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Jia K, Duan J, Cheng G, Li H, Li S, Hu M. DNA Methylation is Involved in Sex Determination in Spinach. Biochem Genet 2024; 62:2455-2468. [PMID: 37950843 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-023-10524-4] [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: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation plays a critical role in the modulation of gene expression. The role of DNA methylation in sex determination was investigated in spinach. The differentiated cytosine CpG methylation profiles of CCGG motifs were assessed with methylation sensitivity amplification polymorphism (MSAP) in spinach. Among 442 DNA fragments from four plants, 134 methylated fragments were found. Relative proportions of methylation sites were 28.8% in male plants and 31.8% in female plants. At the same time, cytosine methylation levels were higher in females than in males in CCGG motifs of genomes in the spinach. These findings suggest that methylation of CG islands is involved in sex determination and differentiation in spinach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keli Jia
- School of Medical Laboratory, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Jiaming Duan
- School of Medical Laboratory, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | | | - Heng Li
- School of Medical Laboratory, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Shufen Li
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Miao Hu
- School of Medical Laboratory, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
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2
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Jiang J, Gwee J, Fang J, Leichter SM, Sanders D, Ji X, Song J, Zhong X. Substrate specificity and protein stability drive the divergence of plant-specific DNA methyltransferases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.11.603080. [PMID: 39071332 PMCID: PMC11275764 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.11.603080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism essential for transposon silencing and genome integrity. Across evolution, the substrates of DNA methylation have diversified between kingdoms to account for genome complexity. In plants, Chromomethylase3 (CMT3) and CMT2 are the major methyltransferases mediating CHG and CHH methylation, respectively. However, how these two enzymes diverge on substrate specificities during evolution remains unknown. Here, we reveal that CMT2 originates from a duplication of the evolutionarily more ancient CMT3 in flowering plants. Lacking a key arginine residue recognizing CHG in CMT2 impairs its CHG methylation activity in most flowering plants. An engineered V1200R mutation empowers CMT2 to restore both CHG and CHH methylation in Arabidopsis cmt2cmt3 mutant, testifying a loss-of-function effect for CMT2 after ∼200 million years of evolution. Interestingly, CMT2 has evolved a long and unstructured N-terminus critical for balancing protein stability, especially under heat stress. Furthermore, CMT2 N-terminus is plastic and can be tolerant to various natural mutations. Together, this study reveals the mechanism of chromomethylase divergence for context-specific DNA methylation in plants and sheds important lights on DNA methylation evolution and function.
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Matyášek R, Kalfusová R, Kuderová A, Řehůřková K, Sochorová J, Kovařík A. Transcriptional Silencing of 35S rDNA in Tragopogon porrifolius Correlates with Cytosine Methylation in Sequence-Specific Manner. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7540. [PMID: 39062783 PMCID: PMC11276851 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the widely accepted involvement of DNA methylation in the regulation of rDNA transcription, the relative participation of different cytosine methylation pathways is currently described only for a few model plants. Using PacBio, Bisulfite, and RNA sequencing; PCR; Southern hybridizations; and FISH, the epigenetic consequences of rDNA copy number variation were estimated in two T. porrifolius lineages, por1 and por2, the latter with more than twice the rDNA copy numbers distributed approximately equally between NORs on chromosomes A and D. The lower rDNA content in por1 correlated with significantly reduced (>90%) sizes of both D-NORs. Moreover, two (L and S) prominent rDNA variants, differing in the repetitive organization of intergenic spacers, were detected in por2, while only the S-rDNA variant was detected in por1. Transcriptional activity of S-rDNA in por1 was associated with secondary constriction of both A-NORs. In contrast, silencing of S-rDNA in por2 was accompanied by condensation of A-NORs, secondary constriction on D-NORs, and L-rDNA transcriptional activity, suggesting (i) bidirectional nucleolar dominance and (ii) association of S-rDNAs with A-NORs and L-rDNAs with D-NORs in T. porrifolius. Each S- and L-rDNA array was formed of several sub-variants differentiating both genetically (specific SNPs) and epigenetically (transcriptional efficiency and cytosine methylation). The most significant correlations between rDNA silencing and methylation were detected for symmetric CWG motifs followed by CG motifs. No correlations were detected for external cytosine in CCGs or asymmetric CHHs, where methylation was rather position-dependent, particularly for AT-rich variants. We conclude that variations in rDNA copy numbers in plant diploids can be accompanied by prompt epigenetic responses to maintain an appropriate number of active rDNAs. The methylation dynamics of CWGs are likely to be the most responsible for regulating silent and active rDNA states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Matyášek
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (R.K.); (A.K.); (K.Ř.); (J.S.); (A.K.)
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4
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Zhang Y, Jang H, Luo Z, Dong Y, Xu Y, Kantamneni Y, Schmitz RJ. Dynamic evolution of the heterochromatin sensing histone demethylase IBM1. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011358. [PMID: 38991029 PMCID: PMC11265718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011358] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin is critical for maintaining genome stability, especially in flowering plants, where it relies on a feedback loop involving the H3K9 methyltransferase, KRYPTONITE (KYP), and the DNA methyltransferase CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (CMT3). The H3K9 demethylase INCREASED IN BONSAI METHYLATION 1 (IBM1) counteracts the detrimental consequences of KYP-CMT3 activity in transcribed genes. IBM1 expression in Arabidopsis is uniquely regulated by methylation of the 7th intron, allowing it to monitor global H3K9me2 levels. We show the methylated intron is prevalent across flowering plants and its underlying sequence exhibits dynamic evolution. We also find extensive genetic and expression variations in KYP, CMT3, and IBM1 across flowering plants. We identify Arabidopsis accessions resembling weak ibm1 mutants and Brassicaceae species with reduced IBM1 expression or deletions. Evolution towards reduced IBM1 activity in some flowering plants could explain the frequent natural occurrence of diminished or lost CMT3 activity and loss of gene body DNA methylation, as cmt3 mutants in A. thaliana mitigate the deleterious effects of IBM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinwen Zhang
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Hosung Jang
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ziliang Luo
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yinxin Dong
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yangyang Xu
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yamini Kantamneni
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
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5
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Wang Z, Xia A, Wang Q, Cui Z, Lu M, Ye Y, Wang Y, He Y. Natural polymorphisms in ZMET2 encoding a DNA methyltransferase modulate the number of husk layers in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:2129-2142. [PMID: 38431291 PMCID: PMC11213254 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation affects agronomic traits and the environmental adaptability of crops, but the natural polymorphisms in DNA methylation-related genes and their contributions to phenotypic variation in maize (Zea mays) remain elusive. Here, we show that a polymorphic 10-bp insertion/deletion variant in the 3'UTR of Zea methyltransferase2 (ZMET2) alters its transcript level and accounts for variation in the number of maize husk layers. ZMET2 encodes a chromomethylase and is required for maintaining genome-wide DNA methylation in the CHG sequence context. Disruption of ZMET2 increased the number of husk layers and resulted in thousands of differentially methylated regions, a proportion of which were also distinguishable in natural ZMET2 alleles. Population genetic analyses indicated that ZMET2 was a target of selection and might play a role in the spread of maize from tropical to temperate regions. Our results provide important insights into the natural variation of ZMET2 that confers both global and locus-specific effects on DNA methylation, which contribute to phenotypic diversity in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Aiai Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Zhenhai Cui
- Shenyang Key Laboratory of Maize Genomic Selection Breeding, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Ming Lu
- Maize Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling 136100, China
| | - Yusheng Ye
- Maize Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110065, China
| | - Yanbo Wang
- Maize Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110065, China
| | - Yan He
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
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Harkess A, Bewick AJ, Lu Z, Fourounjian P, Michael TP, Schmitz RJ, Meyers BC. The unusual predominance of maintenance DNA methylation in Spirodela polyrhiza. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae004. [PMID: 38190722 PMCID: PMC10989885 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae004] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Duckweeds are among the fastest reproducing plants, able to clonally divide at exponential rates. However, the genetic and epigenetic impact of clonality on plant genomes is poorly understood. 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is a modified base often described as necessary for the proper regulation of certain genes and transposons and for the maintenance of genome integrity in plants. However, the extent of this dogma is limited by the current phylogenetic sampling of land plant species diversity. Here we analyzed DNA methylomes, small RNAs, mRNA-seq, and H3K9me2 histone modification for Spirodela polyrhiza. S. polyrhiza has lost highly conserved genes involved in de novo methylation of DNA at sites often associated with repetitive DNA, and within genes, however, symmetrical DNA methylation and heterochromatin are maintained during cell division at certain transposons and repeats. Consequently, small RNAs that normally guide methylation to silence repetitive DNA like retrotransposons are diminished. Despite the loss of a highly conserved methylation pathway, and the reduction of small RNAs that normally target repetitive DNA, transposons have not proliferated in the genome, perhaps due in part to the rapid, clonal growth lifestyle of duckweeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Harkess
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132, USA
| | - Adam J Bewick
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Zefu Lu
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Paul Fourounjian
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Todd P Michael
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Blake C Meyers
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO 63132, USA
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri—Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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Xie H, Zheng Y, Xue M, Huang Y, Qian D, Zhao M, Li J. DNA methylation-mediated ROS production contributes to seed abortion in litchi. MOLECULAR HORTICULTURE 2024; 4:12. [PMID: 38561782 PMCID: PMC10986121 DOI: 10.1186/s43897-024-00089-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Although there is increasing evidence suggesting that DNA methylation regulates seed development, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to shed light on this by conducting whole-genome bisulfite sequencing using seeds from the large-seeded cultivar 'HZ' and the abortive-seeded cultivar 'NMC'. Our analysis revealed that the 'HZ' seeds exhibited a hypermethylation level compared to the 'NMC' seeds. Furthermore, we found that the genes associated with differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly enriched in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolic pathway. To investigate this further, we conducted nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and 2,7-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCF) staining, which demonstrated a significantly higher amount of ROS in the 'NMC' seeds compared to the 'HZ' seeds. Moreover, we identified that the gene LcGPX6, involved in ROS scavenging, exhibited hypermethylation levels and parallelly lower expression levels in 'NMC' seeds compared to 'HZ' seeds. Interestingly, the ectopic expression of LcGPX6 in Arabidopsis enhanced ROS scavenging and resulted in lower seed production. Together, we suggest that DNA methylation-mediated ROS production plays a significant role in seed development in litchi, during which hypermethylation levels of LcGPX6 might repress its expression, resulting in the accumulation of excessive ROS and ultimately leading to seed abortion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanhan Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yedan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Mengyue Xue
