanisms controlling anthocyanin accumulation in carrot. By these outcomes, we expanded our knowledge on the cis-regulatory sequences in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo D'Amelia
- Institute of Bioscience and BioResources, National Research Council, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Julien Curaba
- Horticulture Science Department, Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Muhammad Ali Abid
- Horticulture Science Department, Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Salvatore Esposito
- CREA Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops (CREA-CI), 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Pablo Cavagnaro
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) E.E.A. La Consulta, La Consulta CC8, San Carlos, 5567, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Domenico Carputo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Massimo Iorizzo
- Horticulture Science Department, Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA.
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16
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Gorbenko IV, Petrushin IS, Shcherban AB, Orlov YL, Konstantinov YM. Short Interrupted Repeat Cassette (SIRC)-Novel Type of Repetitive DNA Element Found in Arabidopsis thaliana. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11116. [PMID: 37446293 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311116] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Short interrupted repeat cassette (SIRC)-a novel DNA element found throughout the A. thaliana nuclear genome. SIRCs are represented by short direct repeats interrupted by diverse DNA sequences. The maxima of SIRC's distribution are located within pericentromeric regions. We suggest that originally SIRC was a special case of the complex internal structure of the miniature inverted repeat transposable element (MITE), and further MITE amplification, transposition, and loss of terminal inverted repeats gave rise to SIRC as an independent DNA element. SIRC sites were significantly enriched with several histone modifications associated with constitutive heterochromatin and mobile genetic elements. The majority of DNA-binding proteins, strongly associated with SIRC, are related to histone modifications for transcription repression. A part of SIRC was found to overlap highly inducible protein-coding genes, suggesting a possible regulatory role for these elements, yet their definitive functions need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Gorbenko
- Cell Biology and Bioengineering, Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry SB RAS, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
| | - Ivan S Petrushin
- Cell Biology and Bioengineering, Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry SB RAS, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
- Department of Business Communications and Informatics, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
| | - Andrey B Shcherban
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Kurchatov Genomic Center ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Yuriy L Orlov
- The Digital Health Institute, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russia
- Agrarian and Technological Institute, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow 117198, Russia
| | - Yuri M Konstantinov
- Cell Biology and Bioengineering, Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry SB RAS, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
- Biosoil Department, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk 664003, Russia
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17
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Hong L, Rusnak B, Ko CS, Xu S, He X, Qiu D, Kang SE, Pruneda-Paz JL, Roeder AHK. Enhancer activation via TCP and HD-ZIP and repression by Dof transcription factors mediate giant cell-specific expression. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:2349-2368. [PMID: 36814410 PMCID: PMC10226562 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Proper cell-type identity relies on highly coordinated regulation of gene expression. Regulatory elements such as enhancers can produce cell type-specific expression patterns, but the mechanisms underlying specificity are not well understood. We previously identified an enhancer region capable of driving specific expression in giant cells, which are large, highly endoreduplicated cells in the Arabidopsis thaliana sepal epidermis. In this study, we use the giant cell enhancer as a model to understand the regulatory logic that promotes cell type-specific expression. Our dissection of the enhancer revealed that giant cell specificity is mediated primarily through the combination of two activators and one repressor. HD-ZIP and TCP transcription factors are involved in the activation of expression throughout the epidermis. High expression of HD-ZIP transcription factor genes in giant cells promoted higher expression driven by the enhancer in giant cells. Dof transcription factors repressed the activity of the enhancer such that only giant cells maintained enhancer activity. Thus, our data are consistent with a conceptual model whereby cell type-specific expression emerges from the combined activities of three transcription factor families activating and repressing expression in epidermal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilan Hong
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Byron Rusnak
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Clint S Ko
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Shouling Xu
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xi He
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Dengying Qiu
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - S Earl Kang
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jose L Pruneda-Paz
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adrienne H K Roeder
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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18
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Debernardi JM, Burguener G, Bubb K, Liu Q, Queitsch C, Dubcovsky J. Optimization of ATAC-seq in wheat seedling roots using INTACT-isolated nuclei. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:270. [PMID: 37211599 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04281-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genetic information contained in the genome of an organism is organized in genes and regulatory elements that control gene expression. The genomes of multiple plants species have already been sequenced and the gene repertory have been annotated, however, cis-regulatory elements remain less characterized, limiting our understanding of genome functionality. These elements act as open platforms for recruiting both positive- and negative-acting transcription factors, and as such, chromatin accessibility is an important signature for their identification. RESULTS In this work we developed a transgenic INTACT [isolation of nuclei tagged in specific cell types] system in tetraploid wheat for nuclei purifications. Then, we combined the INTACT system together with the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing [ATAC-seq] to identify open chromatin regions in wheat root tip samples. Our ATAC-seq results showed a large enrichment of open chromatin regions in intergenic and promoter regions, which is expected for regulatory elements and that is similar to ATAC-seq results obtained in other plant species. In addition, root ATAC-seq peaks showed a significant overlap with a previously published ATAC-seq data from wheat leaf protoplast, indicating a high reproducibility between the two experiments and a large overlap between open chromatin regions in root and leaf tissues. Importantly, we observed overlap between ATAC-seq peaks and cis-regulatory elements that have been functionally validated in wheat, and a good correlation between normalized accessibility and gene expression levels. CONCLUSIONS We have developed and validated an INTACT system in tetraploid wheat that allows rapid and high-quality nuclei purification from root tips. Those nuclei were successfully used to performed ATAC-seq experiments that revealed open chromatin regions in the wheat genome that will be useful to identify cis-regulatory elements. The INTACT system presented here will facilitate the development of ATAC-seq datasets in other tissues, growth stages, and under different growing conditions to generate a more complete landscape of the accessible DNA regions in the wheat genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Debernardi
- University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA.
| | - German Burguener
- University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Kerry Bubb
- Dept. of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Qiujie Liu
- University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | | | - Jorge Dubcovsky
- University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA.
