title: The Arabidopsis ortholog of the YEATS domain containing protein YAF9a regulates flowering by controlling H4 acetylation levels at the FLC locus.
abstract: Histone acetylation and complexes associated with this process are directly involved in chromatin regulation and gene expression. Among these, NuA4 complex is directly involved in acetylation of histone H4, H2A and H2A.Z. In yeast, the NuA4 complex contains the catalytic subunit, the histone acetyltransferase ESA1, and several associated components including YAF9. In this report we explored the biological role of YAF9a in Arabidopsis thaliana. Homozygous yaf9a-1 and yaf9a-3 mutants show early flowering phenotypes. Moreover, yaf9a-1 mutants displayed reduced expression of the flowering repressor FLC, whereas the expression of the flowering activators FT and SOC1 was induced in comparison to wild-type plants. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays with H4 tetra-acetylated antibodies we observed a positive correlation with gene expression profile of FLC and FT in yaf9a-1 mutants under long days. We therefore conclude that YAF9a in Arabidopsis is a negative regulator of flowering by controlling the H4 acetylation levels in the FLC and FT chromatin.
authors.affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Sciences, School of Biology, Postgraduate Studies Program "Applied Genetics and Biotechnology", 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zacharaki
authors.forename: Moussa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benhamed
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poulios
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Latrasse
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papoutsoglou
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delarue
authors.forename: Konstantinos E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Vlachonasios
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C419046:AGL20 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C418902:At5g10140 protein, Arabidopsis; C418905:FT protein, Arabidopsis; D006657:Histones; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014157:Transcription Factors; C578671:YAF9a protein, Arabidopsis; C578672:YAF9b protein, Arabidopsis