Project description:Transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) can serve as an innate immunity against invading DNA viruses throughout Eukaryotes. Geminivirus code for TrAP protein to suppress the TGS pathway. Here we identified an Arabidopsis H3K9me2 histone methyltransferase, Su(var)3-9 homolog 4 (SUVH4/KYP), as a bona fide cellular target of TrAP. TrAP interacts with the catalytic domain of KYP and inhibits its activity in vitro. TrAP elicits developmental anomalies phenocopying several TGS mutants, reduces the repressive H3K9me2 mark and CHH DNA methylation, and reactivates numerous endogenous KYP-repressed loci in vivo. Moreover, KYP binds to the viral chromatin, and controls its methylation to combat virus infection. Notably, kyp mutants support systemic infection of TrAP-deficient Geminivirus. We conclude that TrAP attenuates the TGS of the viral chromatin by inhibiting KYP activity to evade host surveillance. These findings provide new insight on the molecular arms race between host antiviral defense and virus counter defense at an epigenetic level.
Project description:In Arabidopsis, CHG DNA methylation is controlled by the H3K9 methylation mark through a self-reinforcing loop between DNA methyltransferase CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (CMT3) and H3K9 histone methyltransferase KRYPTONITE/SUVH4 (KYP). We report on the structure of KYP in complex with methylated DNA, substrate H3 peptide and cofactor SAH, thereby defining the spatial positioning of the SRA domain relative to the SET domain. The methylated DNA is bound by the SRA domain with the 5mC flipped out of the DNA, while the H3(1-15) peptide substrate binds between the SET and post-SET domains, with the epsilon-ammonium of K9 positioned adjacent to bound SAH. These structural insights complemented by in vivo functional data on key mutants of residues lining the 5mC and H3K9-binding pockets within KYP, establish how methylated DNA recruits KYP to the histone substrate. Together, the structures of KYP and previously reported CMT3 complexes provide insights into molecular mechanisms linking DNA and histone methylation.
Project description:In Arabidopsis, CHG DNA methylation is controlled by the H3K9 methylation mark through a self-reinforcing loop between DNA methyltransferase CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (CMT3) and H3K9 histone methyltransferase KRYPTONITE/SUVH4 (KYP). We report on the structure of KYP in complex with methylated DNA, substrate H3 peptide and cofactor SAH, thereby defining the spatial positioning of the SRA domain relative to the SET domain. The methylated DNA is bound by the SRA domain with the 5mC flipped out of the DNA, while the H3(1-15) peptide substrate binds between the SET and post-SET domains, with the epsilon-ammonium of K9 positioned adjacent to bound SAH. These structural insights complemented by in vivo functional data on key mutants of residues lining the 5mC and H3K9-binding pockets within KYP, establish how methylated DNA recruits KYP to the histone substrate. Together, the structures of KYP and previously reported CMT3 complexes provide insights into molecular mechanisms linking DNA and histone methylation. Plants homozygous for null mutations in the KRYPTONITE H3K9 methyltransferase were stably transformed with transgenes encoding the wildtype KYP protein or transgenes carrying induced point mutations in the KYP active site. The resulting lines were assayed for DNA methylation by whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to learn the efficiency with which wildtype and mutant versions of the KYP protein could restore DNA methylation lost in a kyp mutant. Samples 7 and 8 were run as single Illumina lanes and as such were compared to a previous Col sample (GSM881756), this Col sample was realigned to the TAIR10 genome for this study and as such updated processed files are available with this submission. These samples were used to define kyp mutant CHG context DMRs that were complemented upon introduction of the wildtype KYP protein. Samples 1-6 were run as multiplexed samples and were used to assay the degree of complementation for various point mutants. All plants are in the Col ecotype background.
Project description:Bacteria harbor diverse mechanisms to defend themselves against their viral predators, bacteriophages. In response, phages can evolve counter-defense systems, most of which remain poorly understood. In T4-like phages, the gene tifA prevents bacterial defense by the type III toxin-antitoxin (TA) system toxIN, but the mechanism by which TifA inhibits toxIN remains unclear. Here, we show that TifA directly binds both the endoribonuclease ToxN and RNA, leading to the formation of a high molecular weight ribonucleoprotein complex in which ToxN is inhibited. The RNA binding activity of TifA is necessary for its interaction with and inhibition of ToxN. Thus, we propose that TifA inhibits ToxN during phage infection by trapping ToxN on cellular RNA, particularly the abundant 16S rRNA, preventing cleavage of phage transcripts. Taken together, our results reveal a novel mechanism underlying inhibition of a phage-defensive RNase toxin by a small, phage-encoded protein.
