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Arabidopsis thaliana telomeres exhibit euchromatic features.

ABSTRACT: Telomere function is influenced by chromatin structure and organization, which usually involves epigenetic modifications. We describe here the chromatin structure of Arabidopsis thaliana telomeres. Based on the study of six different epigenetic marks we show that Arabidopsis telomeres exhibit euchromatic features. In contrast, subtelomeric regions and telomeric sequences present at interstitial chromosomal loci are heterochromatic. Histone methyltransferases and the chromatin remodeling protein DDM1 control subtelomeric heterochromatin formation. Whereas histone methyltransferases are required for histone H3K9(2Me) and non-CpG DNA methylation, DDM1 directs CpG methylation but not H3K9(2Me) or non-CpG methylation. These results argue that both kinds of proteins participate in different pathways to reinforce subtelomeric heterochromatin formation.

SUBMITTER: Vaquero-Sedas MI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3064777 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Arabidopsis thaliana telomeres exhibit euchromatic features.

Vaquero-Sedas María I MI Gámez-Arjona Francisco M FM Vega-Palas Miguel A MA

Nucleic acids research 20101110 6

Telomere function is influenced by chromatin structure and organization, which usually involves epigenetic modifications. We describe here the chromatin structure of Arabidopsis thaliana telomeres. Based on the study of six different epigenetic marks we show that Arabidopsis telomeres exhibit euchromatic features. In contrast, subtelomeric regions and telomeric sequences present at interstitial chromosomal loci are heterochromatic. Histone methyltransferases and the chromatin remodeling protein ...[more]

PMID: 21071395

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Project description:Many repair and recombination proteins play essential roles in telomere function and chromosome stability, notwithstanding the role of telomeres in "hiding" chromosome ends from DNA repair and recombination. Among these are XPF and ERCC1, which form a structure-specific endonuclease known for its essential role in nucleotide excision repair and is the subject of considerable interest in studies of recombination. In contrast to observations in mammalian cells, we observe no enhancement of chromosomal instability in Arabidopsis plants mutated for either XPF (AtRAD1) or ERCC1 (AtERCC1) orthologs, which develop normally and show wild-type telomere length. However, in the absence of telomerase, mutation of either of these two genes induces a significantly earlier onset of chromosomal instability. This early appearance of telomere instability is not due to a general acceleration of telomeric repeat loss, but is associated with the presence of dicentric chromosome bridges and cytologically visible extrachromosomal DNA fragments in mitotic anaphase. Such extrachromosomal fragments are not observed in later-generation single-telomerase mutant plants presenting similar frequencies of anaphase bridges. Extensive FISH analyses show that these DNAs are broken chromosomes and correspond to two specific chromosome arms. Analysis of the Arabidopsis genome sequence identified two extensive blocks of degenerate telomeric repeats, which lie at the bases of these two arms. Our data thus indicate a protective role of ERCC1/XPF against 3' G-strand overhang invasion of interstitial telomeric repeats. The fact that the Atercc1 (and Atrad1) mutants dramatically potentiate levels of chromosome instability in Attert mutants, and the absence of such events in the presence of telomerase, have important implications for models of the roles of recombination at telomeres and is a striking illustration of the impact of genome structure on the outcomes of equivalent recombination processes in different organisms.

Project description:In plants and protists, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and thymidylate synthase (TS) are part of a bifunctional enzyme (DRTS) that allows efficient recycling of the dihydrofolate resulting from TS activity. Arabidopsis thaliana possesses three DRTS genes, called AtDRTS1, AtDRTS2 and AtDRTS3, that are located downstream of three members of the sec14-like SFH gene family. In this study, a characterization of the AtDRTS genes identified alternatively spliced transcripts coding for AtDRTS isoforms which may account for monofunctional DHFR enzymes supporting pathways unrelated to DNA synthesis. Moreover, we discovered a complex differential regulation of the AtDRTS genes that confirms the expected involvement of the AtDRTS genes in cell proliferation and endoreduplication, but indicates also functions related to other cellular activities. AtDRTS1 is widely expressed in both meristematic and differentiated tissues, whereas AtDRTS2 expression is almost exclusively limited to the apical meristems and AtDRTS3 is preferentially expressed in the shoot apex, in stipules and in root cap cells. The differential regulation of the AtDRTS genes is associated to distinctive promoter architectures and the expression of AtDRTS1 in the apical meristems is strictly dependent on the presence of an intragenic region that includes the second intron of the gene. Upon activation of cell proliferation in germinating seeds, the activity of the AtDRTS1 and AtDRTS2 promoters in meristematic cells appears to be maximal at the G1/S phase of the cell cycle. In addition, the promoters of AtDRTS2 and AtDRTS3 are negatively regulated through E2F cis-acting elements and both genes, but not AtDRTS1, are downregulated in plants overexpressing the AtE2Fa factor. Our study provides new information concerning the function and the regulation of plant DRTS genes and opens the way to further investigations addressing the importance of folate synthesis with respect to specific cellular activities.

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Arabidopsis thaliana telomeres exhibit euchromatic features.

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Arabidopsis thaliana telomeres exhibit euchromatic features.

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