Project description:The plant circadian clock exerts a critical role in the regulation of multiple biological processes including responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. It is estimated that the clock regulates up to 80% of the transcriptome in Arabidopsis, thus understanding the molecular mechanisms that control this rhythmic transcriptome requires identification of the targets of each clock component. The Arabidopsis core clock is partially comprised of a transcriptional regulatory loop between the MYB domain containing transcription factors CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY), and TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1). As a key component of the clock, CCA1 is able to initiate and set the phase of clock-controlled rhythms. CCA1 regulates the transcription of several genes by directly binding to the evening element (EE) motif primarily found in the promoters of evening expressed genes. Using a genome-wide approach we have identified direct targets of CCA1 in plants grown in constant (LL) and driven conditions (LD). These CCA1 targets are enriched for a myriad of biological processes and stress responses. While many of these target genes are evening phased and contain the EE in their promoter regions, a significant subset is morning phased and lack an EE. Furthermore, several CCA1 targets do not cycle in either LL or LD or both. Expression analysis in CCA1 overexpressing plants confirms CCA1 regulation of analyzed targets. Our results emphasize an expanded role for the circadian clock in regulation of key pathways in Arabidopsis, and provide a comprehensive and solid resource for future functional studies. ChIP-Seq of CCA1-GFP plants under control of the CCA1 promoter in continuous light and diel conditions
Project description:The plant circadian clock exerts a critical role in the regulation of multiple biological processes including responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. It is estimated that the clock regulates up to 80% of the transcriptome in Arabidopsis, thus understanding the molecular mechanisms that control this rhythmic transcriptome requires identification of the targets of each clock component. The Arabidopsis core clock is partially comprised of a transcriptional regulatory loop between the MYB domain containing transcription factors CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY), and TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1). As a key component of the clock, CCA1 is able to initiate and set the phase of clock-controlled rhythms. CCA1 regulates the transcription of several genes by directly binding to the evening element (EE) motif primarily found in the promoters of evening expressed genes. Using a genome-wide approach we have identified direct targets of CCA1 in plants grown in constant (LL) and driven conditions (LD). These CCA1 targets are enriched for a myriad of biological processes and stress responses. While many of these target genes are evening phased and contain the EE in their promoter regions, a significant subset is morning phased and lack an EE. Furthermore, several CCA1 targets do not cycle in either LL or LD or both. Expression analysis in CCA1 overexpressing plants confirms CCA1 regulation of analyzed targets. Our results emphasize an expanded role for the circadian clock in regulation of key pathways in Arabidopsis, and provide a comprehensive and solid resource for future functional studies.
Project description:LHY and CCA1 encode single MYB transcription factors, involved in circadian clock. However, direct target genes of LHY and CCA1 in a genomic scale were largely unknown. To reveal bound genes by CCA1, chimeric protein CCA1-FLAG was expressed under CCA1 promoter in cca1 lhy (CCA1pro:CCA1-FLAG/ cca1 lhy). ChIP was performed using anti-FLAG antibody (F3165; SIGMA), which was bound to Dynabeads Protein G (100-03D; Life Technologies), and ChIP DNA were analyzed by IonPGM or Illumina GAII.
Project description:LHY and CCA1 encode single MYB transcription factors, involved in circadian clock. However, direct target genes of LHY and CCA1 in a genomic scale were largely unknown. To reveal bound genes by CCA1, chimeric protein CCA1-FLAG was expressed under CCA1 promoter in cca1 lhy (CCA1pro:CCA1-FLAG/ cca1 lhy). ChIP was performed using anti-FLAG antibody (F3165; SIGMA), which was bound to Dynabeads Protein G (100-03D; Life Technologies), and ChIP DNA were analyzed by IonPGM or Illumina GAII. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed for CCA1-FLAG-expressing Arabidopsis. ChIP DNA was analyzed 2 types of deep sequencers (Illumina GAII and IonPGM).
Project description:The red-light regulated transcription factors FHY3 and FAR1 form a key point of light input to the plant circadian clock in positively regulating expression of genes within the central clock. However, the fhy3 mutant shows an additional red light-specific disruption of rhythmicity which is inconsistent with this role. Here we demonstrate that only fhy3 and not far1 mutants show this red specific disruption of rhythmicity. We examined the differences in rhythmic transcriptome in red versus white light and reveal differences in patterns of rhythmicity among the central clock proteins suggestive of a change in emphasis withing the central mechanism of the clock, changes which underlie the red specificity of the fhy3 mutant. In particular, changes in enrichment of promoter elements were consistent with a key role for the HY5 transcription factor, a known integrator of the ratio of red to blue light in regulation of the clock. Examination of differences in the rhythmic transcriptome in the fhy3 mutant in red light which identified specific disruption of the CCA1-regulated ELF3 and LUX central clock genes, while the CCA1 target TBS element, TGGGCC, was enriched among genes that became arrhythmic. Coupled with the known interaction of FHY3 but not FAR1 with CCA1 we propose that the red-specific circadian phenotype of fhy3 may involve disruption of the previously-demonstrated moderation of CCA1 activity by FHY3 rather than a disruption of its own transcriptional regulatory activity. Together, this evidence suggests a conditional redundancy between FHY3 and HY5 in the integration of red and blue light input to the clock in order to enable a plasticity in response to light and optimise plant adaptation. Furthermore, our evidence also suggests changes in CCA1 activity between red and white light transcriptomes. This, together with the documented interaction of HY5 with CCA1, leads us to propose a model whereby this integration of red and blue signals may at least partly occur via direct FHY3 and HY5 interaction with CCA1 leading to moderation of CCA1 activity.
