title: An RNA polymerase II- and AGO4-associated protein acts in RNA-directed DNA methylation.
abstract: DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark in many eukaryotes. In plants, 24-nucleotide small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) bound to the effector protein, Argonaute 4 (AGO4), can direct de novo DNA methylation by the methyltransferase DRM2 (refs 2, 4-6). Here we report a new regulator of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) in Arabidopsis: RDM1. Loss-of-function mutations in the RDM1 gene impair the accumulation of 24-nucleotide siRNAs, reduce DNA methylation, and release transcriptional gene silencing at RdDM target loci. RDM1 encodes a small protein that seems to bind single-stranded methyl DNA, and associates and co-localizes with RNA polymerase II (Pol II, also known as NRPB), AGO4 and DRM2 in the nucleus. Our results indicate that RDM1 is a component of the RdDM effector complex and may have a role in linking siRNA production with pre-existing or de novo cytosine methylation. Our results also indicate that, although RDM1 and Pol V (also known as NRPE) may function together at some RdDM target sites in the peri-nucleolar siRNA processing centre, Pol II rather than Pol V is associated with the RdDM effector complex at target sites in the nucleoplasm.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Integrative Genome Biology and Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Zhihuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hai-Liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Daxinger
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pontes
authors.forename: Xinjian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Weiqiang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Huixin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Mingtang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Zdravko J
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Lorkovic
authors.forename: Shoudong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Xiangqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pontier
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lagrange
authors.forename: Hailing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Antonius J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Matzke
authors.forename: Marjori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matzke
authors.forename: Craig S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Pikaard
authors.forename: Jian-Kang
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C471209:AGO4 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C549271:RDM1 protein, Arabidopsis; D018749:RNA, Plant; D008780:Methyltransferases; C470732:DRM2 protein, Arabidopsis; D012319:RNA Polymerase II
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