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19
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Zhong Z, Xue Y, Harris CJ, Wang M, Li Z, Ke Y, Liu M, Zhou J, Jami-Alahmadi Y, Feng S, Wohlschlegel JA, Jacobsen SE. MORC proteins regulate transcription factor binding by mediating chromatin compaction in active chromatin regions. Genome Biol 2023; 24:96. [PMID: 37101218 PMCID: PMC10131428 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02939-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The microrchidia (MORC) proteins are a family of evolutionarily conserved GHKL-type ATPases involved in chromatin compaction and gene silencing. Arabidopsis MORC proteins act in the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway, where they act as molecular tethers to ensure the efficient establishment of RdDM and de novo gene silencing. However, MORC proteins also have RdDM-independent functions although their underlying mechanisms are unknown. RESULTS In this study, we examine MORC binding regions where RdDM does not occur in order to shed light on the RdDM-independent functions of MORC proteins. We find that MORC proteins compact chromatin and reduce DNA accessibility to transcription factors, thereby repressing gene expression. We also find that MORC-mediated repression of gene expression is particularly important under conditions of stress. MORC-regulated transcription factors can in some cases regulate their own transcription, resulting in feedback loops. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of MORC-mediated chromatin compaction and transcription regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhui Zhong
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Yan Xue
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, 261000, Shandong, China
| | - C Jake Harris
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Ming Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Yunqing Ke
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Mukun Liu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jessica Zhou
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Suhua Feng
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - James A Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Steven E Jacobsen
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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20
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Guo J, Cai G, Li YQ, Zhang YX, Su YN, Yuan DY, Zhang ZC, Liu ZZ, Cai XW, Guo J, Li L, Chen S, He XJ. Comprehensive characterization of three classes of Arabidopsis SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complexes. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:1423-1439. [PMID: 36471048 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01282-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Although SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complexes are known to regulate diverse biological functions in plants, the classification, compositions and functional mechanisms of the complexes remain to be determined. Here we comprehensively characterized SWI/SNF complexes by affinity purification and mass spectrometry in Arabidopsis thaliana, and found three classes of SWI/SNF complexes, which we termed BAS, SAS and MAS (BRM-, SYD- and MINU1/2-associated SWI/SNF complexes). By investigating multiple developmental phenotypes of SWI/SNF mutants, we found that three classes of SWI/SNF complexes have both overlapping and specific functions in regulating development. To investigate how the three classes of SWI/SNF complexes differentially regulate development, we mapped different SWI/SNF components on chromatin at the whole-genome level and determined their effects on chromatin accessibility. While all three classes of SWI/SNF complexes regulate chromatin accessibility at proximal promoter regions, SAS is a major SWI/SNF complex that is responsible for mediating chromatin accessibility at distal promoter regions and intergenic regions. Histone modifications are related to both the association of SWI/SNF complexes with chromatin and the SWI/SNF-dependent chromatin accessibility. Three classes of SWI/SNF-dependent accessibility may enable different sets of transcription factors to access chromatin. These findings lay a foundation for further investigation of the function of three classes of SWI/SNF complexes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guang Cai
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Qiang Li
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Xuan Zhang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yin-Na Su
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dan-Yang Yuan
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Zhen-Zhen Liu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Wei Cai
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Guo
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Li
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - She Chen
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Jian He
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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21
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Tian W, Huang X, Ouyang X. Genome-wide prediction of activating regulatory elements in rice by combining STARR-seq with FACS. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:2284-2297. [PMID: 36028476 PMCID: PMC9674312 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Self-transcribing active regulatory region sequencing (STARR-seq) is widely used to identify enhancers at the whole-genome level. However, whether STARR-seq works as efficiently in plants as in animal systems remains unclear. Here, we determined that the traditional STARR-seq method can be directly applied to rice (Oryza sativa) protoplasts to identify enhancers, though with limited efficiency. Intriguingly, we identified not only enhancers but also constitutive promoters with this technique. To increase the performance of STARR-seq in plants, we optimized two procedures. We coupled fluorescence activating cell sorting (FACS) with STARR-seq to alleviate the effect of background noise, and we minimized PCR cycles and retained duplicates during prediction, which significantly increased the positive rate for activating regulatory elements (AREs). Using this method, we determined that AREs are associated with AT-rich regions and are enriched for a motif that the AP2/ERF family can recognize. Based on GC content preferences, AREs are clustered into two groups corresponding to promoters and enhancers. Either AT- or GC-rich regions within AREs could boost transcription. Additionally, disruption of AREs resulted in abnormal expression of both proximal and distal genes, which suggests that STARR-seq-revealed elements function as enhancers in vivo. In summary, our work provides a promising method to identify AREs in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Xi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Xinhao Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
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22
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Identification and functional validation of super-enhancers in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2215328119. [PMID: 36409894 PMCID: PMC9860255 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215328119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) are exceptionally large enhancers and are recognized to play prominent roles in cell identity in mammalian species. We surveyed the genomic regions containing large clusters of accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) marked by deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I hypersensitivity in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified a set of 749 putative SEs, which have a minimum length of 1.5 kilobases and represent the top 2.5% of the largest ACR clusters. We demonstrate that the genomic regions associating with these SEs were more sensitive to DNase I than other nonpromoter ACRs. The SEs were preferentially associated with topologically associating domains. Furthermore, the SEs and their predicted cognate genes were frequently associated with organ development and tissue identity in A. thaliana. Therefore, the A. thaliana SEs and their cognate genes mirror the functional characteristics of those reported in mammalian species. We developed CRISPR/Cas-mediated deletion lines of a 3,578-bp SE associated with the thalianol biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). Small deletions (131-157 bp) within the SE resulted in distinct phenotypic changes and transcriptional repression of all five thalianol genes. In addition, T-DNA insertions in the SE region resulted in transcriptional alteration of all five thalianol genes. Thus, this SE appears to play a central role in coordinating the operon-like expression pattern of the thalianol BGC.
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23
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Wang G, Li X, Shen W, Li MW, Huang M, Zhang J, Li H. The chromatin accessibility landscape of pistils and anthers in rice. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 190:2797-2811. [PMID: 36149297 PMCID: PMC9706442 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Transcription activation is tightly associated with the openness of chromatin and allows direct contact between transcriptional regulators and their targeted DNA for gene expression. However, there are limited studies on the annotation of open chromatin regions (OCRs) in rice (Oryza sativa), especially those in reproductive organs. Here, we characterized OCRs in rice pistils and anthers with an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing. Despite a large overlap, we found more OCRs in pistils than in anthers. These OCRs were enriched in gene transcription start sites (TSSs) and showed tight associations with gene expression. Transcription factor (TF) binding motifs were enriched at these OCRs as validated by TF chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing. Pistil-specific OCRs provided potential regulatory networks by binding directly to the targets, indicating that pistil-specific OCRs may be indicators of cis-regulatory elements in regulating pistil development, which are absent in anthers. We also found that open chromatin of pistils and anthers responded differently to low temperature (LT). These data offer a comprehensive overview of OCRs regulating reproductive organ development and LT responses in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqun Wang
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Xiaozheng Li
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Wei Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Man-Wah Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Mingkun Huang
