ABSTRACT: Assessment of the Pol IV largest subunit, NRPD1, DeCL domain deletion construct to rescue Pol IV-dependent siRNAs in the nrpd1-3 mutant (sRNA).
Project description:The Arabidopsis thaliana multi-subunit RNA Polymerase IV largest subunit DeCL domain was functionally assessed with an NRPD1 DeCL domain deletion construct.
Project description:The Arabidopsis thaliana multi-subunit RNA Polymerase IV largest subunit DeCL domain was functionally assessed with an NRPD1 DeCL domain deletion construct.
Project description:In Arabidopsis thaliana, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) is required for the formation of transposable element (TE)-derived small RNA (sRNA) transcripts. These transcripts are processed by DICER-LIKE3 into 24-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that guide RNA-directed DNA methylation. In the pollen grain, Pol IV is also required for the accumulation of 21/22-nt epigenetically activated siRNAs (easiRNAs), which likely silence TEs via post-transcriptional mechanisms. Despite this proposed role of Pol IV, its loss of function in Arabidopsis does not cause a discernable pollen defect. Here, we show that the knockout of NRPD1, encoding the largest subunit of Pol IV in the Brassicaceae species Capsella rubella, caused post-meiotic arrest of pollen development at the microspore stage. As in Arabidopsis, all TE-derived siRNAs were 2 depleted in Capsella nrpd1 microspores. In the wild-type background, the same TEs produced 21/22-nt and 24-nt siRNAs; these processes required Pol IV activity. Arrest of Capsella nrpd1 microspores was accompanied by the deregulation of genes targeted by Pol IV-dependent siRNAs. TEs were much closer to genes in Capsella rubella compared to Arabidopsis thaliana, perhaps explaining the essential role of Pol IV in pollen development in Capsella. Our discovery that Pol IV is functionally required in Capsella microspores emphasizes the relevance of investigating different plant models.
Project description:Assessment of the Pol IV largest subunit, NRPD1, DeCL domain deletion construct to rescue Pol IV-dependent DNA methylation in the nrpd1-3 mutant (Bisulfite-Seq).
Project description:Monocot grass species (Poaceae) express a diverse set of multisubunit RNA polymerase enzymes, including Pol II, Pol IV and Pol V. To better understand this functional diversity, we have charted Pol IV function in the model Brachypodium distachyon. Intriguingly, pol IV null mutations in Poaceae crops disrupt growth, reproductive development and seed set. In order to investigate how Pol IV controls vegetative growth and TE activity in these grasses, we have isolated B. distachyon mutant alleles for Pol IV’s largest subunit, NRPD1. We obtained the germplasm in which to screen for these pol IV mutations from the B. distachyon community's sodium azide (NaN) and T-DNA insertion collections.
Project description:Endogenous small RNAs (sRNAs) contribute to gene regulation and genome homeostasis but their activities and functions are incompletely known. The maize genome has a high number of transposable elements (TEs; almost 85%), some of which spawn abundant sRNAs. We performed sRNA and total RNA sequencing from control and abiotically stressed B73 wild-type (wt) plants and rmr6-1 mutants. RMR6 encodes the largest subunit of the RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) complex, and is responsible for accumulation of most 24 nucleotide (nt) small interfering RNA (siRNAs). We identified novel MIRNA loci and verified miR399 target conservation in maize. RMR6-dependent 23-24 nt siRNA loci were specifically enriched in the upstream region of the most highly expressed genes. Most genes mis-regulated in rmr6-1 did not show a significant correlation with loss of flanking siRNAs, but we identified one gene supporting existing models of direct gene regulation by TE-derived siRNAs. Long-term drought correlated with changes of miRNA and sRNA accumulation, in particular inducing down-regulation of a set of sRNA loci in the wt leaf.
Project description:Endogenous small RNAs (sRNAs) contribute to gene regulation and genome homeostasis but their activities and functions are incompletely known. The maize genome has a high number of transposable elements (TEs; almost 85%), some of which spawn abundant sRNAs. We performed sRNA and total RNA sequencing from control and abiotically stressed B73 wild-type (wt) plants and rmr6-1 mutants. RMR6 encodes the largest subunit of the RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) complex, and is responsible for accumulation of most 24 nucleotide (nt) small interfering RNA (siRNAs). We identified novel MIRNA loci and verified miR399 target conservation in maize. RMR6-dependent 23-24 nt siRNA loci were specifically enriched in the upstream region of the most highly expressed genes. Most genes mis-regulated in rmr6-1 did not show a significant correlation with loss of flanking siRNAs, but we identified one gene supporting existing models of direct gene regulation by TE-derived siRNAs. Long-term drought correlated with changes of miRNA and sRNA accumulation, in particular inducing down-regulation of a set of sRNA loci in the wt leaf. sRNA profile of maize leaf and shoot apical meristematic area, of wt and rmr6-1 mutant plants grown under 1) control conditions 2) salt stress 3) drought stress 4) salt+drought stress. Each condition was replicated two/three times, after 10 days of treatment and after 7 days of recovery.