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yulian Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Dawei Qian
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Minglei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Jianguo Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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8
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Dew-Budd KJ, Chow HT, Kendall T, David BC, Rozelle JA, Mosher RA, Beilstein MA. Mating system is associated with seed phenotypes upon loss of RNA-directed DNA methylation in Brassicaceae. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:2136-2148. [PMID: 37987565 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
In plants, de novo DNA methylation is guided by 24-nt short interfering (si)RNAs in a process called RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Primarily targeted at transposons, RdDM causes transcriptional silencing and can indirectly influence expression of neighboring genes. During reproduction, a small number of siRNA loci are dramatically upregulated in the maternally derived seed coat, suggesting that RdDM might have a special function during reproduction. However, the developmental consequence of RdDM has been difficult to dissect because disruption of RdDM does not result in overt phenotypes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), where the pathway has been most thoroughly studied. In contrast, Brassica rapa mutants lacking RdDM have a severe seed production defect, which is determined by the maternal sporophytic genotype. To explore the factors that underlie the different phenotypes of these species, we produced RdDM mutations in 3 additional members of the Brassicaceae family: Camelina sativa, Capsella rubella, and Capsella grandiflora. Among these 3 species, only mutations in the obligate outcrosser, C. grandiflora, displayed a seed production defect similar to Brassica rapa mutants, suggesting that mating system is a key determinant for reproductive phenotypes in RdDM mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Dew-Budd
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Hiu Tung Chow
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Timmy Kendall
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Brandon C David
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - James A Rozelle
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Rebecca A Mosher
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Mark A Beilstein
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Peñuela M, Finke J, Rocha C. Methylomes as key features for predicting recombination in some plant species. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 114:25. [PMID: 38457042 PMCID: PMC10924001 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-023-01396-8] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Knowing how chromosome recombination works is essential for plant breeding. It enables the design of crosses between different varieties to combine desirable traits and create new ones. This is because the meiotic crossovers between homologous chromatids are not purely random, and various strategies have been developed to describe and predict such exchange events. Recent studies have used methylation data to predict chromosomal recombination in rice using machine learning models. This approach proved successful due to the presence of a positive correlation between the CHH context cytosine methylation and recombination rates in rice chromosomes. This paper assesses the question if methylation can be used to predict recombination in four plant species: Arabidopsis, maize, sorghum, and tomato. The results indicate a positive association between CHH context methylation and recombination rates in certain plant species, with varying degrees of strength in their relationships. The CG and CHG methylation contexts show negative correlation with recombination. Methylation data was key effectively in predicting recombination in sorghum and tomato, with a mean determination coefficient of 0.65 ± 0.11 and 0.76 ± 0.05, respectively. In addition, the mean correlation values between predicted and experimental recombination rates were 0.83 ± 0.06 for sorghum and 0.90 ± 0.05 for tomato, confirming the significance of methylomes in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species. The predictions for Arabidopsis and maize were not as accurate, likely due to the comparatively weaker relationships between methylation contexts and recombination, in contrast to sorghum and tomato, where stronger associations were observed. To enhance the accuracy of predictions, further evaluations using data sets closely related to each other might prove beneficial. In general, this methylome-based method holds great potential as a reliable strategy for predicting recombination rates in various plant species, offering valuable insights to breeders in their quest to develop novel and improved varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Peñuela
- iÓMICAS, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 760031, Cali, Colombia.
| | - Jorge Finke
- iÓMICAS, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 760031, Cali, Colombia
| | - Camilo Rocha
- iÓMICAS, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 760031, Cali, Colombia
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Chen J, Lu J, Liu J, Fang J, Zhong X, Song J. DNA conformational dynamics in the context-dependent non-CG CHH methylation by plant methyltransferase DRM2. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105433. [PMID: 37926286 PMCID: PMC10711165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105433] [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: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation provides an important epigenetic mechanism that critically regulates gene expression, genome imprinting, and retrotransposon silencing. In plants, DNA methylation is prevalent not only in a CG dinucleotide context but also in non-CG contexts, namely CHG and CHH (H = C, T, or A) methylation. It has been established that plant non-CG DNA methylation is highly context dependent, with the +1- and +2-flanking sequences enriched with A/T nucleotides. How DNA sequence, conformation, and dynamics influence non-CG methylation remains elusive. Here, we report structural and biochemical characterizations of the intrinsic substrate preference of DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE 2 (DRM2), a plant DNA methyltransferase responsible for establishing all cytosine methylation and maintaining CHH methylation. Among nine CHH motifs, the DRM2 methyltransferase (MTase) domain shows marked substrate preference toward CWW (W = A or T) motifs, correlating well with their relative abundance in planta. Furthermore, we report the crystal structure of DRM2 MTase in complex with a DNA duplex containing a flexible TpA base step at the +1/+2-flanking sites of the target nucleotide. Comparative structural analysis of the DRM2-DNA complexes provides a mechanism by which flanking nucleotide composition impacts DRM2-mediated DNA methylation. Furthermore, the flexibility of the TpA step gives rise to two alternative DNA conformations, resulting in different interactions with DRM2 and consequently temperature-dependent shift of the substrate preference of DRM2. Together, this study provides insights into how the interplay between the conformational dynamics of DNA and temperature as an environmental factor contributes to the context-dependent CHH methylation by DRM2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbin Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Jiuwei Lu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jian Fang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jikui Song
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, California, USA.
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Liu B, Zhao M. How transposable elements are recognized and epigenetically silenced in plants? CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 75:102428. [PMID: 37481986 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Plant genomes are littered with transposable elements (TEs). Because TEs are potentially highly mutagenic, host organisms have evolved a set of defense mechanisms to recognize and epigenetically silence them. Although the maintenance of TE silencing is well studied, our understanding of the initiation of TE silencing is limited, but it clearly involves small RNAs and DNA methylation. Once TEs are silent, the silent state can be maintained to subsequent generations. However, under some circumstances, such inheritance is unstable, leading to the escape of TEs to the silencing machinery, resulting in the transcriptional activation of TEs. Epigenetic control of TEs has been found to be closely linked to many other epigenetic phenomena, such as genomic imprinting, and is known to contribute to regulation of genes, especially those near TEs. Here we review and discuss the current models of TE silencing, its unstable inheritance after hybridization, and the effects of epigenetic regulation of TEs on genomic imprinting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Liu
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Meixia Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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12
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Liu P, Liu R, Xu Y, Zhang C, Niu Q, Lang Z. DNA cytosine methylation dynamics and functional roles in horticultural crops. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhad170. [PMID: 38025976 PMCID: PMC10660380 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Methylation of cytosine is a conserved epigenetic modification that maintains the dynamic balance of methylation in plants under the regulation of methyltransferases and demethylases. In recent years, the study of DNA methylation in regulating the growth and development of plants and animals has become a key area of research. This review describes the regulatory mechanisms of DNA cytosine methylation in plants. It summarizes studies on epigenetic modifications of DNA methylation in fruit ripening, development, senescence, plant height, organ size, and under biotic and abiotic stresses in horticultural crops. The review provides a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanisms of DNA methylation and their relevance to breeding, genetic improvement, research, innovation, and exploitation of new cultivars of horticultural crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Ruie Liu
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yaping Xu
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Caixi Zhang
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qingfeng Niu
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Zhaobo Lang
- Institute of Advanced Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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13
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Zhang(张宇鹏) Y, Fan G, Toivainen T, Tengs T, Yakovlev I, Krokene P, Hytönen T, Fossdal CG, Grini PE. Warmer temperature during asexual reproduction induce methylome, transcriptomic, and lasting phenotypic changes in Fragaria vesca ecotypes. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhad156. [PMID: 37719273 PMCID: PMC10500154 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Plants must adapt with increasing speed to global warming to maintain their fitness. One rapid adaptation mechanism is epigenetic memory, which may provide organisms sufficient time to adapt to climate change. We studied how the perennial Fragaria vesca adapted to warmer temperatures (28°C vs. 18°C) over three asexual generations. Differences in flowering time, stolon number, and petiole length were induced by warmer temperature in one or more ecotypes after three asexual generations and persisted in a common garden environment. Induced methylome changes differed between the four ecotypes from Norway, Iceland, Italy, and Spain, but shared methylome responses were also identified. Most differentially methylated regions (DMRs) occurred in the CHG context, and most CHG and CHH DMRs were hypermethylated at the warmer temperature. In eight CHG DMR peaks, a highly similar methylation pattern could be observed between ecotypes. On average, 13% of the differentially methylated genes between ecotypes also showed a temperature-induced change in gene expression. We observed ecotype-specific methylation and expression patterns for genes related to gibberellin metabolism, flowering time, and epigenetic mechanisms. Furthermore, we observed a negative correlation with gene expression when repetitive elements were found near (±2 kb) or inside genes. In conclusion, lasting phenotypic changes indicative of an epigenetic memory were induced by warmer temperature and were accompanied by changes in DNA methylation patterns. Both shared methylation patterns and transcriptome differences between F. vesca accessions were observed, indicating that DNA methylation may be involved in both general and ecotype-specific phenotypic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- YuPeng Zhang(张宇鹏)