- Lushan Botanical Garden Jiangxi Province, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang 332900, China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin 999077, Hong Kong
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Haoxuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin 999077, Hong Kong
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong
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24
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Zhong Z, Wang Y, Wang M, Yang F, Thomas QA, Xue Y, Zhang Y, Liu W, Jami-Alahmadi Y, Xu L, Feng S, Marquardt S, Wohlschlegel JA, Ausin I, Jacobsen SE. Histone chaperone ASF1 mediates H3.3-H4 deposition in Arabidopsis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6970. [PMID: 36379930 PMCID: PMC9666630 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34648-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone chaperones and chromatin remodelers control nucleosome dynamics, which are essential for transcription, replication, and DNA repair. The histone chaperone Anti-Silencing Factor 1 (ASF1) plays a central role in facilitating CAF-1-mediated replication-dependent H3.1 deposition and HIRA-mediated replication-independent H3.3 deposition in yeast and metazoans. Whether ASF1 function is evolutionarily conserved in plants is unknown. Here, we show that Arabidopsis ASF1 proteins display a preference for the HIRA complex. Simultaneous mutation of both Arabidopsis ASF1 genes caused a decrease in chromatin density and ectopic H3.1 occupancy at loci typically enriched with H3.3. Genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data indicate that ASF1 proteins strongly prefers the HIRA complex over CAF-1. asf1 mutants also displayed an increase in spurious Pol II transcriptional initiation and showed defects in the maintenance of gene body CG DNA methylation and in the distribution of histone modifications. Furthermore, ectopic targeting of ASF1 caused excessive histone deposition, less accessible chromatin, and gene silencing. These findings reveal the importance of ASF1-mediated histone deposition for proper epigenetic regulation of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhui Zhong
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Yafei Wang
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences and Institute of Future Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Ming Wang
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Fan Yang
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences and Institute of Future Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Quentin Angelo Thomas
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XCopenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Yan Xue
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Yaxin Zhang
- grid.256111.00000 0004 1760 2876Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002 Fujian China
| | - Wanlu Liu
- grid.512487.dZhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Road, Haining, 314400 Zhejiang China
| | - Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Linhao Xu
- grid.418934.30000 0001 0943 9907Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, 06466 Germany
| | - Suhua Feng
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Sebastian Marquardt
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XCopenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - James A. Wohlschlegel
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Israel Ausin
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences and Institute of Future Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Steven E. Jacobsen
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
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25
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Rivière Q, Corso M, Ciortan M, Noël G, Verbruggen N, Defrance M. Exploiting Genomic Features to Improve the Prediction of Transcription Factor-Binding Sites in Plants. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 63:1457-1473. [PMID: 35799371 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcac095] [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: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The identification of transcription factor (TF) target genes is central in biology. A popular approach is based on the location by pattern matching of potential cis-regulatory elements (CREs). During the last few years, tools integrating next-generation sequencing data have been developed to improve the performance of pattern matching. However, such tools have not yet been comprehensively evaluated in plants. Hence, we developed a new streamlined method aiming at predicting CREs and target genes of plant TFs in specific organs or conditions. Our approach implements a supervised machine learning strategy, which allows decision rule models to be learnt using TF ChIP-chip/seq experimental data. Different layers of genomic features were integrated in predictive models: the position on the gene, the DNA sequence conservation, the chromatin state and various CRE footprints. Among the tested features, the chromatin features were crucial for improving the accuracy of the method. Furthermore, we evaluated the transferability of predictive models across TFs, organs and species. Finally, we validated our method by correctly inferring the target genes of key TFs controlling metabolite biosynthesis at the organ level in Arabidopsis. We developed a tool-Wimtrap-to reproduce our approach in plant species and conditions/organs for which ChIP-chip/seq data are available. Wimtrap is a user-friendly R package that supports an R Shiny web interface and is provided with pre-built models that can be used to quickly get predictions of CREs and TF gene targets in different organs or conditions in Arabidopsis thaliana, Solanum lycopersicum, Oryza sativa and Zea mays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Rivière
- Brussels Bioengineering School, Laboratory of Plant Physiology and molecular Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Massimiliano Corso
- Brussels Bioengineering School, Laboratory of Plant Physiology and molecular Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels 1050, Belgium
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), Université Paris-Saclay, Versailles 78000, France
| | - Madalina Ciortan
- Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics in Brussels, Machine Learning Group, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Grégoire Noël
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, Gembloux 5030, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Verbruggen
- Brussels Bioengineering School, Laboratory of Plant Physiology and molecular Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Defrance
- Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics in Brussels, Machine Learning Group, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels 1050, Belgium
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26
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Neiro J, Sridhar D, Dattani A, Aboobaker A. Identification of putative enhancer-like elements predicts regulatory networks active in planarian adult stem cells. eLife 2022; 11:79675. [PMID: 35997250 PMCID: PMC9522251 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79675] [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: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Planarians have become an established model system to study regeneration and stem cells, but the regulatory elements in the genome remain almost entirely undescribed. Here, by integrating epigenetic and expression data we use multiple sources of evidence to predict enhancer elements active in the adult stem cell populations that drive regeneration. We have used ChIP-seq data to identify genomic regions with histone modifications consistent with enhancer activity, and ATAC-seq data to identify accessible chromatin. Overlapping these signals allowed for the identification of a set of high-confidence candidate enhancers predicted to be active in planarian adult stem cells. These enhancers are enriched for predicted transcription factor (TF) binding sites for TFs and TF families expressed in planarian adult stem cells. Footprinting analyses provided further evidence that these potential TF binding sites are likely to be occupied in adult stem cells. We integrated these analyses to build testable hypotheses for the regulatory function of TFs in stem cells, both with respect to how pluripotency might be regulated, and to how lineage differentiation programs are controlled. We found that our predicted GRNs were independently supported by existing TF RNAi/RNA-seq datasets, providing further evidence that our work predicts active enhancers that regulate adult stem cells and regenerative mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakke Neiro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Divya Sridhar
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anish Dattani
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Aziz Aboobaker
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Characterization of Transposon-Derived Accessible Chromatin Regions in Rice (Oryza Sativa). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23168947. [PMID: 36012213 PMCID: PMC9408979 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that transposons or transposable elements (TEs)-derived accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) play essential roles in multiple biological processes by interacting with trans-acting factors. However, the function of TE-derived ACRs in the regulation of gene expression in the rice genome has not been well characterized. In this study, we examined the chromatin dynamics in six types of rice tissues and found that ~8% of ACRs were derived from TEs and exhibited distinct levels of accessibility and conservation as compared to those without TEs. TEs exhibited a TE subtype-dependent impact on ACR formation, which can be mediated by changes in the underlying DNA methylation levels. Moreover, we found that tissue-specific TE-derived ACRs might function in the tissue development through the modulation of nearby gene expression. Interestingly, many genes in domestication sweeps were found to overlap with TE-derived ACRs, suggesting their potential functions in the rice domestication. In addition, we found that the expression divergence of 1070 duplicate gene pairs were associated with TE-derived ACRs and had distinct distributions of TEs and ACRs around the transcription start sites (TSSs), which may experience different selection pressures. Thus, our study provides some insights into the biological implications of TE-derived ACRs in the rice genome. Our results imply that these ACRs are likely involved in the regulation of tissue development, rice domestication and functional divergence of duplicated genes.