Project description:Plant growth relies on the activity of key transcription factors. Here, we uncover a mechanism for organ-specific growth driven by opposing electrochemical signals that propagate in a cell-type-specific manner. Using a genetically encoded pH sensor and a pH-sensitive dye, we show that apoplastic pH in epidermal cells oscillates antiphasically relative to phloem pH. The clock component CCA1 lowers apoplastic pH in hypocotyl epidermal cells while increasing it in companion cells. This opposing regulation promotes hypocotyl growth but inhibits root elongation. Mechanistically, CCA1 activates auxin signaling in shoots while repressing SUCROSE TRANSPORTER 2 and the electrogenic (H+)-pump ATPase AHA3 by directly binding their promoters. The repression decreases sucrose loading into the phloem and slows transport velocity. Expressing CCA1 in the phloem is sufficient to inhibit root elongation, whereas AHA3 over-expression in CCA1 over-expressing seedlings rescues root growth. Thus, a circadian rheostat orchestrates electrochemical signals to optimize source capacity with sink demand.
Project description:Plant hypocotyls elongate in response to darkness. The response to darkness is gated by the circadian clock, such that wild-type plants (Col) only respond to darkness with growth once every 24 hours, whereas arrhythmic lines, such as CCA1-34, will respond to darkness with growth at any time of day. The experiment here was designed to find genes whose expression was correlated with growth. It should also pick up other genes that are gated by the circadian clock or that are direct targets of CCA1. Keywords: time course
Project description:Plant hypocotyls elongate in response to darkness. The response to darkness is gated by the circadian clock, such that wild-type plants (Col) only respond to darkness with growth once every 24 hours, whereas arrhythmic lines, such as CCA1-34, will respond to darkness with growth at any time of day. The experiment here was designed to find genes whose expression was correlated with growth. It should also pick up other genes that are gated by the circadian clock or that are direct targets of CCA1. Experiment Overall Design: Two genotypes were uses, wild-type (Col) and the arrhythmic CCA1-34 line that overexpresses the CCA1 protein. Plants were entrained in short day conditions for four days and then subjected light/dark pulses consisting of 160 minutes of light and 320 minutes of dark. We collected samples 120 minutes into the first and last dark periods of the day, corresponding to 280 and 1240 minutes after dawn. At the 280 minute time point Col plants are growing in response to darkness. At the 1240 minute time point Col plants are not growing. CCA1-34 plants are growing at both time points. The collection regime was continued for three days for a total of three temporal replicates for each time point/genotype combination.
Project description:The first described feedback loop of the Arabidopsis circadian clock is based on reciprocal regulation between TOC1 and CCA1/LHY. CCA1 and LHY are MYB transcription factors that bind directly to the TOC1 promoter to negatively regulate its expression. Conversely, the activity of TOC1 has remained less well characterized. Genetic data supports that TOC1 is necessary for the reactivation of CCA1/LHY, but there is little description of its biochemical function. Here we show that TOC1 occupies specific genomic regions in the CCA1 and LHY promoters. Purified TOC1 binds directly to DNA through its CCT domain, which is similar to known DNA binding domains. Chemical induction and transient overexpression of TOC1 in Arabidopsis seedlings cause repression of CCA1/LHY expression demonstrating that TOC1 can repress direct targets, and mutation or deletion of the CCT domain prevents this repression showing that DNA binding is necessary for TOC1 action. Furthermore, we use the Gal4/UAS system in Arabidopsis to show that TOC1 acts as a general transcriptional repressor, and that repression activity is in the Pseudoreceiver (PR) domain of the protein. To identify the genes regulated by TOC1 on a genomic scale, we couple TOC1 chemical induction with microarray analysis and identify new potential TOC1 targets and output pathways. Together these results define the biochemical action of the core clock protein TOC1 and refine our perspective on how plant clocks function. Keywords: Expression profiling by array
Project description:The biological functions of circadian clock on growth and development have been well elucidated in model plants, while its regulatory roles in crop species, especially the roles on yield-related traits are poorly understood. Here, we characterize the core clock gene CCA1 homoeologs in wheat and studied their biological functions in seedling growth and spike development. TaCCA1 homoeologs exhibit typical diurnal expression patterns which are positively regulated by rhythmic histone modifications (H3K4me3, H3K9ac and H3k36me3). TaCCA1s are preferentially located in the nucleus and tend to form both homo- and heterodimers. TaCCA1 overexpression (TaCCA1-OE) transgenic wheat plants show disrupted circadian rhythmicity coupling with reduced chlorophyll and starch content, as well as biomass at seedling stage, also decreased spike length, grain number per spike and grain size at the ripening stage. Further studies using DNA affinity purification followed by deep sequencing (DAP-seq) indicates that TaCCA1 preferentially binds to sequences similar to “evening elements” (EE) motif in the wheat genome, particularly genes associated with photosynthesis, carbon utilization and auxin homeostasis, and decreased transcriptional levels of these target genes are observed in TaCCA1-OE transgenic wheat plants. Collectively, our study provides novel insights into a circadian-mediated mechanism of gene regulation to coordinate photo synthetic and metabolic activities in wheat, which is important for optimal plant growth and crop yield formation.