R-loops, consisting of a DNA:RNA hybrid and a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), form naturally as functional chromosome structures and are crucial in many vital biological processes. However, disrupted R-loop homeostasis will threat to the integrity and stability of genome. As the endonuclease, RNase H1 can efficiently recognize and remove excess R-loops to protect organisms from DNA damage induced by R-loop over-accumulation. Here, we investigated the function of RNase H1 in Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens to illustrate its important role in the evolution of plants. We found that PpRNH1A dysfunction seriously affected shoot growth and branch formation in P. patens, revealing a noticeable functional difference between PpRNH1A and AtRNH1A of Arabidopsis. Furthermore, auxin signaling was significantly affected at the transcriptional level in PpRNH1A mutant plants, as a result of the accumulation of R-loops at several auxin-related genes. This study provides evidence that PpRNH1A regulates the development of P. patens by controlling R-loop formation at specific loci to modulate the transcription of auxin-related genes. It also highlights the interspecific functional differences between early land plants and vascular plants, despite crucial and conserved role of RNase H1 played in maintaining R-loop homeostasis.
Keywords: Auxin; Physcomitrium patens; Plant development; R-loop; RNase H1.
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