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Hajheidari M, Huang SSC. Elucidating the biology of transcription factor-DNA interaction for accurate identification of cis-regulatory elements. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 68:102232. [PMID: 35679803 PMCID: PMC10103634 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) play a critical role in determining cell fate decisions by integrating developmental and environmental signals through binding to specific cis-regulatory modules and regulating spatio-temporal specificity of gene expression patterns. Precise identification of functional TF binding sites in time and space not only will revolutionize our understanding of regulatory networks governing cell fate decisions but is also instrumental to uncover how genetic variations cause morphological diversity or disease. In this review, we discuss recent advances in mapping TF binding sites and characterizing the various parameters underlying the complexity of binding site recognition by TFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Hajheidari
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Shao-Shan Carol Huang
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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Bulbul Ahmed M, Humayan Kabir A. Understanding of the various aspects of gene regulatory networks related to crop improvement. Gene 2022; 833:146556. [PMID: 35609798 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The hierarchical relationship between transcription factors, associated proteins, and their target genes is defined by a gene regulatory network (GRN). GRNs allow us to understand how the genotype and environment of a plant are incorporated to control the downstream physiological responses. During plant growth or environmental acclimatization, GRNs are diverse and can be differently regulated across tissue types and organs. An overview of recent advances in the development of GRN that speed up basic and applied plant research is given here. Furthermore, the overview of genome and transcriptome involving GRN research along with the exciting advancement and application are discussed. In addition, different approaches to GRN predictions were elucidated. In this review, we also describe the role of GRN in crop improvement, crop plant manipulation, stress responses, speed breeding and identifying genetic variations/locus. Finally, the challenges and prospects of GRN in plant biology are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Bulbul Ahmed
- Plant Science Department, McGill University, 21111 lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue H9X3V9, Quebec, Canada; Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale (IRBV), University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec H1X 2B2, Canada.
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30
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Zhang Y, Tang M, Huang M, Xie J, Cheng J, Fu Y, Jiang D, Yu X, Li B. Dynamic enhancer transcription associates with reprogramming of immune genes during pattern triggered immunity in Arabidopsis. BMC Biol 2022; 20:165. [PMID: 35864475 PMCID: PMC9301868 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01362-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enhancers are cis-regulatory elements present in eukaryote genomes, which constitute indispensable determinants of gene regulation by governing the spatiotemporal and quantitative expression dynamics of target genes, and are involved in multiple life processes, for instance during development and disease states. The importance of enhancer activity has additionally been highlighted for immune responses in animals and plants; however, the dynamics of enhancer activities and molecular functions in plant innate immunity are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the involvement of distal enhancers in early innate immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. RESULTS A group of putative distal enhancers producing low-abundance transcripts either unidirectionally or bidirectionally are identified. We show that enhancer transcripts are dynamically modulated in plant immunity triggered by microbe-associated molecular patterns and are strongly correlated with open chromatin, low levels of methylated DNA, and increases in RNA polymerase II targeting and acetylated histone marks. Dynamic enhancer transcription is correlated with target early immune gene expression patterns. Cis motifs that are bound by immune-related transcription factors, such as WRKYs and SARD1, are highly enriched within upregulated enhancers. Moreover, a subset of core pattern-induced enhancers are upregulated by multiple patterns from diverse pathogens. The expression dynamics of putative immunity-related enhancers and the importance of WRKY binding motifs for enhancer function were also validated. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the general occurrence of enhancer transcription in plants and provides novel information on the distal regulatory landscape during early plant innate immunity, providing new insights into immune gene regulation and ultimately improving the mechanistic understanding of the plant immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Meng Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Mengling Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Jiatao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Jiasen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yanping Fu
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Daohong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Bo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
- Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
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31
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Fu LY, Zhu T, Zhou X, Yu R, He Z, Zhang P, Wu Z, Chen M, Kaufmann K, Chen D. ChIP-Hub provides an integrative platform for exploring plant regulome. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3413. [PMID: 35701419 PMCID: PMC9197862 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30770-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant genomes encode a complex and evolutionary diverse regulatory grammar that forms the basis for most life on earth. A wealth of regulome and epigenome data have been generated in various plant species, but no common, standardized resource is available so far for biologists. Here, we present ChIP-Hub, an integrative web-based platform in the ENCODE standards that bundles >10,000 publicly available datasets reanalyzed from >40 plant species, allowing visualization and meta-analysis. We manually curate the datasets through assessing ~540 original publications and comprehensively evaluate their data quality. As a proof of concept, we extensively survey the co-association of different regulators and construct a hierarchical regulatory network under a broad developmental context. Furthermore, we show how our annotation allows to investigate the dynamic activity of tissue-specific regulatory elements (promoters and enhancers) and their underlying sequence grammar. Finally, we analyze the function and conservation of tissue-specific promoters, enhancers and chromatin states using comparative genomics approaches. Taken together, the ChIP-Hub platform and the analysis results provide rich resources for deep exploration of plant ENCODE. ChIP-Hub is available at https://biobigdata.nju.edu.cn/ChIPHub/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Yu Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Department for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xinkai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ranran Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhaohui He
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Peijing Zhang
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zhigui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Kerstin Kaufmann
- Department for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Dijun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Raxwal VK, Singh S, Agarwal M, Riha K. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of young genes in plants. BMC Biol 2022; 20:134. [PMID: 35676681 PMCID: PMC9178820 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01339-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background New genes continuously emerge from non-coding DNA or by diverging from existing genes, but most of them are rapidly lost and only a few become fixed within the population. We hypothesized that young genes are subject to transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation to limit their expression and minimize their exposure to purifying selection. Results We performed a protein-based homology search across the tree of life to determine the evolutionary age of protein-coding genes present in the rice genome. We found that young genes in rice have relatively low expression levels, which can be attributed to distal enhancers, and closed chromatin conformation at their transcription start sites (TSS). The chromatin in TSS regions can be re-modeled in response to abiotic stress, indicating conditional expression of young genes. Furthermore, transcripts of young genes in Arabidopsis tend to be targeted by nonsense-mediated RNA decay, presenting another layer of regulation limiting their expression. Conclusions These data suggest that transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms contribute to the conditional expression of young genes, which may alleviate purging selection while providing an opportunity for phenotypic exposure and functionalization. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01339-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Kumar Raxwal
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India. .,Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Somya Singh
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Manu Agarwal
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India.
| | - Karel Riha
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Gao Y, Chen Y, Feng H, Zhang Y, Yue Z. RicENN: Prediction of Rice Enhancers with Neural Network Based on DNA Sequences. Interdiscip Sci 2022; 14:555-565. [PMID: 35190950 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-022-00503-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers are the primary cis-elements of transcriptional regulation and play a vital role in gene expression at different stages of plant growth and development. Having high locational variation and free scattering in non-encoding genomes, identification of enhancers is a crucial, but challenging work in understanding the biological mechanism of model plants. Recently, applications of neural network models are gaining increasing popularity in predicting the function of genomic elements. Although several computational models have shown great advantages to tackle this challenge, a further study of the identification of rice enhancers from DNA sequences is still lacking. We present RicENN, a novel deep learning framework capable of accurately identifying enhancers of rice, integrating convolution neural networks (CNNs), bi-directional recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and attention mechanisms. A combined-feature representation method was designed to extract the sequence features from original DNA sequences using six types of autocorrelation encodings. Moreover, we verified that the integrated model achieves the best performance by an ablation study. Finally, our deep learning framework realized a reliable prediction of the rice enhancers. The results show RicENN outperforms available alternative approaches in rice species, achieving the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) of 0.960 and 0.960 on cross-validation, and 0.879 and 0.877 during independent tests, respectively. This study develops a hybrid model to combine the merits of different neural network architectures, which shows the potential ability to apply deep learning in bioinformatic sequences and contributes to the acceleration of functional genomic studies of rice. RicENN and its code are freely accessible at http://bioinfor.aielab.cc/RicENN/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Gao
- School of Information and Computer, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Beidou Precision Agriculture Information, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Yiqiong Chen
- School of Information and Computer, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Beidou Precision Agriculture Information, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Haisong Feng
- School of Information and Computer, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Beidou Precision Agriculture Information, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Youhua Zhang
- School of Information and Computer, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Beidou Precision Agriculture Information, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China.
| | - Zhenyu Yue
- School of Information and Computer, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Beidou Precision Agriculture Information, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China.