- EVOGENE, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0313 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Guangxun Fan
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuomas Toivainen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Torstein Tengs
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Igor Yakovlev
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Paal Krokene
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Timo Hytönen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Carl Gunnar Fossdal
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Paul E. Grini
- EVOGENE, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0313 Oslo, Norway
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14
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Dawe RK. Measuring open chromatin and DNA methylation in repeat arrays. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:1379-1380. [PMID: 37640934 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01512-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R Kelly Dawe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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15
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Fitz-Gibbon S, Mead A, O’Donnell S, Li ZZ, Escalona M, Beraut E, Sacco S, Marimuthu MPA, Nguyen O, Sork VL. Reference genome of California walnut, Juglans californica, and resemblance with other genomes in the order Fagales. J Hered 2023; 114:570-579. [PMID: 37335172 PMCID: PMC10445516 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad036] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Juglans californica, California walnut, is a vulnerable small tree that is locally abundant but restricted to woodland and chaparral habitats of Southern California threatened by urbanization and land use change. This species is the dominant species in a unique woodland ecosystem in California. It is one of 2 endemic California walnut species (family Juglandaceae). The other species, Northern California black walnut (J. hindsii), has been suggested controversially to be a variety of J. californica. Here, we report a new, chromosome-level assembly of J. californica as part of the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP). Consistent with the CCGP common methodology across ~150 genomes, we used Pacific Biosciences HiFi long reads and Omni-C chromatin-proximity sequencing technology to produce a de novo assembled genome. The assembly comprises 137 scaffolds spanning 551,065,703 bp, has a contig N50 of 30 Mb, a scaffold N50 of 37 Mb, and BUSCO complete score of 98.9%. Additionally, the mitochondrial genome has 701,569 bp. In addition, we compare this genome with other existing high-quality Juglans and Quercus genomes, which are in the same order (Fagales) and show relatively high synteny within the Juglans genomes. Future work will utilize the J. californica genome to determine its relationship with the Northern California walnut and assess the extent to which these 2 endemic trees might be at risk from fragmentation and/or climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sorel Fitz-Gibbon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Alayna Mead
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Scott O’Donnell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Zhi-Zhong Li
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Merly Escalona
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Eric Beraut
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Samuel Sacco
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Mohan P A Marimuthu
- DNA Technologies and Expression Analysis Core Laboratory, Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Oanh Nguyen
- DNA Technologies and Expression Analysis Core Laboratory, Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Victoria L Sork
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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16
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Chow HT, Mosher RA. Small RNA-mediated DNA methylation during plant reproduction. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1787-1800. [PMID: 36651080 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive tissues are a rich source of small RNAs, including several classes of short interfering (si)RNAs that are restricted to this stage of development. In addition to RNA polymerase IV-dependent 24-nt siRNAs that trigger canonical RNA-directed DNA methylation, abundant reproductive-specific siRNAs are produced from companion cells adjacent to the developing germ line or zygote and may move intercellularly before inducing methylation. In some cases, these siRNAs are produced via non-canonical biosynthesis mechanisms or from sequences with little similarity to transposons. While the precise role of these siRNAs and the methylation they trigger is unclear, they have been implicated in specifying a single megaspore mother cell, silencing transposons in the male germ line, mediating parental dosage conflict to ensure proper endosperm development, hypermethylation of mature embryos, and trans-chromosomal methylation in hybrids. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of reproductive siRNAs, including their biosynthesis, transport, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiu Tung Chow
- The School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0036, USA
| | - Rebecca A Mosher
- The School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0036, USA
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17
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Li J, Han F, Yuan T, Li W, Li Y, Wu HX, Wei H, Niu S. The methylation landscape of giga-genome and the epigenetic timer of age in Chinese pine. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1947. [PMID: 37029142 PMCID: PMC10082083 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37684-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics has been revealed to play a crucial role in the long-term memory in plants. However, little is known about whether the epigenetic modifications occur with age progressively in conifers. Here, we present the single-base resolution DNA methylation landscapes of the 25-gigabase Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) genome at different ages. The result shows that DNA methylation is closely coupled with the regulation of gene transcription. The age-dependent methylation profile with a linearly increasing trend is the most significant pattern of DMRs between ages. Two segments at the five-prime end of the first ultra-long intron in DAL1, a conservative age biomarker in conifers, shows a gradual decline of CHG methylation as the age increased, which is highly correlated with its expression profile. Similar high correlation is also observed in nine other age marker genes. Our results suggest that DNA methylation serves as an important epigenetic signature of developmental age in conifers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, The Tree and Ornamental Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Fangxu Han
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, The Tree and Ornamental Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Tongqi Yuan
- College of Material Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
| | - Wei Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, The Tree and Ornamental Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Yue Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, The Tree and Ornamental Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Harry X Wu
- Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Linnaeus väg 6, SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden
- CSIRO National Research Collection Australia, Black Mountain Laboratory, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Hairong Wei
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Shihui Niu
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, The Tree and Ornamental Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, PR China.
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18
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Gupta K, Garg R. Unravelling Differential DNA Methylation Patterns in Genotype Dependent Manner under Salinity Stress Response in Chickpea. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031863. [PMID: 36768187 PMCID: PMC9915442 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that govern gene regulation in response to abiotic stress in plants. Here, we analyzed the role of epigenetic variations by exploring global DNA methylation and integrating it with differential gene expression in response to salinity stress in tolerant and sensitive chickpea genotypes. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles showed higher CG methylation in the gene body regions and higher CHH methylation in the TE body regions. The analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) suggested more hyper-methylation in response to stress in the tolerant genotype compared to the sensitive genotype. We observed higher enrichment of CG DMRs in genes and CHH DMRs in transposable elements (TEs). A positive correlation of gene expression with CG gene body methylation was observed. The enrichment analysis of DMR-associated differentially expressed genes revealed they are involved in biological processes, such as lateral root development, transmembrane transporter activity, GTPase activity, and regulation of gene expression. Further, a high correlation of CG methylation with CHG and CHH methylation under salinity stress was revealed, suggesting crosstalk among the methylation contexts. Further, we observed small RNA-mediated CHH hypermethylation in TEs. Overall, the interplay between DNA methylation, small RNAs, and gene expression provides new insights into the regulatory mechanism underlying salinity stress response in chickpeas.
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19
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Zheng G, Hu S, Cheng S, Wang L, Kan L, Wang Z, Xu Q, Liu Z, Kang C. Factor of DNA methylation 1 affects woodland strawberry plant stature and organ size via DNA methylation. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 191:335-351. [PMID: 36200851 PMCID: PMC9806633 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is an epigenetic process that directs silencing to specific genomic regions and loci. The biological functions of RdDM are not well studied in horticultural plants. Here, we isolated the ethyl methane-sulfonate-induced mutant reduced organ size (ros) producing small leaves, flowers, and fruits in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) due to reduced cell numbers compared with that in the wild-type (WT). The candidate mutation causes a premature stop codon in FvH4_6g28780, which shares high similarity to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Factor of DNA Methylation1 (FDM1) encoding an RdDM pathway component and was named FveFDM1. Consistently, the fvefdm1CR mutants generated by CRISPR/Cas9 also produced smaller organs. Overexpressing FveFDM1 in an Arabidopsis fdm1-1 fdm2-1 double mutant restored DNA methylation at the RdDM target loci. FveFDM1 acts in a protein complex with its homolog Involved in De Novo 2 (FveIDN2). Furthermore, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed that DNA methylation, especially in the CHH context, was remarkably reduced throughout the genome in fvefdm1. Common and specific differentially expressed genes were identified in different tissues of fvefdm1 compared to in WT tissues. DNA methylation and expression levels of several gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis and cell cycle genes were validated. Moreover, the contents of GA and auxin were substantially reduced in the young leaves of fvefdm1 compared to in the WT. However, exogenous application of GA and auxin could not recover the organ size of fvefdm1. In addition, expression levels of FveFDM1, FveIDN2, Nuclear RNA Polymerase D1 (FveNRPD1), Domains Rearranged Methylase 2 (FveDRM2), and cell cycle genes were greatly induced by GA treatment. Overall, our work demonstrated the critical roles of FveFDM1 in plant growth and development via RdDM-mediated DNA methylation in horticultural crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghui Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Shaoqiang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Simin Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Liyang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lijun Kan
