Histone H4R3 methylation catalyzed by SKB1/PRMT5 is required for maintaining shoot apical meristem

Minghui Yue; Qiuling Li; Ya Zhang; Yan Zhao; Zhaoliang Zhang; Shilai Bao

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083258

Histone H4R3 methylation catalyzed by SKB1/PRMT5 is required for maintaining shoot apical meristem

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 12;8(12):e83258. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083258. eCollection 2013.

Authors

Minghui Yue¹, Qiuling Li², Ya Zhang², Yan Zhao², Zhaoliang Zhang¹, Shilai Bao²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Abstract

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is the source of all of the above-ground tissues and organs in post-embryonic development in higher plants. Studies have proven that the expression of genes constituting the WUSCHEL (WUS)-CLAVATA (CLV) feedback loop is critical for the SAM maintenance. Several histone lysine acetylation and methylation markers have been proven to regulate the transcription level of WUS. However, little is known about how histone arginine methylation regulates the expression of WUS and other genes. Here, we report that H4R3 symmetric dimethylation (H4R3sme2) mediated by SKB1/PRMT5 represses the expression of CORYNE (CRN) to maintain normal SAM geometrics. SKB1 lesion results in small SAM size in Arabidopsis, as well as down-regulated expression of WUS and CLV3. Up-regulation of WUS expression enlarges SAM size in skb1 mutant plants. We find that SKB1 and H4R3sme2 associate with the chromatin of the CRN locus to down-regulate its transcription. Mutation of CRN rescues the expression of WUS and the small SAM size of skb1. Thus, SKB1 and SKB1-mediated H4R3sme2 are required for the maintenance of SAM in Arabidopsis seedlings.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Arabidopsis / genetics
Arabidopsis / metabolism*
Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / physiology
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / physiology
Histones / genetics
Histones / metabolism*
Meristem / cytology
Meristem / metabolism*
Methylation
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / biosynthesis
Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / genetics
Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / metabolism*
Receptors, Cell Surface / biosynthesis
Seedlings / genetics
Seedlings / metabolism*

Substances

Arabidopsis Proteins
Histones
Receptors, Cell Surface
PRMT5 protein, Arabidopsis
Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases
CORYNE protein, Arabidopsis
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China, grant 2007CB948202 (to Shilai Bao), and the Chinese National Natural and Sciences Foundation, grants 31071120, 91019018 (to Shilai Bao), and 31071121 (to Yan Zhao). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.