Project description:Seed development is sensitive to parental dosage, with excess maternal or paternal genomes creating reciprocal phenotypes. Paternal genomic excess results in extensive endosperm proliferation without cellularization and eventual seed abortion. We previously showed that loss of the RNA POL IV gene nrpd1 in tetraploid fathers represses seed abortion in paternal excess crosses. Here we show genetically that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway activity in the paternal parent is sufficient to determine the viability of paternal excess seeds. The status of the RdDM pathway in paternal excess endosperm does not impact seed viability. Comparison of endosperm transcriptomes, DNA methylation, and small RNAs from balanced and paternal excess endosperm demonstrates that paternal excess seed abortion is unlikely to be dependent on either transposable element or imprinted gene mis-regulation. We suggest instead that loss of paternal RdDM modulates expression at a small subset of genes and desensitizes endosperm to paternal excess. Finally, using allele-specific transcription data, we present evidence of a transcriptional buffering system that up37 regulates maternal alleles and represses paternal alleles in response to excess paternal genomic dosage. These findings prompt reconsideration of models for dosage sensitivity in endosperm.
Project description:Seed development is sensitive to parental dosage, with excess maternal or paternal genomes creating reciprocal phenotypes. Paternal genomic excess results in extensive endosperm proliferation without cellularization and eventual seed abortion. We previously showed that loss of the RNA POL IV gene nrpd1 in tetraploid fathers represses seed abortion in paternal excess crosses. Here we show genetically that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway activity in the paternal parent is sufficient to determine the viability of paternal excess seeds. The status of the RdDM pathway in paternal excess endosperm does not impact seed viability. Comparison of endosperm transcriptomes, DNA methylation, and small RNAs from balanced and paternal excess endosperm demonstrates that paternal excess seed abortion is unlikely to be dependent on either transposable element or imprinted gene mis-regulation. We suggest instead that loss of paternal RdDM modulates expression at a small subset of genes and desensitizes endosperm to paternal excess. Finally, using allele-specific transcription data, we present evidence of a transcriptional buffering system that up37 regulates maternal alleles and represses paternal alleles in response to excess paternal genomic dosage. These findings prompt reconsideration of models for dosage sensitivity in endosperm.
Project description:Seed development is sensitive to parental dosage, with excess maternal or paternal genomes creating reciprocal phenotypes. Paternal genomic excess results in extensive endosperm proliferation without cellularization and eventual seed abortion. We previously showed that loss of the RNA POL IV gene nrpd1 in tetraploid fathers represses seed abortion in paternal excess crosses. Here we show genetically that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway activity in the paternal parent is sufficient to determine the viability of paternal excess seeds. The status of the RdDM pathway in paternal excess endosperm does not impact seed viability. Comparison of endosperm transcriptomes, DNA methylation, and small RNAs from balanced and paternal excess endosperm demonstrates that paternal excess seed abortion is unlikely to be dependent on either transposable element or imprinted gene mis-regulation. We suggest instead that loss of paternal RdDM modulates expression at a small subset of genes and desensitizes endosperm to paternal excess. Finally, using allele-specific transcription data, we present evidence of a transcriptional buffering system that up37 regulates maternal alleles and represses paternal alleles in response to excess paternal genomic dosage. These findings prompt reconsideration of models for dosage sensitivity in endosperm.
Project description:Balance between maternal and paternal genomes within the triploid endosperm is necessary for normal seed development. The majority of endosperm genes are expressed in a 2:1 maternal:paternal ratio, reflecting genomic DNA content. Here we find that the 2:1 transcriptional ratio is, unexpectedly, actively regulated. In A. thaliana and A. lyrata, endosperm 24 nt small RNAs are reduced in TEs and enriched in genes compared to the embryo. We find an inverse relationship between the parent-of-origin of sRNAs and mRNAs, with genes more likely to be associated with maternally than paternally biased sRNAs. Disruption of the Pol IV sRNA pathway causes a shift toward maternal allele mRNA expression for many genes. Furthermore, paternal inheritance of an RNA Pol IV mutation is sufficient to rescue seed abortion caused by excess paternal genome dosage. Thus, RNA Pol IV mediates transcriptional balance between maternally and paternally inherited genomes in endosperm.