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhengming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qiang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhongchi Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, Mary land 20742, USA
| | - Chunying Kang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
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20
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Griess O, Domb K, Katz A, Harris KD, Heskiau KG, Ohad N, Zemach A. Knockout of DDM1 in Physcomitrium patens disrupts DNA methylation with a minute effect on transposon regulation and development. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279688. [PMID: 36888585 PMCID: PMC9994747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279688] [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: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Snf2 chromatin remodeler, DECREASE IN DNA METHYLATION 1 (DDM1) facilitates DNA methylation. In flowering plants, DDM1 mediates methylation in heterochromatin, which is targeted primarily by MET1 and CMT methylases and is necessary for silencing transposons and for proper development. DNA methylation mechanisms evolved throughout plant evolution, whereas the role of DDM1 in early terrestrial plants remains elusive. Here, we studied the function of DDM1 in the moss, Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens, which has robust DNA methylation that suppresses transposons and is mediated by a MET1, a CMT, and a DNMT3 methylases. To elucidate the role of DDM1 in P. patens, we have generated a knockout mutant and found DNA methylation to be strongly disrupted at any of its sequence contexts. Symmetric CG and CHG sequences were affected stronger than asymmetric CHH sites. Furthermore, despite their separate targeting mechanisms, CG (MET) and CHG (CMT) methylation were similarly depleted by about 75%. CHH (DNMT3) methylation was overall reduced by about 25%, with an evident hyper-methylation activity within lowly-methylated euchromatic transposon sequences. Despite the strong hypomethylation effect, only a minute number of transposons were transcriptionally activated in Ppddm1. Finally, Ppddm1 was found to develop normally throughout the plant life cycle. These results demonstrate that DNA methylation is strongly dependent on DDM1 in a non-flowering plant; that DDM1 is required for plant-DNMT3 (CHH) methylases, though to a lower extent than for MET1 and CMT enzymes; and that distinct and separate methylation pathways (e.g. MET1-CG and CMT-CHG), can be equally regulated by the chromatin and that DDM1 plays a role in it. Finally, our data suggest that the biological significance of DDM1 in terms of transposon regulation and plant development, is species dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofir Griess
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, Tel- Aviv, Israel
| | - Katherine Domb
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, Tel- Aviv, Israel
| | - Aviva Katz
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, Tel- Aviv, Israel
| | - Keith D. Harris
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, Tel- Aviv, Israel
| | - Karina G. Heskiau
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, Tel- Aviv, Israel
| | - Nir Ohad
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, Tel- Aviv, Israel
- * E-mail: (AZ); (NO)
| | - Assaf Zemach
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, Tel- Aviv, Israel
- * E-mail: (AZ); (NO)
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21
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Volná A, Bartas M, Nezval J, Pech R, Pečinka P, Špunda V, Červeň J. Beyond the Primary Structure of Nucleic Acids: Potential Roles of Epigenetics and Noncanonical Structures in the Regulations of Plant Growth and Stress Responses. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2642:331-361. [PMID: 36944887 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3044-0_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics deals with changes in gene expression that are not caused by modifications in the primary sequence of nucleic acids. These changes beyond primary structures of nucleic acids not only include DNA/RNA methylation, but also other reversible conversions, together with histone modifications or RNA interference. In addition, under particular conditions (such as specific ion concentrations or protein-induced stabilization), the right-handed double-stranded DNA helix (B-DNA) can form noncanonical structures commonly described as "non-B DNA" structures. These structures comprise, for example, cruciforms, i-motifs, triplexes, and G-quadruplexes. Their formation often leads to significant differences in replication and transcription rates. Noncanonical RNA structures have also been documented to play important roles in translation regulation and the biology of noncoding RNAs. In human and animal studies, the frequency and dynamics of noncanonical DNA and RNA structures are intensively investigated, especially in the field of cancer research and neurodegenerative diseases. In contrast, noncanonical DNA and RNA structures in plants have been on the fringes of interest for a long time and only a few studies deal with their formation, regulation, and physiological importance for plant stress responses. Herein, we present a review focused on the main fields of epigenetics in plants and their possible roles in stress responses and signaling, with special attention dedicated to noncanonical DNA and RNA structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Volná
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Bartas
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Nezval
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Radomír Pech
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Pečinka
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Špunda
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Červeň
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
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22
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Drozda A, Kurpisz B, Guan Y, Arasimowicz-Jelonek M, Plich J, Jagodzik P, Kuźnicki D, Floryszak-Wieczorek J. Insights into the expression of DNA (de)methylation genes responsive to nitric oxide signaling in potato resistance to late blight disease. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1033699. [PMID: 36618647 PMCID: PMC9815718 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1033699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Our previous study concerning the pathogen-induced biphasic pattern of nitric oxide (NO) burst revealed that the decline phase and a low level of NO, due to S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) activity, might be decisive in the upregulation of stress-sensitive genes via histone H3/H4 methylation in potato leaves inoculated with avr P. infestans. The present study refers to the NO-related impact on genes regulating DNA (de)methylation, being in dialog with histone methylation. The excessive amounts of NO after the pathogen or GSNO treatment forced the transient upregulation of histone SUVH4 methylation and DNA hypermethylation. Then the diminished NO bioavailability reduced the SUVH4-mediated suppressive H3K9me2 mark on the R3a gene promoter and enhanced its transcription. However, we found that the R3a gene is likely to be controlled by the RdDM methylation pathway. The data revealed the time-dependent downregulation of the DCL3, AGO4, and miR482e genes, exerting upregulation of the targeted R3a gene correlated with ROS1 overexpression. Based on these results, we postulate that the biphasic waves of NO burst in response to the pathogen appear crucial in establishing potato resistance to late blight through the RdDM pathway controlling R gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andżelika Drozda
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agronomy, Horticulture and Bioengineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Barbara Kurpisz
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agronomy, Horticulture and Bioengineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Yufeng Guan
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agronomy, Horticulture and Bioengineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Jarosław Plich
- Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute - National Research Institute, Młochów, Poland
| | - Przemysław Jagodzik
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Daniel Kuźnicki
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agronomy, Horticulture and Bioengineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jolanta Floryszak-Wieczorek
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agronomy, Horticulture and Bioengineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
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23
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Wang Y, Le BH, Wang J, You C, Zhao Y, Galli M, Xu Y, Gallavotti A, Eulgem T, Mo B, Chen X. ZMP recruits and excludes Pol IV-mediated DNA methylation in a site-specific manner. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadc9454. [PMID: 36427317 PMCID: PMC9699677 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adc9454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In plants, RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) uses small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to target transposable elements (TEs) but usually avoids genes. RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) shapes the landscape of DNA methylation through its pivotal role in siRNA biogenesis. However, how Pol IV is recruited to specific loci, particularly how it avoids genes, is poorly understood. Here, we identified a Pol IV-interacting protein, ZMP (zinc finger, mouse double-minute/switching complex B, Plus-3 protein), which exerts a dual role in regulating siRNA biogenesis and DNA methylation at specific genomic regions. ZMP is required for siRNA biogenesis at some pericentromeric regions and prevents Pol IV from targeting a subset of TEs and genes at euchromatic loci. As a chromatin-associated protein, ZMP prefers regions with depleted histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation abutted by regions with H3K4 methylation, probably monitoring changes in local H3K4 methylation status to regulate Pol IV's chromatin occupancy. Our findings uncover a mechanism governing the specificity of RdDM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Institute of Innovative Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060 Shenzhen, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060 Shenzhen, China
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Brandon H. Le
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jianqiang Wang
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Chenjiang You
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Plant Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yonghui Zhao
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Mary Galli
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, USA
| | - Ye Xu
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Andrea Gallavotti
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, USA
| | - Thomas Eulgem
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Beixin Mo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Institute of Innovative Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 518060 Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuemei Chen
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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24
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Structure and Mechanism of Plant DNA Methyltransferases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1389:137-157. [PMID: 36350509 PMCID: PMC10112988 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11454-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark conserved in eukaryotes from fungi to animals and plants, where it plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression and transposon silencing. Once the methylation mark is established by de novo DNA methyltransferases, specific regulatory mechanisms are required to maintain the methylation state during chromatin replication, both during meiosis and mitosis. Plant DNA methylation is found in three contexts; CG, CHG, and CHH (H = A, T, C), which are established and maintained by a unique set of DNA methyltransferases and are regulated by plant-specific pathways. DNA methylation in plants is often associated with other epigenetic modifications, such as noncoding RNA and histone modifications. This chapter focuses on the structure, function, and regulatory mechanism of plant DNA methyltransferases and their crosstalk with other epigenetic pathways.
