RdDM-independent de novo and heterochromatin DNA methylation by plant CMT and DNMT3 orthologs

Rafael Yaari, Aviva Katz, Katherine Domb, Keith D. Harris, Assaf Zemach () and Nir Ohad ()
Additional contact information
Rafael Yaari: Tel-Aviv University
Aviva Katz: Tel-Aviv University
Katherine Domb: Tel-Aviv University
Keith D. Harris: Tel-Aviv University
Assaf Zemach: Tel-Aviv University
Nir Ohad: Tel-Aviv University

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract To properly regulate the genome, cytosine methylation is established by animal DNA methyltransferase 3 s (DNMT3s). While altered DNMT3 homologs, Domains rearranged methyltransferases (DRMs), have been shown to establish methylation via the RNA directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway, the role of true-plant DNMT3 orthologs remains elusive. Here, we profile de novo (RPS transgene) and genomic methylation in the basal plant, Physcomitrella patens, mutated in each of its PpDNMTs. We show that PpDNMT3b mediates CG and CHH de novo methylation, independently of PpDRMs. Complementary de novo CHG methylation is specifically mediated by the CHROMOMETHYLASE, PpCMT. Intragenomically, PpDNMT3b functions preferentially within heterochromatin and is affected by PpCMT. In comparison, PpDRMs target active-euchromatic transposons. Overall, our data resolve how DNA methylation in plants can be established in heterochromatin independently of RdDM; suggest that DRMs have emerged to target euchromatin; and link DNMT3 loss in angiosperms to the initiation of heterochromatic CHH methylation by CMT2.

Date: 2019
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09496-0 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-09496-0

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09496-0

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().