Article
Plant Sciences
Jun Yi, David Kradolfer, Lynette Brownfield, Yingrui Ma, Ewa Piskorz, Claudia Kohler, Hua Jiang
Summary: Polyploidy, the presence of more than two sets of chromosomes within a cell, is a common phenomenon in plants. This study identified a suppressor mutant called telamon that restored the production of haploid pollen in the meiotic mutant jason (jas) background. The tel mutant did not restore the organelle band, but enlarged the size of male meiocytes, suggesting an alternative way to maintain ploidy stability in meiosis during evolution.
Article
Plant Sciences
Vanesa Calvo-Baltanas, Joke De Jaeger-Braet, Wei Yuan Cher, Nils Schoenbeck, Eunyoung Chae, Arp Schnittger, Erik Wijnker
Summary: By inactivating genes involved in meiosis, researchers are able to direct the genetic makeup of plants and manipulate inheritance patterns. Through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), genes such as FIGL1, RECQ4A/B, OSD1, and QRT2 can be temporarily silenced, resulting in an increase in chiasma numbers, unreduced gametes, and pollen tetrads in Arabidopsis thaliana. This study demonstrates the potential of VIGS in modifying various processes during or shortly after meiosis.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Krishnaprasad G. Nandanan, Sagar Salim, Ajith Pankajam, Miki Shinohara, Gen Lin, Parijat Chakraborty, Amamah Farnaz, Lars M. Steinmetz, Akira Shinohara, Koodali T. Nishant
Summary: The Msh4-Msh5 complex in baker's yeast plays a vital role in meiotic crossovers and is found to associate specifically with DSB hotspots, chromosome axes, and centromeres. Its binding is enhanced by DSB formation and resection, and is correlated to DSB frequency, as well as being influenced by chromosome size and density of crossovers. These findings shed light on how Msh4-Msh5 works with other pro-crossover factors to ensure crossover formation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jinping Cheng, Linhao Xu, Valentin Berger, Astrid Bruckmann, Chao Yang, Veit Schubert, Klaus D. Grasser, Arp Schnittger, Binglian Zheng, Hua Jiang
Summary: This study reveals that H3K9 demethylases IBM1 and JMJ27 cooperatively regulate meiotic progression and protect protein-coding genes from ectopic H3K9me2 modification in Arabidopsis thaliana. They also interact with the cohesin complex cofactor PDS5, independently of H3K9 demethylation, to regulate male meiosis and gene expression.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jason Sims, Giovanni Sestini, Christiane Elgert, Arndt von Haeseler, Peter Schloegelhofer
Summary: Despite vast differences between organisms, some characteristics of their genomes are conserved, such as the nucleolus organizing region (NOR). Using a combination of long- and short-read sequencing, researchers have identified tissue-specific variants of rRNA genes integrated into translating ribosomes in Arabidopsis NOR2 rDNA.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniel Matsusaka, Javier F. Botto, Diego H. Sanchez
Summary: This study reveals the central regulatory role of specific noncoding tandem repeats in the intersection between epigenetic silencing and gene expression, and their importance in plant stress responses.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marie-Therese Kurzbauer, Michael Peter Janisiw, Luis F. Paulin, Ignacio Prusen Mota, Konstantin Tomanov, Ondrej Krsicka, Arndt von Haeseler, Veit Schubert, Peter Schloegelhofer
Summary: The study shows that Arabidopsis ATM plays a role in multiple steps of meiosis, limiting the number of meiotic DSBs and affecting CO formation and SC organization. This extends our understanding of how ATM functions during plant meiosis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiang Li, Mingsen Yu, Pablo Bolanos-Villegas, Jun Zhang, Di'an Ni, Hong Ma, Yingxiang Wang
Summary: The study revealed the crucial role of FANCM in shaping the distribution of meiotic Class-I crossovers in plants, with evolutionary divergent roles observed between Arabidopsis and lettuce in meiotic bivalent formation.
Article
Agronomy
Guiquan Zhang
Summary: Progress in plant breeding relies on genetic resources, genetic knowledge, and breeding techniques. Breeding by design aims to control all allelic variation for genes of agronomic importance by utilizing naturally occurring variation. By applying a three-step strategy, including constructing a SSSL library, identifying desirable genes, and designing new rice lines with target gene pyramiding, successful achievements have been made in rice breeding using the HJX74-SSSL platform.