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Xie Y, Chen Y, Li Z, Zhu J, Liu M, Zhang Y, Dong Z. Enhancer transcription detected in the nascent transcriptomic landscape of bread wheat. Genome Biol 2022; 23:109. [PMID: 35501845 PMCID: PMC9063354 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02675-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise spatiotemporal gene expression is orchestrated by enhancers that lack general sequence features and thus are difficult to be computationally identified. By nascent RNA sequencing combined with epigenome profiling, we detect active transcription of enhancers from the complex bread wheat genome. We find that genes associated with transcriptional enhancers are expressed at significantly higher levels, and enhancer RNA is more precise and robust in predicting enhancer activity compared to chromatin features. We demonstrate that sub-genome-biased enhancer transcription could drive sub-genome-biased gene expression. This study highlights enhancer transcription as a hallmark in regulating gene expression in wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.,National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Zijuan Li
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiafu Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Min Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yijing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Zhicheng Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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35
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Li Q, Feng Q, Snouffer A, Zhang B, Rodríguez GR, van der Knaap E. Increasing Fruit Weight by Editing a Cis-Regulatory Element in Tomato KLUH Promoter Using CRISPR/Cas9. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:879642. [PMID: 35481139 PMCID: PMC9037380 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.879642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing is a powerful approach to accelerate yield enhancement to feed growing populations. Most applications focus on "negative regulators" by targeting coding regions and promoters to create nulls or weak loss-of-function alleles. However, many agriculturally important traits are conferred by gain-of-function alleles. Therefore, creating gain-of-function alleles for "positive regulators" by CRISPR will be of great value for crop improvement. CYP78A family members are the positive regulators of organ weight and size in crops. In this study, we engineered allelic variation by editing tomato KLUH promoter around a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that is highly associated with fruit weight. The SNP was located in a conserved putative cis-regulatory element (CRE) as detected by the homology-based prediction and the Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq). Twenty-one mutant alleles with various insertion and deletion sizes were generated in the LA1589 background. Five mutant alleles (m2+4bp , m3+1bp , m5-1bp , m13-8bp , and m14-9bp ) showed a consistent increase in fruit weight and a significant decrease in the proportion of small fruits in all experimental evaluations. Notably, m2+4bp and m3+1bp homozygote significantly increase fruit weight by 10.7-15.7 and 8.7-16.3%, respectively. Further analysis of fruit weight based on fruit position on the inflorescence indicated that the five beneficial alleles increase the weight of all fruits along inflorescence. We also found that allele types and transcriptional changes of SlKLUH were poor predictors of the changes in fruit weight. This study not only provides a way of identifying conserved CRE but also highlights enormous potential for CRISPR/Cas-mediated cis-engineering of CYP78A members in yield improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- College of Horticulture, Hebei Agricultural University, State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Hebei, Collaborative Innovation Center of Vegetable Industry in Hebei, Baoding, China
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Qian Feng
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Ashley Snouffer
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Biyao Zhang
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Gustavo Rubén Rodríguez
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario (IICAR-CONICET-UNR), Cátedra de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias UNR, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Esther van der Knaap
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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Han B, Wu D, Zhang Y, Li DZ, Xu W, Liu A. Epigenetic regulation of seed-specific gene expression by DNA methylation valleys in castor bean. BMC Biol 2022; 20:57. [PMID: 35227267 PMCID: PMC8886767 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01259-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the processes governing angiosperm seed growth and development is essential both for fundamental plant biology and for agronomic purposes. Master regulators of angiosperm seed development are expressed in a seed-specific manner. However, it is unclear how this seed specificity of transcription is established. In some vertebrates, DNA methylation valleys (DMVs) are highly conserved and strongly associated with key developmental genes, but comparable studies in plants are limited to Arabidopsis and soybean. Castor bean (Ricinus communis) is a valuable model system for the study of seed biology in dicots and source of economically important castor oil. Unlike other dicots such as Arabidopsis and soybean, castor bean seeds have a relatively large and persistent endosperm throughout seed development, representing substantial structural differences in mature seeds. Here, we performed an integrated analysis of RNA-seq, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, and ChIP-seq for various histone marks in the castor bean. RESULTS We present a gene expression atlas covering 16 representative tissues and identified 1162 seed-specific genes in castor bean (Ricinus communis), a valuable model for the study of seed biology in dicots. Upon whole-genome DNA methylation analyses, we detected 32,567 DMVs across five tissues, covering ~33% of the castor bean genome. These DMVs are highly hypomethylated during development and conserved across plant species. We found that DMVs have the potential to activate transcription, especially that of tissue-specific genes. Focusing on seed development, we found that many key developmental regulators of seed/endosperm development, including AGL61, AGL62, LEC1, LEC2, ABI3, and WRI1, were located within DMVs. ChIP-seq for five histone modifications in leaves and seeds clearly showed that the vast majority of histone modification peaks were enriched within DMVs, and their remodeling within DMVs has a critical role in the regulation of seed-specific gene expression. Importantly, further experiment analysis revealed that distal DMVs may act as cis-regulatory elements, like enhancers, to activate downstream gene expression. CONCLUSIONS Our results point to the importance of DMVs and special distal DMVs behaving like enhancers, in the regulation of seed-specific genes, via the reprogramming of histone modifications within DMVs. Furthermore, these results provide a comprehensive understanding of the epigenetic regulator roles in seed development in castor bean and other important crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Han
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Di Wu
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - De-Zhu Li
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
| | - Aizhong Liu
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China.
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iEnhancer-Deep: A Computational Predictor for Enhancer Sites and Their Strength Using Deep Learning. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12042120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers are short motifs that contain high position variability and free scattering. Identifying these non-coding DNA fragments and their strength is vital because they play an important role in the control of gene regulation. Enhancer identification is more complicated than other genetic factors due to free scattering and their very high amount of locational variation. To classify this biological difficulty, several computational tools in bioinformatics have been created over the last few years as current learning models are still lacking. To overcome these limitations, we introduce iEnhancer-Deep, a deep learning-based framework that uses One-Hot Encoding and a convolutional neural network for model construction, primarily for the identification of enhancers and secondarily for the classification of their strength. Parallels between the iEnhancer-Deep and existing state-of-the-art methodologies were drawn to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. Furthermore, a cross-species test was carried out to assess the generalizability of the proposed model. In general, the results show that the proposed model produced comparable results with the state-of-the-art models.
