AGO104 is a RdDM effector of paramutation at the maize b1 locus

Aubert, Juliette, Bellegarde, Fanny, Oltehua-Lopez, Omar, Leblanc, Olivier, Arteaga-Vazquez, Mario A, Martienssen, Robert A, Grimanelli, Daniel (August 2022) AGO104 is a RdDM effector of paramutation at the maize b1 locus. PLoS One, 17 (8). e0273695-e0273695. ISSN 1932-6203

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DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273695

Abstract

<jats:p>Although paramutation has been well-studied at a few hallmark loci involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in maize, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the phenomenon remain largely unknown. Previously described actors of paramutation encode components of the RNA-directed DNA-methylation (RdDM) pathway that participate in the biogenesis of 24-nucleotide small interfering RNAs (24-nt siRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs. In this study, we uncover an ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein as an effector of the RdDM pathway that is in charge of guiding 24-nt siRNAs to their DNA target to create <jats:italic>de novo</jats:italic> DNA methylation. We combined immunoprecipitation, small RNA sequencing and reverse genetics to, first, validate AGO104 as a member of the RdDM effector complex and, then, investigate its role in paramutation. We found that AGO104 binds 24-nt siRNAs involved in RdDM, including those required for paramutation at the <jats:italic>b1</jats:italic> locus. We also show that the <jats:italic>ago104-5</jats:italic> mutation causes a partial reversion of the paramutation phenotype at the <jats:italic>b1</jats:italic> locus, revealed by intermediate pigmentation levels in stem tissues. Therefore, our results place AGO104 as a new member of the RdDM effector complex that plays a role in paramutation at the <jats:italic>b1</jats:italic> locus in maize.</jats:p>

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: organism description > plant > Arabidopsis
bioinformatics
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > DNA methylation
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics
organism description > plant > maize
organism description > plant
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Martienssen lab
CSHL Cancer Center Program
CSHL Cancer Center Program > Gene Regulation and Inheritance Program
SWORD Depositor: CSHL Elements
Depositing User: CSHL Elements
Date: 30 August 2022
Date Deposited: 06 Sep 2022 22:08
Last Modified: 09 Feb 2024 16:40
PMCID: PMC9426929
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/40708

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