Journal article
Abundant expression of maternal siRNAs is a conserved feature of seed development
National Academy of Sciences. Proceedings, Vol.117(26), pp.15305-15315
30/06/2020
PMCID: PMC7334491
PMID: 32541052
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Source: InCites
Abstract
Small RNAs are abundant in plant reproductive tissues, especially 24-nucleotide (nt) small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Most 24-nt siRNAs are dependent on RNA Pol IV and RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE 2 (RDR2) and establish DNA methylation at thousands of genomic loci in a process called RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). In Brassica rapa, RdDM is required in the maternal sporophyte for successful seed development. Here, we demonstrate that a small number of siRNA loci account for over 90% of siRNA expression during B. rapa seed development. These loci exhibit unique characteristics with regard to their copy number and association with genomic features, but they resemble canonical 24-nt siRNA loci in their dependence on RNA Pol IV/RDR2 and role in RdDM. These loci are expressed in ovules before fertilization and in the seed coat, embryo, and endosperm following fertilization. We observed a similar pattern of 24-nt siRNA expression in diverse angiosperms despite rapid sequence evolution at siren loci. In the endosperm, siren siRNAs show a marked maternal bias, and siren expression in maternal sporophytic tissues is required for siren siRNA accumulation. Together, these results demonstrate that seed development occurs under the influence of abundant maternal siRNAs that might be transported to, and function in, filial tissues.
Details
- Title
- Abundant expression of maternal siRNAs is a conserved feature of seed development
- Creators
- Jeffrey W Grover - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721Diane Burgess - Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720Timmy Kendall - The School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721Abdul Baten - Southern Cross UniversitySuresh Pokhrel - Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211Graham J King - Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW 2480, AustraliaBlake C Meyers - Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211Michael Freeling - Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; freeling@berkeley.edu rmosher@email.arizona.eduRebecca A Mosher - Bio5 Institute, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
- Publication Details
- National Academy of Sciences. Proceedings, Vol.117(26), pp.15305-15315
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences; United States
- Grant note
- T32 GM008659 / NIGMS NIH HHS This work was supported by NSF Grant IOS-1546825. J.W.G. was supported in part by NIH Grant T32-GM008659.
- Identifiers
- 991012925069502368
- Copyright
- © 2020 Published under the PNAS license
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; School of Environment, Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article