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Zhu H, Wang J, Huang R, Yang Z, Fan W, Huang L, Yang J, Chen W. Epigenetic modification of a pectin methylesterase gene activates apoplastic iron reutilization in tomato roots. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:2339-2353. [PMID: 38506490 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Iron (Fe) distribution and reutilization are crucial for maintaining Fe homeostasis in plants. Here, we demonstrate that the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Colorless nonripening (Cnr) epimutant exhibits increased Fe retention in cell wall pectin due to an increase in pectin methylesterase (PME) activity. This ultimately leads to Fe deficiency responses even under Fe-sufficient conditions when compared to the wild type (WT). Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed that modifications to cell wall-related genes, especially CG hypermethylation in the intron region of PECTIN METHYLESTERASE53 (SlPME53), are involved in the Cnr response to Fe deficiency. When this intron hypermethylation of SlPME53 was artificially induced in WT, we found that elevated SlPME53 expression was accompanied by increased PME activity and increased pectin-Fe retention. The manipulation of SlPME53, either through overexpression in WT or knockdown in Cnr, influenced levels of pectin methylesterification and accumulation of apoplast Fe in roots. Moreover, CG hypermethylation mediated by METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (SlMET1) increased SlPME53 transcript abundance, resulting in greater PME activity and higher Fe retention in cell wall pectin. Therefore, we conclude that the Cnr mutation epigenetically modulates SlPME53 expression by SlMET1-mediated CG hypermethylation, and thus the capacity of the apoplastic Fe pool, creating opportunities for genetic improvement of crop mineral nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biology of Yunnan Province, College of Landscape and Horticulture, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiayi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biology of Yunnan Province, College of Landscape and Horticulture, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ru'nan Huang
- Research Centre for Plant RNA Signaling and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Genetic Improvement and Quality Control of Medicinal Plants, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zheng'an Yang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biology of Yunnan Province, College of Landscape and Horticulture, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Wei Fan
- Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biology of Yunnan Province, College of Landscape and Horticulture, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Li Huang
- Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, Institute of Vegetable Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianli Yang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biology of Yunnan Province, College of Landscape and Horticulture, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Weiwei Chen
- Research Centre for Plant RNA Signaling and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Genetic Improvement and Quality Control of Medicinal Plants, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
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Wu X, Chen S, Lin F, Muhammad F, Xu H, Wu L. Comparative and functional analysis unveils the contribution of photoperiod to DNA methylation, sRNA accumulation, and gene expression variations in short-day and long-day grasses. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:1955-1971. [PMID: 38491864 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Photoperiod employs complicated networks to regulate various developmental processes in plants, including flowering transition. However, the specific mechanisms by which photoperiod affects epigenetic modifications and gene expression variations in plants remain elusive. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of DNA methylation, small RNA (sRNA) accumulation, and gene expressions under different daylengths in facultative long-day (LD) grass Brachypodium distachyon and short-day (SD) grass rice. Our results showed that while overall DNA methylation levels were minimally affected by different photoperiods, CHH methylation levels were repressed under their favorable light conditions, particularly in rice. We identified numerous differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that were influenced by photoperiod in both plant species. Apart from differential sRNA clusters, we observed alterations in the expression of key components of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway, DNA methyltransferases, and demethylases, which may contribute to the identified photoperiod-influenced CHH DMRs. Furthermore, we identified many differentially expressed genes in response to different daylengths, some of which were associated with the DMRs. Notably, we discovered a photoperiod-responsive gene MYB11 in the transcriptome of B. distachyon, and further demonstrated its role as a flowering inhibitor by repressing FT1 transcription. Together, our comparative and functional analysis sheds light on the effects of daylength on DNA methylation, sRNA accumulation, and gene expression variations in LD and SD plants, thereby facilitating better designing breeding programs aimed at developing high-yield crops that can adapt to local growing seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Siyi Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, China
| | - Fahad Muhammad
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Haiming Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Liang Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, China