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25
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Xue Y, Zou C, Zhang C, Yu H, Chen B, Wang H. Dynamic DNA methylation changes reveal tissue-specific gene expression in sugarcane. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1036764. [PMID: 36311126 PMCID: PMC9606695 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1036764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important mechanism for the dynamic regulation of gene expression and silencing of transposons during plant developmental processes. Here, we analyzed genome-wide methylation patterns in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) leaves, roots, rinds, and piths at single-base resolution. DNA methylation patterns were similar among the different sugarcane tissues, whereas DNA methylation levels differed. We also found that DNA methylation in different genic regions or sequence contexts plays different roles in gene expression. Differences in methylation among tissues resulted in many differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between tissues, particularly CHH DMRs. Genes overlapping with DMRs tended to be differentially expressed (DEGs) between tissues, and these DMR-associated DEGs were enriched in biological pathways related to tissue function, such as photosynthesis, sucrose synthesis, stress response, transport, and metabolism. Moreover, we observed many DNA methylation valleys (DMVs), which always overlapped with transcription factors (TFs) and sucrose-related genes, such as WRKY, bZIP, WOX, SPS, and FBPase. Collectively, these findings provide significant insights into the complicated interplay between DNA methylation and gene expression and shed light on the epigenetic regulation of sucrose-related genes in sugarcane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Xue
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Chengwu Zou
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Hang Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Baoshan Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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Abstract
Adaptive antiviral immunity in plants is an RNA-based mechanism in which small RNAs derived from both strands of the viral RNA are guides for an Argonaute (AGO) nuclease. The primed AGO specifically targets and silences the viral RNA. In plants this system has diversified to involve mobile small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), an amplification system involving secondary siRNAs and targeting mechanisms involving DNA methylation. Most, if not all, plant viruses encode multifunctional proteins that are suppressors of RNA silencing that may also influence the innate immune system and fine-tune the virus-host interaction. Animal viruses similarly trigger RNA silencing, although it may be masked in differentiated cells by the interferon system and by the action of the virus-encoded suppressor proteins. There is huge potential for RNA silencing to combat viral disease in crops, farm animals, and people, although there are complications associated with the various strategies for siRNA delivery including transgenesis. Alternative approaches could include using breeding or small molecule treatment to enhance the inherent antiviral capacity of infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Baulcombe
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom;
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27
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Lopez-Gomollon S. Keep calm and methylate on: Ovule small RNAs methylate protein-coding genes in trans related with fertility. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:3491-3492. [PMID: 35921142 PMCID: PMC9516194 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
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28
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Marchant DB, Chen G, Cai S, Chen F, Schafran P, Jenkins J, Shu S, Plott C, Webber J, Lovell JT, He G, Sandor L, Williams M, Rajasekar S, Healey A, Barry K, Zhang Y, Sessa E, Dhakal RR, Wolf PG, Harkess A, Li FW, Rössner C, Becker A, Gramzow L, Xue D, Wu Y, Tong T, Wang Y, Dai F, Hua S, Wang H, Xu S, Xu F, Duan H, Theißen G, McKain MR, Li Z, McKibben MTW, Barker MS, Schmitz RJ, Stevenson DW, Zumajo-Cardona C, Ambrose BA, Leebens-Mack JH, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Soltis PS, Soltis DE, Chen ZH. Dynamic genome evolution in a model fern. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:1038-1051. [PMID: 36050461 PMCID: PMC9477723 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01226-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The large size and complexity of most fern genomes have hampered efforts to elucidate fundamental aspects of fern biology and land plant evolution through genome-enabled research. Here we present a chromosomal genome assembly and associated methylome, transcriptome and metabolome analyses for the model fern species Ceratopteris richardii. The assembly reveals a history of remarkably dynamic genome evolution including rapid changes in genome content and structure following the most recent whole-genome duplication approximately 60 million years ago. These changes include massive gene loss, rampant tandem duplications and multiple horizontal gene transfers from bacteria, contributing to the diversification of defence-related gene families. The insertion of transposable elements into introns has led to the large size of the Ceratopteris genome and to exceptionally long genes relative to other plants. Gene family analyses indicate that genes directing seed development were co-opted from those controlling the development of fern sporangia, providing insights into seed plant evolution. Our findings and annotated genome assembly extend the utility of Ceratopteris as a model for investigating and teaching plant biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guang Chen
- Central Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Shengguan Cai
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fei Chen
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Jerry Jenkins
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Shengqiang Shu
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Chris Plott
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Jenell Webber
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - John T Lovell
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Guifen He
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Laura Sandor
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Melissa Williams
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Shanmugam Rajasekar
- Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Adam Healey
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Kerrie Barry
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yinwen Zhang
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Emily Sessa
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rijan R Dhakal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Paul G Wolf
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Alex Harkess
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Fay-Wei Li
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Plant Biology Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Clemens Rössner
- Justus-Liebig-University, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Institute of Botany, Gießen, Germany
| | - Annette Becker
- Justus-Liebig-University, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Institute of Botany, Gießen, Germany
| | - Lydia Gramzow
- Matthias Schleiden Institute/Genetics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Dawei Xue
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuhuan Wu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tao Tong
- College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fei Dai
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuijin Hua
- Institute of Crops and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shengchun Xu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fei Xu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Honglang Duan
- Institute for Forest Resources & Environment of Guizhou, Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation in Plateau Mountain of Guizhou Province, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Günter Theißen
- Matthias Schleiden Institute/Genetics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael R McKain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Michael T W McKibben
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Michael S Barker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jane Grimwood
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Pamela S Soltis
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Douglas E Soltis
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Zhong-Hua Chen
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
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29
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Niu LZ, Xu W, Ma PF, Guo ZH, Li DZ. Single-base methylome analysis reveals dynamic changes of genome-wide DNA methylation associated with rapid stem growth of woody bamboos. PLANTA 2022; 256:53. [PMID: 35913571 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-022-03962-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
CG and CHG methylation levels in the rapid shoot growth stages (ST2-ST4) of woody bamboos were obviously decreased, which might regulate the internode elongation during rapid shoot growth, while CHH methylation was strongly associated with shoot developmental time or age. DNA methylation plays a critical role in the regulation of plant growth and development. Woody bamboos have a unique trait of rapid stem growth resulted from internode elongation at the shooting period. However, it is still unclear whether DNA methylation significantly controls the bamboo rapid stem growth. Here we present whole-genome DNA methylation profiles of the paleotropical woody bamboo Bonia amplexicaulis at five newly defined stages of shoot growth, named ST1-ST5. We found that CG and CHG methylation levels in the rapid shoot growth stages (ST2-ST4) were significantly lower than in the incubation (ST1) and plateau stages (ST5). The changes in methylation levels mainly occurred in flanking regions of genes and gene body regions, and 23647 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified between ST1 and rapid shoot growth stages (ST2-ST4). Combined with transcriptome analysis, we found that DMR-related genes enriched in the auxin and jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction, and other pathways closely related to plant growth. Intriguingly, CHH methylation was not involved in the rapid shoot growth, but strongly associated with shoot developmental time by gradually accumulating in transposable elements (TEs) regions. Overall, our results reveal the importance of DNA methylation in regulating the bamboo rapid shoot growth and suggest a role of DNA methylation associated with development time or age in woody bamboos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Zhong Niu
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Peng-Fei Ma
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Guo
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - De-Zhu Li
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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30
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Chakraborty T, Trujillo JT, Kendall T, Mosher RA. A null allele of the pol IV second subunit impacts stature and reproductive development in Oryza sativa. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:748-755. [PMID: 35635763 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
All eukaryotes possess three DNA-dependent RNA polymerases, Pols I-III, while land plants possess two additional polymerases, Pol IV and Pol V. Derived through duplication of Pol II subunits, Pol IV produces 24-nt short interfering RNAs that interact with Pol V transcripts to target de novo DNA methylation and silence transcription of transposons. Members of the grass family encode additional duplicated subunits of Pol IV and V, raising questions regarding the function of each paralog. In this study, we identify a null allele of the putative Pol IV second subunit, NRPD2, and demonstrate that NRPD2 is the sole subunit functioning with NRPD1 in small RNA production and CHH methylation in leaves. Homozygous nrpd2 mutants have neither gametophytic defects nor embryo lethality, although adult plants are dwarf and sterile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Chakraborty
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
| | - Joshua T Trujillo
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Timmy Kendall
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
| | - Rebecca A Mosher
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
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31
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Fang J, Jiang J, Leichter SM, Liu J, Biswal M, Khudaverdyan N, Zhong X, Song J. Mechanistic basis for maintenance of CHG DNA methylation in plants. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3877. [PMID: 35790763 PMCID: PMC9256654 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31627-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an evolutionarily conserved epigenetic mechanism essential for transposon silencing and heterochromatin assembly. In plants, DNA methylation widely occurs in the CG, CHG, and CHH (H = A, C, or T) contexts, with the maintenance of CHG methylation mediated by CMT3 chromomethylase. However, how CMT3 interacts with the chromatin environment for faithful maintenance of CHG methylation is unclear. Here we report structure-function characterization of the H3K9me2-directed maintenance of CHG methylation by CMT3 and its Zea mays ortholog ZMET2. Base-specific interactions and DNA deformation coordinately underpin the substrate specificity of CMT3 and ZMET2, while a bivalent readout of H3K9me2 and H3K18 allosterically stimulates substrate binding. Disruption of the interaction with DNA or H3K9me2/H3K18 led to loss of CMT3/ZMET2 activity in vitro and impairment of genome-wide CHG methylation in vivo. Together, our study uncovers how the intricate interplay of CMT3, repressive histone marks, and DNA sequence mediates heterochromatic CHG methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Fang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Jianjun Jiang
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53715, USA
| | - Sarah M Leichter
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53715, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53715, USA
| | - Mahamaya Biswal
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Nelli Khudaverdyan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53715, USA.
| | - Jikui Song
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
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32
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Shi Y, Qin Y, Li F, Wang H. Genome-Wide Profiling of DNA Methylome and Transcriptome Reveals Epigenetic Regulation of Potato Response to DON Stress. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:934379. [PMID: 35812951 PMCID: PMC9260311 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.934379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Potato is an important food crop that occupies lesser area but has greater production than rice and wheat. However, potato production is affected by numerous biotic and abiotic stresses, among which Fusarium dry rot is a disease that has significant effect on potato production, storage, and processing. However, the role of DNA methylation in regulating potato response to Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) stress is still not fully understood. In this study, we performed DNA methylome and transcriptome analyses of potato tubers treated with five concentrations of DON. The global DNA methylation levels in potato tubers treated with different concentrations of DON showed significant changes relative to those in the control. In particular, the 20 ng/ml treatment showed the largest decrease in all three contexts of methylation levels, especially CHH contexts in transposon regions. The differentially methylated region (DMR)-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in resistance-related metabolic pathways, indicating that DNA methylation plays an essential role in potato response to DON stress. Furthermore, we examined lesions on potato tubers infested with Fusarium after treatment. Furthermore, the potato tubers treated with 5 and 35 ng/ml DON had lesions of significantly smaller diameters than those of the control, indicating that DON stress may induce resistance. We speculate that this may be related to epigenetic memory created after DNA methylation changes. The detailed DNA methylome and transcriptome profiles suggest that DNA methylation plays a vital role in potato disease resistance and has great potential for enhancing potato dry rot resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Shi
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuan Qin
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Fenglan Li
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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33
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Sork VL, Cokus SJ, Fitz-Gibbon ST, Zimin AV, Puiu D, Garcia JA, Gugger PF, Henriquez CL, Zhen Y, Lohmueller KE, Pellegrini M, Salzberg SL. High-quality genome and methylomes illustrate features underlying evolutionary success of oaks. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2047. [PMID: 35440538 PMCID: PMC9018854 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29584-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Quercus, which emerged ∼55 million years ago during globally warm temperatures, diversified into ∼450 extant species. We present a high-quality de novo genome assembly of a California endemic oak, Quercus lobata, revealing features consistent with oak evolutionary success. Effective population size remained large throughout history despite declining since early Miocene. Analysis of 39,373 mapped protein-coding genes outlined copious duplications consistent with genetic and phenotypic diversity, both by retention of genes created during the ancient γ whole genome hexaploid duplication event and by tandem duplication within families, including numerous resistance genes and a very large block of duplicated DUF247 genes, which have been found to be associated with self-incompatibility in grasses. An additional surprising finding is that subcontext-specific patterns of DNA methylation associated with transposable elements reveal broadly-distributed heterochromatin in intergenic regions, similar to grasses. Collectively, these features promote genetic and phenotypic variation that would facilitate adaptability to changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Sork
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA.