Article
Cell Biology
Marc Fiedler, Elsa Franco-Echevarria, Anna Schulten, Mathias Nielsen, Trevor J. Rutherford, Anna Yeates, Bilal Ahsan, Caroline Dean, Mariann Bienz
Summary: Accessory proteins called VEL proteins in Arabidopsis facilitate the assembly of dynamic multivalent Polycomb complexes, which play a crucial role in the initiation and transmission of gene silencing, thereby regulating the flowering time in plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhen Wang, Junmei Kang, Juan Armando Casas-Mollano, Yongchao Dou, Shangang Jia, Qingchuan Yang, Chi Zhang, Heriberto Cerutti
Summary: The plant-specific protein kinase MLK4 regulates flowering time by phosphorylating histone H3, which in turn accelerates flowering by repressing the transcription of the negative flowering regulator FLC/MAF.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Nicolas Mary, Anne Calgaro, Harmonie Barasc, Nathalie Bonnet, Stephane Ferchaud, Isabelle Raymond-Letron, Alain Ducos, Alain Pinton
Summary: Balanced constitutional reciprocal translocations in carriers typically result in a normal phenotype but can lead to reproductive disorders. A study in pigs found that an autosome-autosome translocation associated with azoospermia can cause unpaired autosomal segments in the meiotic process, potentially leading to total meiotic arrest. Gene expression analysis revealed downregulation of genes on chromosomes 1 and 15, without upregulation of SSCX genes, suggesting a mechanism involving the silencing of autosomal genes during meiosis.
Article
Plant Sciences
J. Mottus, S. Maiste, P. Eek, E. Truve, C. Sarmiento
Summary: ABCE1 is a conserved ribosome recycling factor essential for translation, with ABCE2 in Arabidopsis thaliana sharing similar functions. By studying the structural requirements of AtABCE2, it was found that it suppresses RNA silencing by supporting competing RNA degradation mechanisms associated with ribosome recycling, similar to the role of archaeal ABCE1.
Article
Plant Sciences
Liangsheng Wang, Duorong Xu, Kristin Scharf, Wolfgang Frank, Dario Leister, Tatjana Kleine
Summary: RBP45D plays a crucial role in CHH DNA methylation and siRNA production in the Arabidopsis thaliana prors1 (LUC) transgenic system. Loss of RBP45D delays flowering in plants by affecting the expression levels and splicing of specific genes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sorin Tanasa, Neha Shukla, Albert Cairo, Ranjani S. Ganji, Pavlina Mikulkova, Sona Valuchova, Vivek K. Raxwal, Claudio Capitao, Arp Schnittger, Zbynek Zdrahal, Karel Riha
Summary: Meiosis is a specialized cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes, followed by mitotic divisions to form haploid gametophytes in angiosperm plants. In Arabidopsis, the termination of meiosis and transition to gametophytic development are regulated by TDM1 and SMG7, which inhibit translation. Mutants deficient in this mechanism show aberrant nuclear divisions due to the failure to downregulate cyclin dependent kinases during meiotic exit. A mutation in cyclin-dependent kinase D;3 (CDKD;3) was identified as a suppressor that alleviates meiotic defects in smg7 deficient plants by preventing aberrant meiotic divisions or delaying their onset. CDKD;3 acts independently of CDKA;1 and interacts with proteins involved in cytokinesis, suggesting a complex role in cell cycle regulation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariana Romeiro Motta, Xin'Ai Zhao, Martine Pastuglia, Katia Belcram, Farshad Roodbarkelari, Maki Komaki, Hirofumi Harashima, Shinichiro Komaki, Manoj Kumar, Petra Bulankova, Maren Heese, Karel Riha, David Bouchez, Arp Schnittger
Summary: Flowering plants contain multiple cyclin families, with B1-type cyclins playing a crucial role in cell cycle control during Arabidopsis development. Mutant analysis revealed complex overlapping requirements of B1-type cyclins, with CYCB1;2 being central. The double mutant cycb1;1 cycb1;2, although compromised in growth, provides a unique opportunity to study the function of B1-type cyclins at the organismic level.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dirk Granse, Mariana Romeiro Motta, Sigrid Suchrow, Klaus von Schwartzenberg, Arp Schnittger, Kai Jensen
Summary: Whole genome duplications lead to the formation of polyploid specimens in plants, which are considered as major drivers for speciation and diversification. In a study conducted in European Wadden Sea salt marshes, differences in distribution, phenotypic appearance, and response to surface elevation were identified between a hexaploid F-1-hybrid and its dodecaploid descendent, suggesting potential effects of ancient polyploidization on the observed cytotypic differences.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joke De Jaeger-Braet, Linda Krause, Anika Buchholz, Arp Schnittger
Summary: Plant growth and fertility are strongly affected by temperature, which also influences meiotic recombination and genetic make-up of plants. Research shows that different temperature regimes lead to distinct meiotic progression, with an acclimatization phase moderating the effects. Further analysis reveals the existence of a pachytene checkpoint in plants under high temperature conditions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Vanesa Calvo-Baltanas, Joke De Jaeger-Braet, Wei Yuan Cher, Nils Schoenbeck, Eunyoung Chae, Arp Schnittger, Erik Wijnker