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Solti Á, Tóth B, Hauser MT. Editorial: Intracellular transition metal homeostasis in plants and algae. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1430708. [PMID: 38841279 PMCID: PMC11150771 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1430708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Solti
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Brigitta Tóth
- Institute of Food Science, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Marie-Theres Hauser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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4
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Bogan SN, Yi SV. Potential Role of DNA Methylation as a Driver of Plastic Responses to the Environment Across Cells, Organisms, and Populations. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae022. [PMID: 38324384 PMCID: PMC10899001 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
There is great interest in exploring epigenetic modifications as drivers of adaptive organismal responses to environmental change. Extending this hypothesis to populations, epigenetically driven plasticity could influence phenotypic changes across environments. The canonical model posits that epigenetic modifications alter gene regulation and subsequently impact phenotypes. We first discuss origins of epigenetic variation in nature, which may arise from genetic variation, spontaneous epimutations, epigenetic drift, or variation in epigenetic capacitors. We then review and synthesize literature addressing three facets of the aforementioned model: (i) causal effects of epigenetic modifications on phenotypic plasticity at the organismal level, (ii) divergence of epigenetic patterns in natural populations distributed across environmental gradients, and (iii) the relationship between environmentally induced epigenetic changes and gene expression at the molecular level. We focus on DNA methylation, the most extensively studied epigenetic modification. We find support for environmentally associated epigenetic structure in populations and selection on stable epigenetic variants, and that inhibition of epigenetic enzymes frequently bears causal effects on plasticity. However, there are pervasive confounding issues in the literature. Effects of chromatin-modifying enzymes on phenotype may be independent of epigenetic marks, alternatively resulting from functions and protein interactions extrinsic of epigenetics. Associations between environmentally induced changes in DNA methylation and expression are strong in plants and mammals but notably absent in invertebrates and nonmammalian vertebrates. Given these challenges, we describe emerging approaches to better investigate how epigenetic modifications affect gene regulation, phenotypic plasticity, and divergence among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel N Bogan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Soojin V Yi
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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Xiao Y, Xi Z, Wang F, Wang J. Genomic asymmetric epigenetic modification of transposable elements is involved in gene expression regulation of allopolyploid Brassica napus. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 117:226-241. [PMID: 37797206 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16491] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Polyploids are common and have a wide geographical distribution and environmental adaptability. Allopolyploidy may lead to the activation of transposable elements (TE). However, the mechanism of epigenetic modification of TEs in the establishment and evolution of allopolyploids remains to be explored. We focused on the TEs of model allopolyploid Brassica napus (An An Cn Cn ), exploring the TE characteristics of the genome, epigenetic modifications of TEs during allopolyploidization, and regulation of gene expression by TE methylation. In B. napus, approximately 50% of the genome was composed of TEs. TEs increased with proximity to genes, especially DNA transposons. TE methylation levels were negatively correlated with gene expression, and changes in TE methylation levels were able to regulate the expression of neighboring genes related to responses to light intensity and stress, which promoted powerful adaptation of allopolyploids to new environments. TEs can be synergistically regulated by RNA-directed DNA methylation pathways and histone modifications. The epigenetic modification levels of TEs tended to be similar to those of the diploid parents during the genome evolution of B. napus. The TEs of the An subgenome were more likely to be modified, and the imbalance in TE number and epigenetic modification level in the An and Cn subgenomes may lead to the establishment of subgenome dominance. Our study analyzed the characteristics of TE location, DNA methylation, siRNA, and histone modification in B. napus and highlighted the importance of TE epigenetic modifications during the allopolyploidy process, providing support for revealing the mechanism of allopolyploid formation and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zengde Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Fei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Jianbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
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Kong W, Zhu Q, Zhang Q, Zhu Y, Yang J, Chai K, Lei W, Jiang M, Zhang S, Lin J, Zhang X. 5mC DNA methylation modification-mediated regulation in tissue functional differentiation and important flavor substance synthesis of tea plant ( Camellia sinensis L.). HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhad126. [PMID: 37560013 PMCID: PMC10407603 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