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Shawn J Cokus
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Sorel T Fitz-Gibbon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
| | - Aleksey V Zimin
- Center for Computational Biology, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Daniela Puiu
- Center for Computational Biology, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jesse A Garcia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
| | - Paul F Gugger
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, 21532, USA
| | - Claudia L Henriquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
| | - Ying Zhen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
| | - Kirk E Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Steven L Salzberg
- Center for Computational Biology, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
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Catoni M, Alvarez-Venegas R, Worrall D, Holroyd G, Barraza A, Luna E, Ton J, Roberts MR. Long-Lasting Defence Priming by β-Aminobutyric Acid in Tomato Is Marked by Genome-Wide Changes in DNA Methylation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:836326. [PMID: 35498717 PMCID: PMC9051511 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.836326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Exposure of plants to stress conditions or to certain chemical elicitors can establish a primed state, whereby responses to future stress encounters are enhanced. Stress priming can be long-lasting and likely involves epigenetic regulation of stress-responsive gene expression. However, the molecular events underlying priming are not well understood. Here, we characterise epigenetic changes in tomato plants primed for pathogen resistance by treatment with β-aminobutyric acid (BABA). We used whole genome bisulphite sequencing to construct tomato methylomes from control plants and plants treated with BABA at the seedling stage, and a parallel transcriptome analysis to identify genes primed for the response to inoculation by the fungal pathogen, Botrytis cinerea. Genomes of plants treated with BABA showed a significant reduction in global cytosine methylation, especially in CHH sequence contexts. Analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) revealed that CHH DMRs were almost exclusively hypomethylated and were enriched in gene promoters and in DNA transposons located in the chromosome arms. Genes overlapping CHH DMRs were enriched for a small number of stress response-related gene ontology terms. In addition, there was significant enrichment of DMRs in the promoters of genes that are differentially expressed in response to infection with B. cinerea. However, the majority of genes that demonstrated priming did not contain DMRs, and nor was the overall distribution of methylated cytosines in primed genes altered by BABA treatment. Hence, we conclude that whilst BABA treatment of tomato seedlings results in characteristic changes in genome-wide DNA methylation, CHH hypomethylation appears only to target a minority of genes showing primed responses to pathogen infection. Instead, methylation may confer priming via in-trans regulation, acting at a distance from defence genes, and/or by targeting a smaller group of regulatory genes controlling stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Catoni
- School of Bioscience, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Raul Alvarez-Venegas
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV-IPN, Unidad Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Dawn Worrall
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff Holroyd
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Aarón Barraza
- CONACYT-CIBNOR, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz, Mexico
| | - Estrella Luna
- School of Bioscience, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jurriaan Ton
- School of Biosciences, Institute of Sustainable Food, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Michael R. Roberts
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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CHROMOMETHYLTRANSFERASE3/KRYPTONITE maintains the sulfurea paramutation in Solanum lycopersicum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112240119. [PMID: 35324329 PMCID: PMC9060480 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112240119] [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] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
SignificanceParamutation involves the transfer of a repressive epigenetic mark between silent and active alleles. It is best known from exceptional non-Mendelian inheritance of conspicuous phenotypes in maize but also in other plants and animals. Recent genomic studies, however, indicate that paramutation may be less exceptional. It may be a consequence of wide-cross hybridization and may contribute to quantitative trait variation or unstable phenotypes in crops. Using the sulfurea (sulf) locus in tomato, we demonstrate that a self-reinforcing feedback loop involving DNA- and histone-methyl transferases CHROMOMETHYLTRANSFERASE3 (CMT3) and KRYPTONITE (KYP) is required for paramutation of sulf and that there is a change in chromatin organization. These findings advance the understanding of non-Mendelian inheritance in plants.
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Muyle AM, Seymour DK, Lv Y, Huettel B, Gaut BS. Gene-body methylation in plants: mechanisms, functions and important implications for understanding evolutionary processes. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6550137. [PMID: 35298639 PMCID: PMC8995044 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene body methylation (gbM) is an epigenetic mark where gene exons are methylated in the CG context only, as opposed to CHG and CHH contexts (where H stands for A, C, or T). CG methylation is transmitted transgenerationally in plants, opening the possibility that gbM may be shaped by adaptation. This presupposes, however, that gbM has a function that affects phenotype, which has been a topic of debate in the literature. Here, we review our current knowledge of gbM in plants. We start by presenting the well-elucidated mechanisms of plant gbM establishment and maintenance. We then review more controversial topics: the evolution of gbM and the potential selective pressures that act on it. Finally, we discuss the potential functions of gbM that may affect organismal phenotypes: gene expression stabilization and upregulation, inhibition of aberrant transcription (reverse and internal), prevention of aberrant intron retention, and protection against TE insertions. To bolster the review of these topics, we include novel analyses to assess the effect of gbM on transcripts. Overall, a growing body of literature finds that gbM correlates with levels and patterns of gene expression. It is not clear, however, if this is a causal relationship. Altogether, functional work suggests that the effects of gbM, if any, must be relatively small, but there is nonetheless evidence that it is shaped by natural selection. We conclude by discussing the potential adaptive character of gbM and its implications for an updated view of the mechanisms of adaptation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yuanda Lv
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, Institute of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Bruno Huettel
- Max Planck Genome Centre Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding, Cologne, Germany
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Decoding the sorghum methylome: understanding epigenetic contributions to agronomic traits. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:583-596. [PMID: 35212360 PMCID: PMC9022969 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210908] [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: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a chromatin modification that plays an essential role in regulating gene expression and genome stability and it is typically associated with gene silencing and heterochromatin. Owing to its heritability, alterations in the patterns of DNA methylation have the potential to provide for epigenetic inheritance of traits. Contemporary epigenomic technologies provide information beyond sequence variation and could supply alternative sources of trait variation for improvement in crops such as sorghum. Yet, compared with other species such as maize and rice, the sorghum DNA methylome is far less well understood. The distribution of CG, CHG, and CHH methylation in the genome is different compared with other species. CG and CHG methylation levels peak around centromeric segments in the sorghum genome and are far more depleted in the gene dense chromosome arms. The genes regulating DNA methylation in sorghum are also yet to be functionally characterised; better understanding of their identity and functional analysis of DNA methylation machinery mutants in diverse genotypes will be important to better characterise the sorghum methylome. Here, we catalogue homologous genes encoding methylation regulatory enzymes in sorghum based on genes in Arabidopsis, maize, and rice. Discovering variation in the methylome may uncover epialleles that provide extra information to explain trait variation and has the potential to be applied in epigenome-wide association studies or genomic prediction. DNA methylation can also improve genome annotations and discover regulatory elements underlying traits. Thus, improving our knowledge of the sorghum methylome can enhance our understanding of the molecular basis of traits and may be useful to improve sorghum performance.
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38
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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: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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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Wen YX, Wang JY, Zhu HH, Han GH, Huang RN, Huang L, Hong YG, Zheng SJ, Yang JL, Chen WW. Potential Role of Domains Rearranged Methyltransferase7 in Starch and Chlorophyll Metabolism to Regulate Leaf Senescence in Tomato. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:836015. [PMID: 35211145 PMCID: PMC8860812 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.836015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation is an important epigenetic mark involved in diverse biological processes. Here, we report the critical function of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Domains Rearranged Methyltransferase7 (SlDRM7) in plant growth and development, especially in leaf interveinal chlorosis and senescence. Using a hairpin RNA-mediated RNA interference (RNAi), we generated SlDRM7-RNAi lines and observed pleiotropic developmental defects including small and interveinal chlorosis leaves. Combined analyses of whole genome bisulfite sequence (WGBS) and RNA-seq revealed that silencing of SlDRM7 caused alterations in both methylation levels and transcript levels of 289 genes, which are involved in chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis, and starch degradation. Furthermore, the photosynthetic capacity decreased in SlDRM7-RNAi lines, consistent with the reduced chlorophyll content and repression of genes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosystem, and photosynthesis. In contrast, starch granules were highly accumulated in chloroplasts of SlDRM7-RNAi lines and associated with lowered expression of genes in the starch degradation pathway. In addition, SlDRM7 was activated by aging- and dark-induced senescence. Collectively, these results demonstrate that SlDRM7 acts as an epi-regulator to modulate the expression of genes related to starch and chlorophyll metabolism, thereby affecting leaf chlorosis and senescence in tomatoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xin Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hui Hui Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guang Hao Han
- 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, 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, China
| | - Li Huang
- Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, Institute of Vegetable Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Guo Hong
- 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, China
| | - Shao Jian Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian Li Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wei 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, China
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40