Project description:DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that plays critical roles in gene silencing, development, and the maintenance of genome integrity. In Arabidopsis, DNA methylation is established by DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE 2 (DRM2) and is targeted by 24 nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) through a pathway termed RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM)1. This pathway requires two plant-specific RNA polymerases: Pol-IV, which functions to initiate siRNA biogenesis and Pol-V, which functions in the downstream DNA methyltransferase targeting phase of the RdDM pathway to generate scaffold transcripts that recruit downstream RdDM factors1,2. To understand the mechanisms controlling Pol-IV targeting we investigated the function of SAWADEE HOMEODOMAIN HOMOLOG 1 (SHH1)3,4, a Pol-IV interacting protein3. Here we show that SHH1 acts upstream in the RdDM pathway to enable siRNA production from a large subset of the most active RdDM targets and that SHH1 is required for Pol-IV occupancy at these same loci. We also show that the SHH1 SAWADEE domain is a novel chromatin binding module that adopts a unique tandem Tudor-like fold and functions as a dual lysine reader, probing for both unmethylated K4 and methylated K9 modifications on the histone 3 (H3) tail. Finally, we show that key residues within both lysine binding pockets of SHH1 are required in vivo to maintain siRNA and DNA methylation levels as well as Pol-IV occupancy at RdDM targets, demonstrating a central role for methyl H3K9 binding in SHH1 function and providing the first insights into the mechanism of Pol-IV targeting. Given the parallels between methylation systems in plants and mammals1,5, a further understanding of this early targeting step may aid in our ability to control the expression of endogenous and newly introduced genes, which has broad implications for agriculture and gene therapy. For wild type plants (ecotype Columbia) and RdDM mutants whole-genome small RNA (sRNA-seq) and bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) was performed. The Col and nrpe1 BS-seq libraries were previously reported (GSE39247) and so are not part of this submission. In addition, two replicates of whole genome chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq) was performed on wild type (ecotype Columbia) plants as a negative control with experimentals consiting of nrpd1 mutant plants carrying a C-terminally epitope tagged (3XFLAG) NRPD1. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and small RNA sequencing was also performed on shh1 mutant plants transformed with the wild-type SHH1 protein-coding construct as well as multiple constructs containing point mutations. For these complementation libraries a separate shh1 mutant and Col control line were sequenced (“complementation replicates”).
Project description:Hybridizations of plants that differ in number of chromosome sets (ploidy) frequently causes endosperm failure and seed arrest, a phenomenon referred to as triploid block. Unreduced diploid gametes generated by the omission of second division1 (osd1) mutant induce the triploid block, similar as tetraploid (4x) plants. We recently found that mutations in NRPD1, encoding the largest subunit of the plant-specific RNA Polymerase IV (Pol IV), can suppress the triploid block. Pol IV generates small RNAs required to guide de novo methylation in the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway. Strikingly however, mutations in other components of the RdDM pathway like RDR2 and NRPE1 fail to suppress the triploid block when inherited in the osd1 background, but have a suppressive effect as 4x mutants. In this study, we aimed at understanding the cause for this discrepancy. We found that the ability of mutants in the RdDM pathway to suppress the triploid block depends on their degree of inbreeding. While nrpd1 is able to suppress in the first homozygous generation, mutants in RDR2, NRPE1, and DRM2 require at least one additional round of inbreeding to exert a suppressive effect. Our data thus reveal that loss of RdDM function differs in its effect in early and late generations and that Pol IV acts at an early stage of triploid block establishment.
Project description:24 nucleotide siRNAs are central players in RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), a process that establishes DNA methylation at transposable elements to ensure genome stability. The plant-specific RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) is required for siRNA biogenesis and is thought to transcribe RdDM loci to produce primary transcripts that serve as precursors to siRNAs. Yet, no such transcripts have ever been reported. Here, through RNA sequencing and double-stranded RNA sequencing in genotypes that compromise the dicing of siRNA precursors, we were able to identify Pol IV-dependent transcripts from tens of thousands of loci. We show that Pol IV-dependent transcripts correspond to both DNA strands, while the Pol II-dependent transcripts produced upon de-repression of the loci are derived from primarily one strand. We show that Pol IV-dependent transcripts have a 5â monophosphate, lack a polyA tail at the 3â end, and contain no introns; these features distinguish them from Pol II-dependent transcripts. Moreover, RDR2 is shown to play similar roles with Pol IV in both the abundance of siRNA precursors and siRNAs as well as the CHH DNA methylation. The decreased CHH methylation at dcl234 can inhibit the transcription of Pol IV at DRM2-target sites. Finally, the regulations of siRNA biogenesis were explored. To detect siRNA precursors transcribed by RNA polymerase IV, the genome wide profiling of RNA were carried out at dcl234 and dcl234 nrpd1. Different types of RNA (including Total RNA, polyA+ RNA, polyA- RNA, double stranded RNA) libraries were built to detect different transcripts. RDR2 is a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in Pol IV complex, so the RNA-seq libraries with the mutation of RDR2 were also built. In addition, smRNA libraries with mutations blocking siRNA biogenesis were also built