In plants, 5mC DNA methylation is an important and conserved epistatic mark involving genomic stability, gene transcriptional regulation, developmental regulation, abiotic stress response, metabolite synthesis, etc. However, the roles of 5mC DNA methylation modification (5mC methylation) in tea plant growth and development (in pre-harvest processing) and flavor substance synthesis in pre- and post-harvest processing are unknown. We therefore conducted a comprehensive methylation analysis of four key pre-harvest tissues (root, leaf, flower, and fruit) and two processed leaves during oolong tea post-harvest processing. We found that differential 5mC methylation among four key tissues is closely related to tissue functional differentiation and that genes expressed tissue-specifically, responsible for tissue-specific functions, maintain relatively low 5mC methylation levels relative to non-tissue-specifically expressed genes. Importantly, hypomethylation modifications of CsAlaDC and TS/GS genes in roots provided the molecular basis for the dominant synthesis of theanine in roots. In addition, integration of 5mC DNA methylationomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics of post-harvest leaves revealed that content changes in flavor metabolites during oolong tea processing were closely associated with transcription level changes in corresponding metabolite synthesis genes, and changes in transcript levels of these important synthesis genes were strictly regulated by 5mC methylation. We further report that some key genes during processing are regulated by 5mC methylation, which can effectively explain the content changes of important aroma metabolites, including α-farnesene, nerolidol, lipids, and taste substances such as catechins. Our results not only highlight the key roles of 5mC methylation in important flavor substance synthesis in pre- and post-harvest processing, but also provide epimutation-related gene targets for future improvement of tea quality or breeding of whole-tissue high-theanine varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weilong Kong
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
| | - Qiufang Zhu
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
| | - Yiwang Zhu
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
| | - Jingjing Yang
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
| | - Kun Chai
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
| | - Wenlong Lei
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
| | - Mengwei Jiang
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
| | - Shengcheng Zhang
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
| | - Jinke Lin
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Xingtan Zhang
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, 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, Guangzhou 518120, China
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Zhu H, Han G, Wang J, Xu J, Hong Y, Huang L, Zheng S, Yang J, Chen W. CG hypermethylation of the bHLH39 promoter regulates its expression and Fe deficiency responses in tomato roots. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhad104. [PMID: 37577397 PMCID: PMC10419876 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for all organisms, including plants, whose limited bioavailability restricts plant growth, yield, and nutritional quality. While the transcriptional regulation of plant responses to Fe deficiency have been extensively studied, the contribution of epigenetic modulations, such as DNA methylation, remains poorly understood. Here, we report that treatment with a DNA methylase inhibitor repressed Fe deficiency-induced responses in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) roots, suggesting the importance of DNA methylation in regulating Fe deficiency responses. Dynamic changes in the DNA methylome in tomato roots responding to short-term (12 hours) and long-term (72 hours) Fe deficiency identified many differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and DMR-associated genes. Most DMRs occurred at CHH sites under short-term Fe deficiency, whereas they were predominant at CG sites following long-term Fe deficiency. Furthermore, no correlation was detected between the changes in DNA methylation levels and the changes in transcript levels of the affected genes under either short-term or long-term treatments. Notably, one exception was CG hypermethylation at the bHLH39 promoter, which was positively correlated with its transcriptional induction. In agreement, we detected lower CG methylation at the bHLH39 promoter and lower bHLH39 expression in MET1-RNA interference lines compared with wild-type seedlings. Virus-induced gene silencing of bHLH39 and luciferase reporter assays revealed that bHLH39 is positively involved in the modulation of Fe homeostasis. Altogether, we propose that dynamic epigenetic DNA methylation in the CG context at the bHLH39 promoter is involved in its transcriptional regulation, thus contributing to the Fe deficiency response of tomato.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guanghao Han
- Research Centre for Plant RNA Signaling, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jiayi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiming Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yiguo Hong
- Research Centre for Plant RNA Signaling, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Li Huang
- Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, Institute of Vegetable Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shaojian Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianli Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Weiwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Research Centre for Plant RNA Signaling, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
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Chithung TA, Kansal S, Jajo R, Balyan S, Raghuvanshi S. Understanding the evolution of miRNA biogenesis machinery in plants with special focus on rice. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:30. [PMID: 36604385 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-022-00958-1] [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: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
miRNA biogenesis process is an intricate and complex event consisting of many proteins working in a highly coordinated fashion. Most of these proteins have been studied in Arabidopsis; however, their orthologs and functions have not been explored in other plant species. In the present study, we have manually curated all the experimentally verified information present in the literature regarding these proteins and found a total of 98 genes involved in miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis. The conservation pattern of these proteins was identified in other plant species ranging from dicots to lower organisms, and we found that a major proportion of proteins involved in the pri-miRNA processing are conserved. However, nearly 20% of the genes, mostly involved in either transcription or functioning of the miRNAs, were absent in the lower organisms. Further, we manually curated a regulatory network of the core components of the biogenesis process and found that nearly half (46%) of the proteins interact with them, indicating that the processing step is perhaps the most under surveillance/regulation. We have subsequently attempted to characterize the orthologs identified in Oryza sativa, on the basis of transcriptome and epigenetic modifications under field drought conditions in order to assess the impact of drought on the process. We found several participating genes to be differentially expressed and/or epigenetically methylated under drought, although the core components like DCL1, SE, and HYL1 remain unaffected by the stress itself. The study enhances our present understanding of the biogenesis process and its regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonu Angaila Chithung
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi, 110021, India
| | - Shivani Kansal
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi, 110021, India
| | - Ringyao Jajo
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi, 110021, India
| | - Sonia Balyan
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi, 110021, India
| | - Saurabh Raghuvanshi
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi, 110021, India.
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Su J, Yao Z, Wu Y, Lee J, Jeong J. Minireview: Chromatin-based regulation of iron homeostasis in plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:959840. [PMID: 36186078 PMCID: PMC9523571 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.959840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Plants utilize delicate mechanisms to effectively respond to changes in the availability of nutrients such as iron. The responses to iron status involve controlling gene expression at multiple levels. The regulation of iron deficiency response by a network of transcriptional regulators has been extensively studied and recent research has shed light on post-translational control of iron homeostasis. Although not as considerably investigated, an increasing number of studies suggest that histone modification and DNA methylation play critical roles during iron deficiency and contribute to fine-tuning iron homeostasis in plants. This review will focus on the current understanding of chromatin-based regulation on iron homeostasis in plants highlighting recent studies in Arabidopsis and rice. Understanding iron homeostasis in plants is vital, as it is not only relevant to fundamental biological questions, but also to agriculture, biofortification, and human health. A comprehensive overview of the effect and mechanism of chromatin-based regulation in response to iron status will ultimately provide critical insights in elucidating the complexities of iron homeostasis and contribute to improving iron nutrition in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Su
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Zhujun Yao
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
| | - Yixuan Wu
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
| | - Joohyun Lee
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
| | - Jeeyon Jeong
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, United States
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Plant DNA Methylation Responds to Nutrient Stress. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13060992. [PMID: 35741754 PMCID: PMC9222553 DOI: 10.3390/genes13060992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient stress as abiotic stress has become one of the important factors restricting crop yield and quality. DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic modification that can effectively regulate genome stability. Exploring DNA methylation responses to nutrient stress could lay the foundation for improving plant tolerance to nutrient stress. This article summarizes the plant DNA methylation patterns, the effects of nutrient stress, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, zinc and sulfur stress, on plant DNA methylation and research techniques for plant DNA methylation, etc. Our discussion provides insight for further research on epigenetics response to nutrient stress in the future.
