Antisilencing role of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway and a histone acetyltransferase in Arabidopsis

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jul 10;109(28):11425-30. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1208557109. Epub 2012 Jun 25.

Abstract

REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1) is a DNA demethylation enzyme that was previously identified during a genetic screen for the silencing of both RD29A-LUC and 35S-NPTII transgenes on a T-DNA construct. Here we performed a genetic screen to identify additional mutants in which the 35S-NPTII transgene is silenced. We identified several alleles of ros1 and of the following components of the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway: NRPD1 (the largest subunit of polymerase IV), RDR2, NRPE1 (the largest subunit of polymerase V), NRPD2, AGO4, and DMS3. Our results show that the silencing of 35S-NPTII in the RdDM pathway mutants is due to the reduced expression of ROS1 in the mutants. We also identified a putative histone acetyltransferase (ROS4) from the genetic screen. The acetyltransferase contains a PHD-finger domain that binds to unmethylated histone H3K4. The mutation in ROS4 led to reduction of H3K18 and H3K23 acetylation levels. We show that the silencing of 35S-NPTII and some transposable element genes was released by the ddm1 mutation but that this also required ROS4. Our study identifies a unique antisilencing factor, and reveals that the RdDM pathway has an antisilencing function due to its role in maintaining ROS1 expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA Methylation*
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Gene Silencing*
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Histone Acetyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Kanamycin / pharmacology
  • Mutation
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • RNA / metabolism*
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Histones
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • ROS1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Kanamycin
  • RNA
  • Histone Acetyltransferases