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Schmitz RJ, Grotewold E, Stam M. Cis-regulatory sequences in plants: Their importance, discovery, and future challenges. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:718-741. [PMID: 34918159 PMCID: PMC8824567 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The identification and characterization of cis-regulatory DNA sequences and how they function to coordinate responses to developmental and environmental cues is of paramount importance to plant biology. Key to these regulatory processes are cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), which include enhancers and silencers. Despite the extraordinary advances in high-quality sequence assemblies and genome annotations, the identification and understanding of CRMs, and how they regulate gene expression, lag significantly behind. This is especially true for their distinguishing characteristics and activity states. Here, we review the current knowledge on CRMs and breakthrough technologies enabling identification, characterization, and validation of CRMs; we compare the genomic distributions of CRMs with respect to their target genes between different plant species, and discuss the role of transposable elements harboring CRMs in the evolution of gene expression. This is an exciting time to study cis-regulomes in plants; however, significant existing challenges need to be overcome to fully understand and appreciate the role of CRMs in plant biology and in crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Erich Grotewold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
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Yadav VK, Singh S, Yadav A, Agarwal N, Singh B, Jalmi SK, Yadav VK, Tiwari VK, Kumar V, Singh R, Sawant SV. Stress Conditions Modulate the Chromatin Interactions Network in Arabidopsis. Front Genet 2022; 12:799805. [PMID: 35069698 PMCID: PMC8766718 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.799805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Stresses have been known to cause various responses like cellular physiology, gene regulation, and genome remodeling in the organism to cope and survive. Here, we assessed the impact of stress conditions on the chromatin-interactome network of Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified thousands of chromatin interactions in native as well as in salicylic acid treatment and high temperature conditions in a genome-wide fashion. Our analysis revealed the definite pattern of chromatin interactions and stress conditions could modulate the dynamics of chromatin interactions. We found the heterochromatic region of the genome actively involved in the chromatin interactions. We further observed that the establishment or loss of interactions in response to stress does not result in the global change in the expression profile of interacting genes; however, interacting regions (genes) containing motifs for known TFs showed either lower expression or no difference than non-interacting genes. The present study also revealed that interactions preferred among the same epigenetic state (ES) suggest interactions clustered the same ES together in the 3D space of the nucleus. Our analysis showed that stress conditions affect the dynamics of chromatin interactions among the chromatin loci and these interaction networks govern the folding principle of chromatin by bringing together similar epigenetic marks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikash Kumar Yadav
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Swadha Singh
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India.,School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
| | - Amrita Yadav
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Neha Agarwal
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Babita Singh
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | | | | | - Vipin Kumar Tiwari
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Verandra Kumar
- Department of Botany, Manyawar Kanshiram Government Degree College, Aligarh, India
| | | | - Samir Vishwanath Sawant
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Phitaktansakul R, Kim KW, Aung KM, Maung TZ, Min MH, Somsri A, Lee W, Lee SB, Nam J, Kim SH, Lee J, Kwon SW, Nawade B, Chu SH, Park SW, Kang KK, Cho YH, Lee YS, Chung IM, Park YJ. Multi-omics analysis reveals the genetic basis of rice fragrance mediated by betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2. J Adv Res 2021; 42:303-314. [PMID: 36513420 PMCID: PMC9788947 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fragrance is an important economic and quality trait in rice. The trait is controlled by the recessive gene betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (BADH2) via the production of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP). OBJECTIVES Variation in BADH2 was evaluated at the population, genetic, transcriptional, and metabolic levels to obtain insights into fragrance regulation in rice. METHODS Whole-genome resequencing of the Korean World Rice Collection of 475 rice accessions, including 421 breeding lines and 54 wild accessions, was performed. Transcriptome analyses of a subset of 279 accessions, proteome analyses of 64 accessions, and volatile profiling of 421 breeding lines were also performed. RESULTS We identified over 3.1 million high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Korean rice collection. Most SNPs were present in intergenic regions (79%), and 190,148 SNPs (6%) were located in the coding sequence, of which 53% were nonsynonymous. In total, 38 haplotypes were identified in the BADH2 coding region, including four novel haplotypes (one in cultivated and three in wild accessions). Tajima's D values suggested that BADH2 was under balancing selection in japonica rice. Furthermore, we identified 316 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL), including 185 cis-eQTLs and 131 trans-eQTLs, involved in BADH2 regulation. A protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) analysis revealed the presence of trans-pQTLs; 13 pQTLs were mapped 1 Mbp from the BADH2 region. Based on variable importance in projection (VIP) scores, 15 volatile compounds, including 2AP, discriminated haplotypes and were potential biomarkers for rice fragrance. CONCLUSION We generated a catalog of haplotypes based on a resequencing analysis of a large number of rice accessions. eQTLs and pQTLs associated with BADH2 gene expression and protein accumulation are likely involved in the regulation of 2AP variation in fragrant rice. These data improve our understanding of fragrance and provide valuable information for rice breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rungnapa Phitaktansakul
- Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Won Kim
- Center of Crop Breeding on Omics and Artificial Intelligence, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyaw Myo Aung
- Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Thant Zin Maung
- Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong-Hyeon Min
- Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Aueangporn Somsri
- Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Wondo Lee
- Seedpia, 85 Maesil-ro, Kwonsun-ku, Suwon 16395, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Beom Lee
- Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungrye Nam
- Center of Crop Breeding on Omics and Artificial Intelligence, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hyun Kim
- Department of Applied Bioscience, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Joohyun Lee
- Department of Applied Bioscience, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon-Wook Kwon
- Department of Plant Bioscience, Pusan National University, Pusan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Bhagwat Nawade
- Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Ho Chu
- Center of Crop Breeding on Omics and Artificial Intelligence, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Won Park
- Chemical Safety Division, National Institute of Agriculture Science (NIAS), Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwon Kyoo Kang
- Department of Horticultural Life Science, Hankyong National University, Anseong 17579, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo-Hyun Cho
- Seedpia, 85 Maesil-ro, Kwonsun-ku, Suwon 16395, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Sang Lee
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan 31538, Republic of Korea
| | - Ill-Min Chung
- Department of Applied Bioscience, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea,Corresponding authors at: Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Korea (Yong-Jin Park); Department of Applied Bioscience, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (Ill-Min Chung).
| | - Yong-Jin Park
- Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea,Center of Crop Breeding on Omics and Artificial Intelligence, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Republic of Korea,Corresponding authors at: Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University, Yesan 32439, Korea (Yong-Jin Park); Department of Applied Bioscience, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (Ill-Min Chung).