Project description:Investigation of genome-wide expression in the mutant of histone H3K9 methyltransferase KRYPTONITE (KYP) or DNA methyltransferase CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (CMT3) in Arabidopsis. These mutants showed decrease in H3K9 methylation and DNA methylation levels, and transcriptional activation at transposons and repeats. Using NimbleGen DNA microarray, global pattern of expression of genes and transposons were examined in these mutants.
Project description:In susceptible plant hosts, co-evolution has favoured viral strategies to evade host defenses and utilize resources to their own benefit. The degree of manipulation of host gene expression is dependent on host-virus specificity and certain abiotic factors. In order to gain insight into global transcriptomic changes for a geminivirus pathosystem, South African cassava mosaic virus [ZA:99] (SACMV-ZA:99]) and Arabidopsis thaliana, 4 x 44K Agilent microarrays were adopted. After normalization, a 2-fold change filtering of data (p<0.05) identified 1,820 differentially expressed genes in apical leaf tissue. A significant increase in differential gene expression over time (451 genes at 14 dpi, 742 genes at 24 dpi, and 1011 genes at 36 dpi) was observed. This increase in expression, correlated with an increase in SACMV accumulation as virus copies were 5-fold higher at 24 dpi and 6-fold higher at 36 dpi than at 14 dpi (1.1x104 virus copies present at 14 dpi, 5.7x104 copies at 24 dpi, and 6.3x104 copies at 36 dpi). Many 2-fold genes were primarily involved in stress and defense responses, phytohormone signalling pathways, cellular transport, cell-cycle regulation, transcription, oxidation-reduction, and other metabolic processes. Forty-one genes (2.3%) were shown to be continuously expressed across the infection period, indicating that the majority of genes were transient and unique to a particular time point. Plant signalling networks were disrupted and manipulated by SACMV-[ZA:99] in order to affect homeostasis and antagonize hostM-bM-^@M-^Ys defense responses. At the same time, an adaptive response was initiated to reprogramme metabolism and divert energy from growth-related processes to defense, all leading to disruption of normal biological host processes. Comparisons between SACMV-[ZA:99] with plant-infecting RNA and DNA viruses revealed similarities and differences in expression patterns among viruses, showing either general defense or virus-specific responses. Within the Geminiviridae family in particular, similarities in cell-cycle regulation and gene expression patterns correlated between SACMV-[ZA:99] and Cabbage leaf curl virus (CaLCuV) but differences were also evident. For instance, CaLCuV showed antagonistic interactions between Salicyclic Acid (SA) and Jasmonic Acid (JA) pathways, whereas SACMV displayed synergism. Differences in gene induction, repression and outcome between the two geminiviruses clearly demonstrated host-specific interactions with SACMV-[ZA:99] leading to infection. To our knowledge this is the first geminivirus study identifying differentially expressed transcripts across 3 time points A three time-point (14, 24, and 36 dpi) study was carried out to identify differentially expressed genes in SACMV-[ZA:99] infected Arabidopsis leaf cells using a direct comparison design against mock-inoculated controls. Three biological replicates and 1 technical replicate for both SACMV-[ZA:99]-infected and mock-inoculated controls were conducted at each time point.