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Sági-Kazár M, Solymosi K, Solti Á. Iron in leaves: chemical forms, signalling, and in-cell distribution. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:1717-1734. [PMID: 35104334 PMCID: PMC9486929 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Iron (Fe) is an essential transition metal. Based on its redox-active nature under biological conditions, various Fe compounds serve as cofactors in redox enzymes. In plants, the photosynthetic machinery has the highest demand for Fe. In consequence, the delivery and incorporation of Fe into cofactors of the photosynthetic apparatus is the focus of Fe metabolism in leaves. Disturbance of foliar Fe homeostasis leads to impaired biosynthesis of chlorophylls and composition of the photosynthetic machinery. Nevertheless, mitochondrial function also has a significant demand for Fe. The proper incorporation of Fe into proteins and cofactors as well as a balanced intracellular Fe status in leaf cells require the ability to sense Fe, but may also rely on indirect signals that report on the physiological processes connected to Fe homeostasis. Although multiple pieces of information have been gained on Fe signalling in roots, the regulation of Fe status in leaves has not yet been clarified in detail. In this review, we give an overview on current knowledge of foliar Fe homeostasis, from the chemical forms to the allocation and sensing of Fe in leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máté Sági-Kazár
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Katalin Solymosi
- Department of Plant Anatomy, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Ádám Solti
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
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12
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Multi-omics data integration reveals link between epigenetic modifications and gene expression in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) in response to cold. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:144. [PMID: 35176993 PMCID: PMC8855596 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08312-2] [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: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background DNA methylation is thought to influence the expression of genes, especially in response to changing environmental conditions and developmental changes. Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris), and other biennial or perennial plants are inevitably exposed to fluctuating temperatures throughout their lifecycle and might even require such stimulus to acquire floral competence. Therefore, plants such as beets, need to fine-tune their epigenetic makeup to ensure phenotypic plasticity towards changing environmental conditions while at the same time steering essential developmental processes. Different crop species may show opposing reactions towards the same abiotic stress, or, vice versa, identical species may respond differently depending on the specific kind of stress. Results In this study, we investigated common effects of cold treatment on genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression of two Beta vulgaris accessions via multi-omics data analysis. Cold exposure resulted in a pronounced reduction of DNA methylation levels, which particularly affected methylation in CHH context (and to a lesser extent CHG) and was accompanied by transcriptional downregulation of the chromomethyltransferase CMT2 and strong upregulation of several genes mediating active DNA demethylation. Conclusion Integration of methylomic and transcriptomic data revealed that, rather than methylation having directly influenced expression, epigenetic modifications correlated with changes in expression of known players involved in DNA (de)methylation. In particular, cold triggered upregulation of genes putatively contributing to DNA demethylation via the ROS1 pathway. Our observations suggest that these transcriptional responses precede the cold-induced global DNA-hypomethylation in non-CpG, preparing beets for additional transcriptional alterations necessary for adapting to upcoming environmental changes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08312-2.
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Liu C, Li N, Lu Z, Sun Q, Pang X, Xiang X, Deng C, Xiong Z, Shu K, Yang F, Hu Z. CG and CHG Methylation Contribute to the Transcriptional Control of OsPRR37-Output Genes in Rice. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:839457. [PMID: 35242159 PMCID: PMC8885545 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.839457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant circadian clock coordinates endogenous transcriptional rhythms with diurnal changes of environmental cues. OsPRR37, a negative component in the rice circadian clock, reportedly regulates transcriptome rhythms, and agronomically important traits. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms of OsPRR37-output genes remain largely unknown. In this study, whole genome bisulfite sequencing and high-throughput RNA sequencing were applied to verify the role of DNA methylation in the transcriptional control of OsPRR37-output genes. We found that the overexpression of OsPRR37 suppressed rice growth and altered cytosine methylations in CG and CHG sequence contexts in but not the CHH context (H represents A, T, or C). In total, 35 overlapping genes were identified, and 25 of them showed negative correlation between the methylation level and gene expression. The promoter of the hexokinase gene OsHXK1 was hypomethylated at both CG and CHG sites, and the expression of OsHXK1 was significantly increased. Meanwhile, the leaf starch content was consistently lower in OsPRR37 overexpression lines than in the recipient parent Guangluai 4. Further analysis with published data of time-course transcriptomes revealed that most overlapping genes showed peak expression phases from dusk to dawn. The genes involved in DNA methylation, methylation maintenance, and DNA demethylation were found to be actively expressed around dusk. A DNA glycosylase, namely ROS1A/DNG702, was probably the upstream candidate that demethylated the promoter of OsHXK1. Taken together, our results revealed that CG and CHG methylation contribute to the transcriptional regulation of OsPRR37-output genes, and hypomethylation of OsHXK1 leads to decreased starch content and reduced plant growth in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Chuan Liu,
| | - Na Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Zeping Lu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Qianxi Sun
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinhan Pang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Xudong Xiang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Changhao Deng
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhengshuojian Xiong
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Kunxian Shu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Fang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhongli Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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