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Jain M, Garg R. Enhancers as potential targets for engineering salinity stress tolerance in crop plants. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 173:1382-1391. [PMID: 33837536 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers represent noncoding regulatory regions of the genome located distantly from their target genes. They regulate gene expression programs in a context-specific manner via interacting with promoters of one or more target genes and are generally associated with transcription factor binding sites and epi(genomic)/chromatin features, such as regions of chromatin accessibility and histone modifications. The enhancers are difficult to identify due to the modularity of their associated features. Although enhancers have been studied extensively in human and animals, only a handful of them has been identified in few plant species till date due to nonavailability of plant-specific experimental and computational approaches for their discovery. Being an important regulatory component of the genome, enhancers represent potential targets for engineering agronomic traits, including salinity stress tolerance in plants. Here, we provide a review of the available experimental and computational approaches along with the associated sequence and chromatin/epigenetic features for the discovery of enhancers in plants. In addition, we provide insights into the challenges and future prospects of enhancer research in plant biology with emphasis on potential applications in engineering salinity stress tolerance in crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukesh Jain
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Rohini Garg
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Naish M, Alonge M, Wlodzimierz P, Tock AJ, Abramson BW, Schmücker A, Mandáková T, Jamge B, Lambing C, Kuo P, Yelina N, Hartwick N, Colt K, Smith LM, Ton J, Kakutani T, Martienssen RA, Schneeberger K, Lysak MA, Berger F, Bousios A, Michael TP, Schatz MC, Henderson IR. The genetic and epigenetic landscape of the Arabidopsis centromeres. Science 2021; 374:eabi7489. [PMID: 34762468 PMCID: PMC10164409 DOI: 10.1126/science.abi7489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Centromeres attach chromosomes to spindle microtubules during cell division and, despite this conserved role, show paradoxically rapid evolution and are typified by complex repeats. We used long-read sequencing to generate the Col-CEN Arabidopsis thaliana genome assembly that resolves all five centromeres. The centromeres consist of megabase-scale tandemly repeated satellite arrays, which support CENTROMERE SPECIFIC HISTONE H3 (CENH3) occupancy and are densely DNA methylated, with satellite variants private to each chromosome. CENH3 preferentially occupies satellites that show the least amount of divergence and occur in higher-order repeats. The centromeres are invaded by ATHILA retrotransposons, which disrupt genetic and epigenetic organization. Centromeric crossover recombination is suppressed, yet low levels of meiotic DNA double-strand breaks occur that are regulated by DNA methylation. We propose that Arabidopsis centromeres are evolving through cycles of satellite homogenization and retrotransposon-driven diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Naish
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Michael Alonge
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Piotr Wlodzimierz
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Andrew J. Tock
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Bradley W. Abramson
- The Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anna Schmücker
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Terezie Mandáková
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Bhagyshree Jamge
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christophe Lambing
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Pallas Kuo
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Natasha Yelina
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Nolan Hartwick
- The Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kelly Colt
- The Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M. Smith
- School of Biosciences and Institute for Sustainable Food, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jurriaan Ton
- School of Biosciences and Institute for Sustainable Food, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Tetsuji Kakutani
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Robert A. Martienssen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Korbinian Schneeberger
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829 Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin A. Lysak
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Frédéric Berger
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Todd P. Michael
- The Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael C. Schatz
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ian R. Henderson
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
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Kurbidaeva A, Purugganan M. Insulators in Plants: Progress and Open Questions. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091422. [PMID: 34573404 PMCID: PMC8470105 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomes of higher eukaryotes are partitioned into topologically associated domains or TADs, and insulators (also known as boundary elements) are the key elements responsible for their formation and maintenance. Insulators were first identified and extensively studied in Drosophila as well as mammalian genomes, and have also been described in yeast and plants. In addition, many insulator proteins are known in Drosophila, and some have been investigated in mammals. However, much less is known about this important class of non-coding DNA elements in plant genomes. In this review, we take a detailed look at known plant insulators across different species and provide an overview of potential determinants of plant insulator functions, including cis-elements and boundary proteins. We also discuss methods previously used in attempts to identify plant insulators, provide a perspective on their importance for research and biotechnology, and discuss areas of potential future research.
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Lozano R, Booth GT, Omar BY, Li B, Buckler ES, Lis JT, Del Carpio DP, Jannink JL. RNA polymerase mapping in plants identifies intergenic regulatory elements enriched in causal variants. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6364897. [PMID: 34499719 PMCID: PMC8527479 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Control of gene expression is fundamental at every level of cell function. Promoter-proximal pausing and divergent transcription at promoters and enhancers, which are prominent features in animals, have only been studied in a handful of research experiments in plants. PRO-Seq analysis in cassava (Manihot esculenta) identified peaks of transcriptionally engaged RNA polymerase at both the 5' and 3' end of genes, consistent with paused or slowly moving Polymerase. In addition, we identified divergent transcription at intergenic sites. A full genome search for bi-directional transcription using an algorithm for enhancer detection developed in mammals (dREG) identified many intergenic regulatory element (IRE) candidates. These sites showed distinct patterns of methylation and nucleotide conservation based on genomic evolutionary rate profiling (GERP). SNPs within these IRE candidates explained significantly more variation in fitness and root composition than SNPs in chromosomal segments randomly ascertained from the same intergenic distribution, strongly suggesting a functional importance of these sites. Maize GRO-Seq data showed RNA polymerase occupancy at IREs consistent with patterns in cassava. Furthermore, these IREs in maize significantly overlapped with sites previously identified on the basis of open chromatin, histone marks, and methylation, and were enriched for reported eQTL. Our results suggest that bidirectional transcription can identify intergenic genomic regions in plants that play an important role in transcription regulation and whose identification has the potential to aid crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Lozano
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Gregory T Booth
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Bo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Edward S Buckler
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) R.W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - John T Lis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Dunia Pino Del Carpio
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jean-Luc Jannink
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) R.W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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45
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Schwope R, Magris G, Miculan M, Paparelli E, Celii M, Tocci A, Marroni F, Fornasiero A, De Paoli E, Morgante M. Open chromatin in grapevine marks candidate CREs and with other chromatin features correlates with gene expression. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:1631-1647. [PMID: 34219317 PMCID: PMC8518642 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Vitis vinifera is an economically important crop and a useful model in which to study chromatin dynamics. In contrast to the small and relatively simple genome of Arabidopsis thaliana, grapevine contains a complex genome of 487 Mb that exhibits extensive colonization by transposable elements. We used Hi-C, ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq to measure how chromatin features correlate to the expression of 31 845 grapevine genes. ATAC-seq revealed the presence of more than 16 000 open chromatin regions, of which we characterize nearly 5000 as possible distal enhancer candidates that occur in intergenic space > 2 kb from the nearest transcription start site (TSS). A motif search identified more than 480 transcription factor (TF) binding sites in these regions, with those for TCP family proteins in greatest abundance. These open chromatin regions are typically within 15 kb from their nearest promoter, and a gene ontology analysis indicated that their nearest genes are significantly enriched for TF activity. The presence of a candidate cis-regulatory element (cCRE) > 2 kb upstream of the TSS, location in the active nuclear compartment as determined by Hi-C, and the enrichment of H3K4me3, H3K4me1 and H3K27ac at the gene are correlated with gene expression. Taken together, these results suggest that regions of intergenic open chromatin identified by ATAC-seq can be considered potential candidates for cis-regulatory regions in V. vinifera. Our findings enhance the characterization of a valuable agricultural crop, and help to clarify the understanding of unique plant biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Schwope