Project description:In susceptible plant hosts, co-evolution has favoured viral strategies to evade host defenses and utilize resources to their own benefit. The degree of manipulation of host gene expression is dependent on host-virus specificity and certain abiotic factors. In order to gain insight into global transcriptomic changes for a geminivirus pathosystem, South African cassava mosaic virus [ZA:99] (SACMV-ZA:99]) and Arabidopsis thaliana, 4 x 44K Agilent microarrays were adopted. After normalization, a 2-fold change filtering of data (p<0.05) identified 1,820 differentially expressed genes in apical leaf tissue. A significant increase in differential gene expression over time (451 genes at 14 dpi, 742 genes at 24 dpi, and 1011 genes at 36 dpi) was observed. This increase in expression, correlated with an increase in SACMV accumulation as virus copies were 5-fold higher at 24 dpi and 6-fold higher at 36 dpi than at 14 dpi (1.1x104 virus copies present at 14 dpi, 5.7x104 copies at 24 dpi, and 6.3x104 copies at 36 dpi). Many 2-fold genes were primarily involved in stress and defense responses, phytohormone signalling pathways, cellular transport, cell-cycle regulation, transcription, oxidation-reduction, and other metabolic processes. Forty-one genes (2.3%) were shown to be continuously expressed across the infection period, indicating that the majority of genes were transient and unique to a particular time point. Plant signalling networks were disrupted and manipulated by SACMV-[ZA:99] in order to affect homeostasis and antagonize host’s defense responses. At the same time, an adaptive response was initiated to reprogramme metabolism and divert energy from growth-related processes to defense, all leading to disruption of normal biological host processes. Comparisons between SACMV-[ZA:99] with plant-infecting RNA and DNA viruses revealed similarities and differences in expression patterns among viruses, showing either general defense or virus-specific responses. Within the Geminiviridae family in particular, similarities in cell-cycle regulation and gene expression patterns correlated between SACMV-[ZA:99] and Cabbage leaf curl virus (CaLCuV) but differences were also evident. For instance, CaLCuV showed antagonistic interactions between Salicyclic Acid (SA) and Jasmonic Acid (JA) pathways, whereas SACMV displayed synergism. Differences in gene induction, repression and outcome between the two geminiviruses clearly demonstrated host-specific interactions with SACMV-[ZA:99] leading to infection. To our knowledge this is the first geminivirus study identifying differentially expressed transcripts across 3 time points
Project description:Retrons are bacterial genetic retroelements that encode reverse transcriptase capable of producing multicopy single-stranded DNA (msDNA) and function as antiphage defense systems. Phages employ several strategies to counter the host defense systems, but no mechanisms for evading retrons are known. Here, we show that tRNATyr and Rad (retron anti defense) of T5 phage family inhibit the defense activity of retron 78 and a broad range of retrons, respectively. The effector protein of retron 78, ptuAB, specifically degraded tRNATyr leading abortive infection, but phage countervailed this defense by supplying tRNATyr. Rad inhibited retron function by degrading noncoding RNA, the precursor of msDNA. In summary, we demonstrated that viruses encode at least two independent strategies for overcoming bacterial defense systems: anti-defense, such as Rad, and defense canceler, like tRNA.
Project description:Retrons are bacterial genetic retroelements that encode reverse transcriptase capable of producing multicopy single-stranded DNA (msDNA) and function as antiphage defense systems. Phages employ several strategies to counter the host defense systems, but no mechanisms for evading retrons are known. Here, we show that tRNATyr and Rad (retron anti defense) of T5 phage family inhibit the defense activity of retron 78 and a broad range of retrons, respectively. The effector protein of retron 78, ptuAB, specifically degraded tRNATyr leading abortive infection, but phage countervailed this defense by supplying tRNATyr. Rad inhibited retron function by degrading noncoding RNA, the precursor of msDNA. In summary, we demonstrated that viruses encode at least two independent strategies for overcoming bacterial defense systems: anti-defense, such as Rad, and defense canceler, like tRNA.
Project description:DNA methylation occurs at preferred sites in eukaryotes, although the basis for preference is not known. We use a microarray-based profiling method to explore the involvement of Arabidopsis CMT3 and DRM DNA methyltransferases, a histone H3 lysine-9 methyltransferase (KYP) and an Argonaute-related RNA silencing component (AGO4) in methylating target loci. We find that KYP targets are also CMT3 targets, suggesting that histone methylation maintains CNG methylation genome-wide. CMT3 and KYP targets show similar proximal distributions that corresponds to the overall distribution of transposable elements of all types, whereas DRM targets are distributed more distally along the chromosome. We find an inverse relationship between element size and loss of methylation in ago4 and drm mutants. Our results suggest that RNA-directed DNA methylation is required to silence isolated elements that may be too small to be maintained in a silent state by a chromatin-based mechanism. Thus, parallel pathways would be needed to maintain silencing of transposable elements. Keywords: Methylation profiling using Msp I enzyme