Summary: By inactivating genes involved in meiosis, researchers are able to direct the genetic makeup of plants and manipulate inheritance patterns. Through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), genes such as FIGL1, RECQ4A/B, OSD1, and QRT2 can be temporarily silenced, resulting in an increase in chiasma numbers, unreduced gametes, and pollen tetrads in Arabidopsis thaliana. This study demonstrates the potential of VIGS in modifying various processes during or shortly after meiosis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jinping Cheng, Linhao Xu, Valentin Berger, Astrid Bruckmann, Chao Yang, Veit Schubert, Klaus D. Grasser, Arp Schnittger, Binglian Zheng, Hua Jiang
Summary: This study reveals that H3K9 demethylases IBM1 and JMJ27 cooperatively regulate meiotic progression and protect protein-coding genes from ectopic H3K9me2 modification in Arabidopsis thaliana. They also interact with the cohesin complex cofactor PDS5, independently of H3K9 demethylation, to regulate male meiosis and gene expression.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaowen Da, Jiangfan Guo, Peng Yan, Chao Yang, Hongfei Zhao, Wei Li, Yuzhu Kong, Ruirui Jiang, Yi He, Jiming Xu, Ouyuan Xu, Chuanzao Mao, Xiaorong Mo
Summary: LFNRs function in the photosynthetic electron transport chain, with membrane anchoring mechanisms varying between rice and Arabidopsis. In rice, OsTROL1 serves as a thylakoid membrane anchor, unlike in Arabidopsis, while the loss of LFNR membrane anchor affects photosynthesis. These findings shed light on the differences in LFNR membrane anchoring between rice and Arabidopsis.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shinichiro Komaki, Eelco C. Tromer, Geert De Jaeger, Nancy De Winne, Maren Heese, Arp Schnittger
Summary: A study identified BORI1 and BORI2 as Survivin-like proteins in plants, which are essential for proper development. These proteins bind to phosphorylated histone H3, facilitating the association of CPC with chromatin. The presence of a helical domain that promotes complex formation with other scaffold components is a shared feature of Survivin-type proteins in animals and plants, and the addition of a phosphate-binding domain evolved independently in different eukaryotic groups.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chao Yang, Kostika Sofroni, Yuki Hamamura, Bingyan Hu, Hasibe Tuncay Elbasi, Martina Balboni, Lei Chu, Dagmar Stang, Maren Heese, Arp Schnittger
Summary: The ASY1 remodeling complex is assembled differently in terms of timing and location. PCH2 and COMET interact in the cytoplasm during early meiosis, but PCH2 is recruited by ZYP1 and brought to the ASY1-bound COMET to ensure the timely removal of ASY1 during chromosome synapsis.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Poyu Chen, Nancy De Winne, Geert De Jaeger, Masaki Ito, Maren Heese, Arp Schnittger
Summary: In Arabidopsis thaliana, the activity of the Bloom syndrome complex, which is crucial for maintaining genome integrity, is controlled by selective autophagy. The DNA damage regulator KNO1 facilitates autophagic degradation of RMI1, a structural component of the complex, leading to increased homologous recombination. Reduced autophagic activity makes plants hypersensitive to DNA damage. KNO1 itself is stabilized by the ubiquitin-proteasome system upon DNA damage, mediated by UBP12 and UBP13 deubiquitinases. These findings reveal a regulatory cascade of interconnected protein degradation steps that fine-tune the homologous recombination response to DNA damage.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jiayi Zhao, Xin Gui, Ziming Ren, Huiqi Fu, Chao Yang, Wenyi Wang, Qingpei Liu, Min Zhang, Chong Wang, Arp Schnittger, Bing Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates the important role of the ATM kinase in maintaining meiotic genome stability under heat stress in Arabidopsis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sorin Tanasa, Neha Shukla, Albert Cairo, Ranjani S. Ganji, Pavlina Mikulkova, Sona Valuchova, Vivek K. Raxwal, Claudio Capitao, Arp Schnittger, Zbynek Zdrahal, Karel Riha
Summary: Meiosis is a specialized cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes, followed by mitotic divisions to form haploid gametophytes in angiosperm plants. In Arabidopsis, the termination of meiosis and transition to gametophytic development are regulated by TDM1 and SMG7, which inhibit translation. Mutants deficient in this mechanism show aberrant nuclear divisions due to the failure to downregulate cyclin dependent kinases during meiotic exit. A mutation in cyclin-dependent kinase D;3 (CDKD;3) was identified as a suppressor that alleviates meiotic defects in smg7 deficient plants by preventing aberrant meiotic divisions or delaying their onset. CDKD;3 acts independently of CDKA;1 and interacts with proteins involved in cytokinesis, suggesting a complex role in cell cycle regulation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gaetan Pochon, Isabelle M. Henry, Chao Yang, Niels Lory, Nadia Fernandez-Jimenez, Franziska Boewer, Bingyan Hu, Lena Carstens, Helen T. Tsai, Monica Pradillo, Luca Comai, Arp Schnittger
Summary: ASY1 plays a crucial role in meiotic recombination by regulating the number and placement of cross-overs (COs). COs in asy1 mutants are positioned closer to each other, but the reduction in CO number is not significant. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms behind CO assurance and CO interference during meiosis.