title: Multiple trans-sensing interactions affect meiotically heritable epigenetic states at the maize pl1 locus.
abstract: Interactions between specific maize purple plant1 (pl1) alleles result in heritable changes of gene regulation that are manifested as differences in anthocyanin pigmentation. Transcriptionally repressed states of Pl1-Rhoades alleles (termed Pl') are remarkably stable and invariably facilitate heritable changes of highly expressed states (termed Pl-Rh) in Pl'/Pl-Rh plants. However, Pl' can revert to Pl-Rh when hemizygous, when heterozygous with pl1 alleles other than Pl1-Rhoades, or in the absence of trans-acting factors required to maintain repressed states. Cis-linked features of Pl1-Rhoades responsible for these trans-sensing behaviors remain unknown. Here, genetic tests of a pl1 allelic series identify two potentially separate cis-linked features: one facilitating repression of Pl-Rh and another stabilizing Pl' in trans. Neither function is affected in ethyl-methanesulfonate-induced Pl1-Rhoades derivatives that produce truncated PL1 peptides, indicating that PL1 is unlikely to mediate trans interactions. Both functions, however, are impaired in a spontaneous Pl1-Rhoades derivative that fails to produce detectable pl1 RNA. Pl'-like states can also repress expression of a pl1-W22 allele, but this repression is not meiotically heritable. As the Pl' state is not associated with unique small RNA species representing the pl1-coding region, the available data suggest that interactions between elements required for transcription underlie Pl1-Rhoades epigenetic behaviors.
authors: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors: Stephen M
authors: SM
authors: Gross
authors: Jay B
authors: JB
authors: Hollick
mesh_terms: D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009154:Mutation; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011058:Pollen / Q000235:genetics; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D010940:Plant Proteins