Project description:Balance between maternal and paternal genomes within the triploid endosperm is necessary for normal seed development. The majority of endosperm genes are expressed in a 2:1 maternal:paternal ratio, reflecting genomic DNA content. Here we find that the 2:1 transcriptional ratio is, unexpectedly, actively regulated. In A. thaliana and A. lyrata, endosperm 24 nt small RNAs are reduced in TEs and enriched in genes compared to the embryo. We find an inverse relationship between the parent-of-origin of sRNAs and mRNAs, with genes more likely to be associated with maternally than paternally biased sRNAs. Disruption of the Pol IV sRNA pathway causes a shift toward maternal allele mRNA expression for many genes. Furthermore, paternal inheritance of an RNA Pol IV mutation is sufficient to rescue seed abortion caused by excess paternal genome dosage. Thus, RNA Pol IV mediates transcriptional balance between maternally and paternally inherited genomes in endosperm.
Project description:Heterosis occurs where F1 offspring display superior characteristics to the parents. Heterosis is usually considered to result from crosses of genetically distinct (e.g. homozygous inbred) parents producing heterozygous F1 offspring. Most mechanistic models for heterosis require genetically heterozygous F1 hybrid offspring harbouring allelic diversity. Epigenetic or dosage models for heterosis could allow for heterosis effects in F1 offspring that display no allelic diversity with their parents. Reciprocal inter-ploidy crosses between diploid (2x) and tetraploid (4x) lines in the same genetic background generates genetically identical F1 triploids (3x). Such reciprocal F1 triploids differ according to whether the additional chromosome set is either maternally (maternal excess) or paternally inherited (paternal excess). Biomass accumulation and abiotic stress tolerance between the parental (2x and 4x) and reciprocal F1 triploid (3x) offspring of Arabidopsis thaliana accession C24 reveals a strong parental genome-dosage induced heterosis in the paternal-excess triploid F1 plants. In these F1 triploids, the circadian clock related genes CCA1 and TOC1, and the growth factors PIF4 and PIF5, display different expression levels compared to the non-heterotic maternal excess F1 triploid siblings. Whole transcriptome profiling reveals a paternal genome dosage effect on gene expression levels with strong enrichment for dysregulated abiotic stress-related genes in the paternal excess F1 triploids. This study demonstrates that heterosis can be triggered without allelic diversity in F1 triploid plants. Heterosis without heterozygosity in plants can be induced via an epigenetic “chromosome imprinting” like parental genome dosage effect requiring paternal transmission of an additional chromosome set
Project description:Gene expression in endosperm – a seed tissue that mediates transfer of maternal resources to offspring – is under complex epigenetic control. We show here that plant-specific RNA Polymerase IV mediates parental control of endosperm gene expression. Pol IV is required for the production of small interfering RNAs that typically direct DNA methylation. We compared small RNAs, DNA methylation, and mRNAs in A. thaliana endosperm from reciprocal heterozygotes produced by crossing wild-type plants to Pol IV mutants. We find that maternally and paternally acting Pol IV have divergent effects on endosperm. Losses of maternal and paternal Pol IV impact sRNAs and DNA methylation at distinct genomic sites. Strikingly, maternally and paternally-acting Pol IV have antagonistic impacts on gene expression at some loci, divergently promoting or repressing endosperm gene expression. Antagonistic parent-of origin effects have only rarely been described and are consistent with a gene regulatory system evolving under parental conflict
Project description:Gene expression in endosperm – a seed tissue that mediates transfer of maternal resources to offspring – is under complex epigenetic control. We show here that plant-specific RNA Polymerase IV mediates parental control of endosperm gene expression. Pol IV is required for the production of small interfering RNAs that typically direct DNA methylation. We compared small RNAs, DNA methylation, and mRNAs in A. thaliana endosperm from reciprocal heterozygotes produced by crossing wild-type plants to Pol IV mutants. We find that maternally and paternally acting Pol IV have divergent effects on endosperm. Losses of maternal and paternal Pol IV impact sRNAs and DNA methylation at distinct genomic sites. Strikingly, maternally and paternally-acting Pol IV have antagonistic impacts on gene expression at some loci, divergently promoting or repressing endosperm gene expression. Antagonistic parent-of origin effects have only rarely been described and are consistent with a gene regulatory system evolving under parental conflict