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
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
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.