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
| | - Gabriele Magris
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
| | - Mara Miculan
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
- Present address:
Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'Anna PisaPisa56127Italy
| | - Eleonora Paparelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
- Present address:
IGA Technology ServicesUdineI‐33100Italy
| | - Mirko Celii
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
- Present address:
Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE)KAUSTThuwalMakkahSaudi Arabia
| | - Aldo Tocci
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi AvanzatiTriesteFriuli‐Venezia GiuliaItaly
| | - Fabio Marroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
| | - Alice Fornasiero
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
- Present address:
Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE)KAUSTThuwalMakkahSaudi Arabia
| | - Emanuele De Paoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
| | - Michele Morgante
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroalimentariAmbientali e Animali (DI4A)UdineI‐33100Italy
- Istituto di Genomica ApplicataUdineI‐33100Italy
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Meng F, Zhao H, Zhu B, Zhang T, Yang M, Li Y, Han Y, Jiang J. Genomic editing of intronic enhancers unveils their role in fine-tuning tissue-specific gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:1997-2014. [PMID: 33764459 PMCID: PMC8290289 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers located in introns are abundant and play a major role in the regulation of gene expression in mammalian species. By contrast, the functions of intronic enhancers in plants have largely been unexplored and only a handful of plant intronic enhancers have been reported. We performed a genome-wide prediction of intronic enhancers in Arabidopsis thaliana using open chromatin signatures based on DNase I sequencing. We identified 941 candidate intronic enhancers associated with 806 genes in seedling tissue and 1,271 intronic enhancers associated with 1,069 genes in floral tissue. We validated the function of 15 of 21 (71%) of the predicted intronic enhancers in transgenic assays using a reporter gene. We also created deletion lines of three intronic enhancers associated with two different genes using CRISPR/Cas. Deletion of these enhancers, which span key transcription factor binding sites, did not abolish gene expression but caused varying levels of transcriptional repression of their cognate genes. Remarkably, the transcriptional repression of the deletion lines occurred at specific developmental stages and resulted in distinct phenotypic effects on plant morphology and development. Clearly, these three intronic enhancers are important in fine-tuning tissue- and development-specific expression of their cognate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanli Meng
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Hainan Zhao
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Bo Zhu
- Department of Biological Science, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610101, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Mingyu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yingpeng Han
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jiming Jiang
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Michigan State University AgBioResearch, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Author for correspondence:
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Vadde BVL. Not-so-selfish DNA? Intronic enhancers fine-tune spatiotemporal gene expression. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:1851-1852. [PMID: 35234259 PMCID: PMC8290274 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
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Pei L, Li G, Lindsey K, Zhang X, Wang M. Plant 3D genomics: the exploration and application of chromatin organization. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1772-1786. [PMID: 33560539 PMCID: PMC8252774 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes are highly folded for packing into higher-order chromatin structures in the nucleus. With the emergence of state-of-the-art chromosome conformation capture methods and microscopic imaging techniques, the spatial organization of chromatin and its functional implications have been interrogated. Our knowledge of 3D chromatin organization in plants has improved dramatically in the past few years, building on the early advances in animal systems. Here, we review recent advances in 3D genome mapping approaches, our understanding of the sophisticated organization of spatial structures, and the application of 3D genomic principles in plants. We also discuss directions for future developments in 3D genomics in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuling Pei
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic ImprovementHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubei430070China
| | - Guoliang Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural BioinformaticsCollege of InformaticsHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubei430070China
| | - Keith Lindsey
- Department of BiosciencesDurham UniversitySouth RoadDurhamDH1 3LEUK
| | - Xianlong Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic ImprovementHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubei430070China
| | - Maojun Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic ImprovementHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubei430070China
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Lin Y, Zhao H, Kotlarz M, Jiang J. Enhancer-mediated reporter gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana: a forward genetic screen. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:661-671. [PMID: 33547831 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15189] [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: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression is controlled and regulated by interactions between cis-regulatory DNA elements (CREs) and regulatory proteins. Enhancers are one of the most important classes of CREs in eukaryotes. Eukaryotic genes, especially those related to development or responses to environmental cues, are often regulated by multiple enhancers in different tissues and/or at different developmental stages. Remarkably, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which enhancers regulate gene expression in plants. We identified a distal enhancer, CREβ, which regulates the expression of AtDGK7, which encodes a diacylglycerol kinase in Arabidopsis. We developed a transgenic line containing the luciferase reporter gene (LUC) driven by CREβ fused with a minimal cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. The CREβ enhancer was shown to play a role in the response to osmotic pressure of the LUC reporter gene. A forward genetic screen pipeline based on the transgenic line was established to generate mutations associated with altered expression of the LUC reporter gene. We identified a suite of mutants with variable LUC expression levels as well as different segregation patterns of the mutations in populations. We demonstrate that this pipeline will allow us to identify trans-regulatory factors associated with CREβ function as well as those acting in the regulation of the endogenous AtDGK7 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Lin
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Engineering Research Center for Horticultural Crop Germplasm Creation and New Variety Breeding, Ministry of Education, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Hainan Zhao
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Magdalena Kotlarz
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Jiming Jiang
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Michigan State University AgBioResearch, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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Wang P, Jin S, Chen X, Wu L, Zheng Y, Yue C, Guo Y, Zhang X, Yang J, Ye N. Chromatin accessibility and translational landscapes of tea plants under chilling stress. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:96. [PMID: 33931606 PMCID: PMC8087716 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00529-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Plants have evolved regulatory mechanisms at multiple levels to regulate gene expression in order to improve their cold adaptability. However, limited information is available regarding the stress response at the chromatin and translational levels. Here, we characterize the chromatin accessibility, transcriptional, and translational landscapes of tea plants in vivo under chilling stress for the first time. Chilling stress significantly affected both the transcription and translation levels as well as the translation efficiency of tea plants. A total of 3010 genes that underwent rapid and independent translation under chilling stress were observed, and they were significantly enriched in the photosynthesis-antenna protein and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. A set of genes that were significantly responsive to cold at the transcription and translation levels, including four (+)-neomenthol dehydrogenases (MNDs) and two (E)-nerolidol synthases (NESs) arranged in tandem on the chromosomes, were also found. We detected potential upstream open reading frames (uORFs) on 3082 genes and found that tea plants may inhibit the overall expression of genes by enhancing the translation of uORFs under chilling stress. In addition, we identified distal transposase hypersensitive sites (THSs) and proximal THSs and constructed a transcriptional regulatory network for tea plants under chilling stress. We also identified 13 high-confidence transcription factors (TFs) that may play a crucial role in cold regulation. These results provide valuable information regarding the potential transcriptional regulatory network in plants and help to clarify how plants exhibit flexible responses to chilling stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengjie Wang
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Shan Jin
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Xuejin Chen
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Liangyu Wu
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yucheng Zheng
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Chuan Yue
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yongchun Guo
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Xingtan Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Jiangfan Yang
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
| | - Naixing Ye
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Tea Science in Universities of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
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