Retrotransposon addiction promotes centromere function via epigenetically activated small RNAs

Shimada, Atsushi, Cahn, Jonathan, Ernst, Evan, Lynn, Jason, Grimanelli, Daniel, Henderson, Ian, Kakutani, Tetsuji, Martienssen, Robert A (September 2024) Retrotransposon addiction promotes centromere function via epigenetically activated small RNAs. Nature Plants. ISSN 2055-0278 (Public Dataset)

[thumbnail of 10.1038.s41477-024-01773-1.pdf] PDF
10.1038.s41477-024-01773-1.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (16MB)

Abstract

Retrotransposons have invaded eukaryotic centromeres in cycles of repeat expansion and purging, but the function of centromeric retrotransposons has remained unclear. In Arabidopsis, centromeric ATHILA retrotransposons give rise to epigenetically activated short interfering RNAs in mutants in DECREASE IN DNA METHYLATION1 (DDM1). Here we show that mutants that lose both DDM1 and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase have pleiotropic developmental defects and mis-segregate chromosome 5 during mitosis. Fertility and segregation defects are epigenetically inherited with centromere 5, and can be rescued by directing artificial small RNAs to ATHILA5 retrotransposons that interrupt tandem satellite repeats. Epigenetically activated short interfering RNAs promote pericentromeric condensation, chromosome cohesion and chromosome segregation in mitosis. We propose that insertion of ATHILA silences centromeric transcription, while simultaneously making centromere function dependent on retrotransposon small RNAs in the absence of DDM1. Parallels are made with the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, where chromosome cohesion depends on RNA interference, and with humans, where chromosome segregation depends on both RNA interference and HELLSDDM1.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: bioinformatics
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
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosome > centromere
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosomes, structure and function > chromosome > centromere
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosome
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosomes, structure and function > chromosome
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > epigenetics
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > epigenetics
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Martienssen lab
SWORD Depositor: CSHL Elements
Depositing User: CSHL Elements
Date: 2 September 2024
Date Deposited: 03 Sep 2024 13:41
Last Modified: 03 Sep 2024 13:41
Related URLs:
Dataset ID:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/41648

Actions (login required)

Administrator's edit/view item Administrator's edit/view item