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Wang L, Zheng K, Zeng L, Xu D, Zhu T, Yin Y, Zhan H, Wu Y, Yang DL. Reinforcement of CHH methylation through RNA-directed DNA methylation ensures sexual reproduction in rice. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 188:1189-1209. [PMID: 34791444 PMCID: PMC8825330 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark that regulates the expression of genes and transposons. RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is the main molecular pathway responsible for de novo DNA methylation in plants. Although the mechanism of RdDM has been well studied in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), most mutations in RdDM genes cause no remarkable developmental defects in Arabidopsis. Here, we isolated and cloned Five Elements Mountain 1 (FEM1), which encodes RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 2 (OsRDR2) in rice (Oryza sativa). Mutation in OsRDR2 abolished the accumulation of 24-nt small interfering RNAs, and consequently substantially decreased genome-wide CHH (H = A, C, or T) methylation. Moreover, male and female reproductive development was disturbed, which led to sterility in osrdr2 mutants. We discovered that OsRDR2-dependent DNA methylation may regulate the expression of multiple key genes involved in stamen development, meiosis, and pollen viability. In wild-type (WT) plants but not in osrdr2 mutants, genome-wide CHH methylation levels were greater in panicles, stamens, and pistils than in seedlings. The global increase of CHH methylation in reproductive organs of the WT was mainly explained by the enhancement of RdDM activity, which includes OsRDR2 activity. Our results, which revealed a global increase in CHH methylation through enhancement of RdDM activity in reproductive organs, suggest a crucial role for OsRDR2 in the sexual reproduction of rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Kezhi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Longjun Zeng
- Yichun Academy of Science, Yichun 336000, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Dachao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Tianxin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yumeng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Huadong Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yufeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Dong-Lei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
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41
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Farrell C, Vaquero-Sedas MI, Cubiles MD, Thompson M, Vega-Vaquero A, Pellegrini M, Vega-Palas MA. A complex network of interactions governs DNA methylation at telomeric regions. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:1449-1464. [PMID: 35061900 PMCID: PMC8860613 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation modulates telomere function. In Arabidopsis thaliana, telomeric regions have a bimodal chromatin organization with unmethylated telomeres and methylated subtelomeres. To gain insight into this organization we have generated TAIR10-Tel, a modified version of the Arabidopsis reference genome with additional sequences at most chromosome ends. TAIR10-Tel has allowed us to analyse DNA methylation at nucleotide resolution level in telomeric regions. We have analysed the wild-type strain and mutants that encode inactive versions of all currently known relevant methyltransferases involved in cytosine methylation. These analyses have revealed that subtelomeric DNA methylation extends 1 to 2 kbp from Interstitial Telomeric Sequences (ITSs) that abut or are very near to telomeres. However, DNA methylation drops at the telomeric side of the telomere-subtelomere boundaries and disappears at the inner part of telomeres. We present a comprehensive and integrative model for subtelomeric DNA methylation that should help to decipher the mechanisms that govern the epigenetic regulation of telomeres. This model involves a complex network of interactions between methyltransferases and subtelomeric DNA sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Farrell
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095, USA
| | - María I Vaquero-Sedas
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, IBVF (CSIC-US), Seville, E41092, Spain
| | - María D Cubiles
- Departamento de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, Facultad de Matemáticas, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, E41012, Spain
| | - Michael Thompson
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095, USA
| | - Alejandro Vega-Vaquero
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Informática, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, E41012, Spain
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095, USA.,Institute of Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA90095, USA
| | - Miguel A Vega-Palas
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, IBVF (CSIC-US), Seville, E41092, Spain
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42
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Ezhova TA. Paradoxes of Plant Epigenetics. Russ J Dev Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360421060047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Plants have a unique ability to adapt ontogenesis to changing environmental conditions and the influence of stress factors. This ability is based on the existence of two specific features of epigenetic regulation in plants, which seem to be mutually exclusive at first glance. On the one hand, plants are capable of partial epigenetic reprogramming of the genome, which can lead to adaptation of physiology and metabolism to changed environmental conditions as well as to changes in ontogenesis programs. On the other hand, plants can show amazing stability of epigenetic modifications and the ability to transmit them to vegetative and sexual generations. The combination of these inextricably linked epigenetic features not only ensures survival in the conditions of a sessile lifestyle but also underlies a surprisingly wide morphological diversity of plants, which can lead to the appearance of morphs within one population and the existence of interpopulation morphological differences. The review discusses the molecular genetic mechanisms that cause a paradoxical combination of the stability and lability properties of epigenetic modifications and underlie the polyvariance of ontogenesis. We also consider the existing approaches for studying the role of epigenetic regulation in the manifestation of polyvariance of ontogenesis and discuss their limitations and prospects.
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Choi J, Lyons DB, Zilberman D. Histone H1 prevents non-CG methylation-mediated small RNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis heterochromatin. eLife 2021; 10:72676. [PMID: 34850679 PMCID: PMC8828055 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Flowering plants utilize small RNA (sRNA) molecules to guide DNA methyltransferases to genomic sequences. This RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway preferentially targets euchromatic transposable elements. However, RdDM is thought to be recruited by methylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me), a hallmark of heterochromatin. How RdDM is targeted to euchromatin despite an affinity for H3K9me is unclear. Here, we show that loss of histone H1 enhances heterochromatic RdDM, preferentially at nucleosome linker DNA. Surprisingly, this does not require SHH1, the RdDM component that binds H3K9me. Furthermore, H3K9me is dispensable for RdDM, as is CG DNA methylation. Instead, we find that non-CG methylation is specifically associated with sRNA biogenesis, and without H1 sRNA production quantitatively expands to non-CG-methylated loci. Our results demonstrate that H1 enforces the separation of euchromatic and heterochromatic DNA methylation pathways by excluding the sRNA-generating branch of RdDM from non-CG-methylated heterochromatin. Cells adapt to different roles by turning different groups of genes on and off. One way cells control which genes are on or off is by creating regions of active and inactive DNA, which are created and maintained by different groups of proteins. Genes in active DNA regions can be turned on, while genes in inactive regions are switched off or silenced. Silenced DNA regions also turn off ‘transposable elements’: pieces of DNA that can copy themselves and move to other regions of the genome if they become active. Transposons can be dangerous if they are activated, because they can disrupt genes or regulatory sequences when they move. There are different types of active and inactive DNA, but it is not always clear why these differences exist, or how they are maintained over time. In plants, such as the commonly-studied weed Arabidopsis thaliana, there are two types of inactive DNA, called E and H, that can silence transposons. In both types, DNA has small chemicals called methyl groups attached to it, which help inactivate the DNA. Type E DNA is methylated by a process called RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), but RdDM is rarely seen in type H DNA. Choi, Lyons and Zilberman showed that RdDM is attracted to E and H regions by previously existing methylated DNA. However, in the H regions, a protein called histone H1 blocks RdDM from attaching methyl groups. This helps focus RdDM onto E regions where it is most needed, because E regions contain the types of transposons RdDM is best suited to silence. When Choi, Lyons and Zilberman examined genetically modified A. thaliana plants that do not produce histone H1, they found that RdDM happened in both E and H regions. There are many more H regions than E regions, so stretching RdDM across both made it less effective at silencing DNA. This work shows how different DNA silencing processes are focused onto specific genetic regions, helping explain why there are different types of active and inactive DNA within cells. RdDM has been studied as a way to affect crop growth and yield by altering DNA methylation. These results may help such studies by explaining how RdDM is naturally targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaemyung Choi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - David B Lyons
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Zilberman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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Zhang Y, Jang H, Xiao R, Kakoulidou I, Piecyk RS, Johannes F, Schmitz RJ. Heterochromatin is a quantitative trait associated with spontaneous epiallele formation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6958. [PMID: 34845222 PMCID: PMC8630088 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27320-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Epialleles are meiotically heritable variations in expression states that are independent from changes in DNA sequence. Although they are common in plant genomes, their molecular origins are unknown. Here we show, using mutant and experimental populations, that epialleles in Arabidopsis thaliana that result from ectopic hypermethylation are due to feedback regulation of pathways that primarily function to maintain DNA methylation at heterochromatin. Perturbations to maintenance of heterochromatin methylation leads to feedback regulation of DNA methylation in genes. Using single base resolution methylomes from epigenetic recombinant inbred lines (epiRIL), we show that epiallelic variation is abundant in euchromatin, yet, associates with QTL primarily in heterochromatin regions. Mapping three-dimensional chromatin contacts shows that genes that are hotspots for ectopic hypermethylation have increases in contact frequencies with regions possessing H3K9me2. Altogether, these data show that feedback regulation of pathways that have evolved to maintain heterochromatin silencing leads to the origins of spontaneous hypermethylated epialleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinwen Zhang
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Hosung Jang
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Rui Xiao
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ioanna Kakoulidou
- Department of Plant Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Robert S Piecyk
- Department of Plant Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Frank Johannes
- Department of Plant Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
- Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany.
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany.
