The Arabidopsis SDG4 contributes to the regulation of pollen tube growth by methylation of histone H3 lysines 4 and 36 in mature pollen

Dev Biol. 2008 Mar 15;315(2):355-68. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.12.016. Epub 2008 Feb 5.

Abstract

Plant SET domain proteins are known to be involved in the epigenetic control of gene expression during plant development. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis SET domain protein, SDG4, contributes to the epigenetic regulation of pollen tube growth, thus affecting fertilization. Using an SDG4-GFP fusion construct, the chromosomal localization of SDG4 was established in tobacco BY-2 cells. In Arabidopsis, sdg4 knockout showed reproductive defects. Tissue-specific expression analyses indicated that SDG4 is the major ASH1-related gene expressed in the pollen. Immunological analyses demonstrated that SDG4 was involved in the methylation of histone H3 in the inflorescence and pollen grains. The significant reduction in the amount of methylated histone H3 K4 and K36 in sdg4 pollen vegetative nuclei resulted in suppression of pollen tube growth. Our results indicate that SDG4 is capable of modulating the expression of genes that function in the growth of pollen tube by methylation of specific lysine residues of the histone H3 in the vegetative nuclei.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development*
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / chemistry
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • DNA, Plant / genetics
  • Genes, Plant
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / genetics
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / metabolism
  • Histones / chemistry
  • Histones / genetics
  • Histones / metabolism*
  • Lysine / chemistry
  • Lysine / metabolism
  • Methylation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Nicotiana
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Pollen / genetics
  • Pollen / metabolism
  • Pollen Tube / growth & development*
  • Pollen Tube / metabolism*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • DNA, Plant
  • Histones
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Lysine