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Arabidopsis MORC proteins function in the efficient establishment of RNA directed DNA methylation

Author

Listed:
  • Yan Xue

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • Zhenhui Zhong

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • C. Jake Harris

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • Javier Gallego-Bartolomé

    (CSIC‐Universidad Politécnica de Valencia)

  • Ming Wang

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • Colette Picard

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • Xueshi Cao

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • Shan Hua

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • Ivy Kwok

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • Suhua Feng

    (University of California at Los Angeles
    University of California at Los Angeles)

  • Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi

    (UCLA)

  • Jihui Sha

    (UCLA)

  • Jason Gardiner

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • James Wohlschlegel

    (UCLA)

  • Steven E. Jacobsen

    (University of California at Los Angeles
    University of California at Los Angeles
    UCLA)

Abstract

The Microrchidia (MORC) family of ATPases are required for transposable element (TE) silencing and heterochromatin condensation in plants and animals, and C. elegans MORC-1 has been shown to topologically entrap and condense DNA. In Arabidopsis thaliana, mutation of MORCs has been shown to reactivate silent methylated genes and transposons and to decondense heterochromatic chromocenters, despite only minor changes in the maintenance of DNA methylation. Here we provide the first evidence localizing Arabidopsis MORC proteins to specific regions of chromatin and find that MORC4 and MORC7 are closely co-localized with sites of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). We further show that MORC7, when tethered to DNA by an artificial zinc finger, can facilitate the establishment of RdDM. Finally, we show that MORCs are required for the efficient RdDM mediated establishment of DNA methylation and silencing of a newly integrated FWA transgene, even though morc mutations have no effect on the maintenance of preexisting methylation at the endogenous FWA gene. We propose that MORCs function as a molecular tether in RdDM complexes to reinforce RdDM activity for methylation establishment. These findings have implications for MORC protein function in a variety of other eukaryotic organisms.

Suggested Citation

  • Yan Xue & Zhenhui Zhong & C. Jake Harris & Javier Gallego-Bartolomé & Ming Wang & Colette Picard & Xueshi Cao & Shan Hua & Ivy Kwok & Suhua Feng & Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi & Jihui Sha & Jason Gardiner & , 2021. "Arabidopsis MORC proteins function in the efficient establishment of RNA directed DNA methylation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24553-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24553-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Zheng Li & Ming Wang & Zhenhui Zhong & Javier Gallego-Bartolomé & Suhua Feng & Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi & Xinyi Wang & James Wohlschlegel & Sylvain Bischof & Jeff A. Long & Steven E. Jacobsen, 2023. "The MOM1 complex recruits the RdDM machinery via MORC6 to establish de novo DNA methylation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Linhua Sun & Jingru Zhou & Xiao Xu & Yi Liu & Ni Ma & Yutong Liu & Wenchao Nie & Ling Zou & Xing Wang Deng & Hang He, 2024. "Mapping nucleosome-resolution chromatin organization and enhancer-promoter loops in plants using Micro-C-XL," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.

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