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45
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Hu D, Yu Y, Wang C, Long Y, Liu Y, Feng L, Lu D, Liu B, Jia J, Xia R, Du J, Zhong X, Gong L, Wang K, Zhai J. Multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 editing of DNA methyltransferases in rice uncovers a class of non-CG methylation specific for GC-rich regions. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:2950-2964. [PMID: 34117872 PMCID: PMC8462809 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation in the non-CG context is widespread in the plant kingdom and abundant in mammalian tissues such as the brain and pluripotent cells. Non-CG methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana is coordinately regulated by DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE (DRM) and CHROMOMETHYLASE (CMT) proteins but has yet to be systematically studied in major crops due to difficulties in obtaining genetic materials. Here, utilizing the highly efficient multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing system, we created single- and multiple-knockout mutants for all the nine DNA methyltransferases in rice (Oryza sativa) and profiled their whole-genome methylation status at single-nucleotide resolution. Surprisingly, the simultaneous loss of DRM2, CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (CMT2), and CMT3 functions, which completely erases all non-CG methylation in Arabidopsis, only partially reduced it in rice. The regions that remained heavily methylated in non-CG contexts in the rice Os-dcc (Osdrm2/cmt2/cmt3a) triple mutant had high GC contents. Furthermore, the residual non-CG methylation in the Os-dcc mutant was eliminated in the Os-ddccc (Osdrm2/drm3/cmt2/cmt3a/cmt3b) quintuple mutant but retained in the Os-ddcc (Osdrm2/drm3/cmt2/cmt3a) quadruple mutant, demonstrating that OsCMT3b maintains non-CG methylation in the absence of other major methyltransferases. Our results showed that OsCMT3b is subfunctionalized to accommodate a distinct cluster of non-CG-methylated sites at highly GC-rich regions in the rice genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daoheng Hu
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yiming Yu
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Chun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanping Long
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Yue Liu
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Li Feng
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Dongdong Lu
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Bo Liu
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Jinbu Jia
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Rui Xia
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jiamu Du
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Laboratory of Genetics & Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lei Gong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Kejian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jixian Zhai
- School of Life Sciences & Institute of Plant and Food Science & Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
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Nozawa K, Chen J, Jiang J, Leichter SM, Yamada M, Suzuki T, Liu F, Ito H, Zhong X. DNA methyltransferase CHROMOMETHYLASE3 prevents ONSEN transposon silencing under heat stress. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009710. [PMID: 34411103 PMCID: PMC8376061 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation plays crucial roles in transposon silencing and genome integrity. CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (CMT3) is a plant-specific DNA methyltransferase responsible for catalyzing DNA methylation at the CHG (H = A, T, C) context. Here, we identified a positive role of CMT3 in heat-induced activation of retrotransposon ONSEN. We found that the full transcription of ONSEN under heat stress requires CMT3. Interestingly, loss-of-function CMT3 mutation led to increased CHH methylation at ONSEN. The CHH methylation is mediated by CMT2, as evidenced by greatly reduced CHH methylation in cmt2 and cmt2 cmt3 mutants coupled with increased ONSEN transcription. Furthermore, we found more CMT2 binding at ONSEN chromatin in cmt3 compared to wild-type accompanied with an ectopic accumulation of H3K9me2 under heat stress, suggesting a collaborative role of H3K9me2 and CHH methylation in preventing heat-induced ONSEN activation. In summary, this study identifies a non-canonical role of CMT3 in preventing transposon silencing and provides new insights into how DNA methyltransferases regulate transcription under stress conditions. DNA methylation is generally known to silence transposon and maintain genome integrity. Environmental stress has been reported to release the transcriptional silencing of some transposable elements. DNA methylation is involved in the transcriptional restriction of heat-induced Copia-type retrotransposon ONSEN in Arabidopsis when subjected to heat stress. Here, we identified a non-canonical and positive role of the DNA methyltransferase CMT3 in ONSEN reactivation under heat stress. We showed that CMT3 prevents CMT2-mediated CHH methylation and H3K9me2 accumulation under heat at ONSEN chromatin to modulate ONSEN transcription. Our work revealed the molecular mechanism of CMT3 in heat-induced ONSEN activation and sheds new light on the survival mechanism of certain transposons in the host genome under stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Nozawa
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Jiani Chen
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery & Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jianjun Jiang
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery & Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Sarah M. Leichter
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery & Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Masataka Yamada
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takamasa Suzuki
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
| | - Fengquan Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Hidetaka Ito
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita10 Nishi8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- * E-mail: (HI); (XZ)
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery & Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HI); (XZ)
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Martin GT, Seymour DK, Gaut BS. CHH Methylation Islands: A Nonconserved Feature of Grass Genomes That Is Positively Associated with Transposable Elements but Negatively Associated with Gene-Body Methylation. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab144. [PMID: 34146109 PMCID: PMC8374106 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylated CHH (mCHH) islands are peaks of CHH methylation that occur primarily upstream to genes. These regions are actively targeted by the methylation machinery, occur at boundaries between heterochromatin and euchromatin, and tend to be near highly expressed genes. Here we took an evolutionary perspective by studying upstream mCHH islands across a sample of eight grass species. Using a statistical approach to define mCHH islands as regions that differ from genome-wide background CHH methylation levels, we demonstrated that mCHH islands are common and associate with 39% of genes, on average. We hypothesized that islands should be more frequent in genomes of large size, because they have more heterochromatin and hence more need for defined boundaries. We found, however, that smaller genomes tended to have a higher proportion of genes associated with 5' mCHH islands. Consistent with previous work suggesting that islands reflect the silencing of the edge of transposable elements (TEs), genes with nearby TEs were more likely to have mCHH islands. However, the presence of mCHH islands was not a function solely of TEs, both because the underlying sequences of islands were often not homologous to TEs and because genic properties also predicted the presence of 5' mCHH islands. These genic properties included length and gene-body methylation (gbM); in fact, in three of eight species, the absence of gbM was a stronger predictor of a 5' mCHH island than TE proximity. In contrast, gene expression level was a positive but weak predictor of the presence of an island. Finally, we assessed whether mCHH islands were evolutionarily conserved by focusing on a set of 2,720 orthologs across the eight species. They were generally not conserved across evolutionary time. Overall, our data establish additional genic properties that are associated with mCHH islands and suggest that they are not just a consequence of the TE silencing machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen T Martin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Danelle K Seymour
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Brandon S Gaut
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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48
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Papareddy RK, Páldi K, Smolka AD, Hüther P, Becker C, Nodine MD. Repression of CHROMOMETHYLASE 3 prevents epigenetic collateral damage in Arabidopsis. eLife 2021; 10:e69396. [PMID: 34296996 PMCID: PMC8352596 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation has evolved to silence mutagenic transposable elements (TEs) while typically avoiding the targeting of endogenous genes. Mechanisms that prevent DNA methyltransferases from ectopically methylating genes are expected to be of prime importance during periods of dynamic cell cycle activities including plant embryogenesis. However, virtually nothing is known regarding how DNA methyltransferase activities are precisely regulated during embryogenesis to prevent the induction of potentially deleterious and mitotically stable genic epimutations. Here, we report that microRNA-mediated repression of CHROMOMETHYLASE 3 (CMT3) and the chromatin features that CMT3 prefers help prevent ectopic methylation of thousands of genes during embryogenesis that can persist for weeks afterwards. Our results are also consistent with CMT3-induced ectopic methylation of promoters or bodies of genes undergoing transcriptional activation reducing their expression. Therefore, the repression of CMT3 prevents epigenetic collateral damage on endogenous genes. We also provide a model that may help reconcile conflicting viewpoints regarding the functions of gene-body methylation that occurs in nearly all flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjith K Papareddy
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3ViennaAustria
| | - Katalin Páldi
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3ViennaAustria
| | - Anna D Smolka
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3ViennaAustria
| | - Patrick Hüther
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3ViennaAustria
- Genetics, LMU Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians UniversityMartinsriedGermany
| | - Claude Becker
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3ViennaAustria
- Genetics, LMU Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians UniversityMartinsriedGermany
| | - Michael D Nodine
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3ViennaAustria
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen UniversityWageningenNetherlands
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49
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The effect of RNA polymerase V on 24-nt siRNA accumulation depends on DNA methylation contexts and histone modifications in rice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2100709118. [PMID: 34290143 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100709118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) functions in de novo methylation in CG, CHG, and CHH contexts. Here, we performed map-based cloning of OsNRPE1, which encodes the largest subunit of RNA polymerase V (Pol V), a key regulator of gene silencing and reproductive development in rice. We found that rice Pol V is required for CHH methylation on RdDM loci by transcribing long noncoding RNAs. Pol V influences the accumulation of 24-nucleotide small interfering RNAs (24-nt siRNAs) in a locus-specific manner. Biosynthesis of 24-nt siRNAs on loci with high CHH methylation levels and low CG and CHG methylation levels tends to depend on Pol V. In contrast, low methylation levels in the CHH context and high methylation levels in CG and CHG contexts predisposes 24-nt siRNA accumulation to be independent of Pol V. H3K9me1 and H3K9me2 tend to be enriched on Pol V-independent 24-nt siRNA loci, whereas various active histone modifications are enriched on Pol V-dependent 24-nt siRNA loci. DNA methylation is required for 24-nt siRNAs biosynthesis on Pol V-dependent loci but not on Pol V-independent loci. Our results reveal the function of rice Pol V for long noncoding RNA production, DNA methylation, 24-nt siRNA accumulation, and reproductive development.
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50
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Yin L, Zhu Z, Huang L, Luo X, Li Y, Xiao C, Yang J, Wang J, Zou Q, Tao L, Kang Z, Tang R, Wang M, Fu S. DNA repair- and nucleotide metabolism-related genes exhibit differential CHG methylation patterns in natural and synthetic polyploids (Brassica napus L.). HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:142. [PMID: 34193846 PMCID: PMC8245426 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00576-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Polyploidization plays a crucial role in the evolution of angiosperm species. Almost all newly formed polyploids encounter genetic or epigenetic instabilities. However, the molecular mechanisms contributing to genomic instability in synthetic polyploids have not been clearly elucidated. Here, we performed a comprehensive transcriptomic and methylomic analysis of natural and synthetic polyploid rapeseeds (Brassica napus). Our results showed that the CHG methylation levels of synthetic rapeseed in different genomic contexts (genes, transposon regions, and repeat regions) were significantly lower than those of natural rapeseed. The total number and length of CHG-DMRs between natural and synthetic polyploids were much greater than those of CG-DMRs and CHH-DMRs, and the genes overlapping with these CHG-DMRs were significantly enriched in DNA damage repair and nucleotide metabolism pathways. These results indicated that CHG methylation may be more sensitive than CG and CHH methylation in regulating the stability of the polyploid genome of B. napus. In addition, many genes involved in DNA damage repair, nucleotide metabolism, and cell cycle control were significantly differentially expressed between natural and synthetic rapeseeds. Our results highlight that the genes related to DNA repair and nucleotide metabolism display differential CHG methylation patterns between natural and synthetic polyploids and reveal the potential connection between the genomic instability of polyploid plants with DNA methylation defects and dysregulation of the DNA repair system. In addition, it was found that the maintenance of CHG methylation in B. napus might be partially regulated by MET1. Our study provides novel insights into the establishment and evolution of polyploid plants and offers a potential idea for improving the genomic stability of newly formed Brassica polyploids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqin Yin
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, China.
| | - Zhendong Zhu
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Liangjun Huang
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
- Agricultural College, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuan Luo
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
- Agricultural College, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Yun Li
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Chaowen Xiao
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin Yang
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Jisheng Wang
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiong Zou
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Lanrong Tao
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Zeming Kang
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Rong Tang
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China
| | - Maolin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, China.
| | - Shaohong Fu
- Institute of Crop Research, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, 200 Nongke Road, Chengdu, China.
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