Mating can initiate stable RNA silencing that overcomes epigenetic recovery

Sindhuja Devanapally, Pravrutha Raman, Mary Chey, Samual Allgood, Farida Ettefa, Maïgane Diop, Yixin Lin, Yongyi E. Cho and Antony M. Jose ()
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Sindhuja Devanapally: University of Maryland
Pravrutha Raman: University of Maryland
Mary Chey: University of Maryland
Samual Allgood: University of Maryland
Farida Ettefa: University of Maryland
Maïgane Diop: University of Maryland
Yixin Lin: University of Maryland
Yongyi E. Cho: University of Maryland
Antony M. Jose: University of Maryland

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Stable epigenetic changes appear uncommon, suggesting that changes typically dissipate or are repaired. Changes that stably alter gene expression across generations presumably require particular conditions that are currently unknown. Here we report that a minimal combination of cis-regulatory sequences can support permanent RNA silencing of a single-copy transgene and its derivatives in C. elegans simply upon mating. Mating disrupts competing RNA-based mechanisms to initiate silencing that can last for >300 generations. This stable silencing requires components of the small RNA pathway and can silence homologous sequences in trans. While animals do not recover from mating-induced silencing, they often recover from and become resistant to trans silencing. Recovery is also observed in most cases when double-stranded RNA is used to silence the same coding sequence in different regulatory contexts that drive germline expression. Therefore, we propose that regulatory features can evolve to oppose permanent and potentially maladaptive responses to transient change.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24053-4

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24053-4

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