title: A genetic screen for suppressors of a hypomorphic allele of Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE1.
abstract: ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) encodes a key component of the complexes mediating microRNA (miRNA) function in Arabidopsis. To study the regulation, action and interactions of AGO1, we conducted a genetic screen to identify second-site mutations modifying the morphological phenotype of ago1-52, a partial loss-of-function allele of AGO1. Unlike null ago1 mutations, the hypomorphic ago1-52 allele does not cause lethality or sterility; however, ago1-52 does produce a morphological phenotype clearly distinct from wild type. In our screen for modifiers of ago1-52, we identified suppressor mutations that partially restore wild-type morphology in the ago1-52 background and we termed these mas (morphology of argonaute1-52 suppressed). We focused on 23 of these putative suppressors. Linkage analysis of the mas mutations together with sequencing of the AGO1 gene in genomic DNA and cDNA from ago1-52 mas plants indicated that 22 of the mas lines contain extragenic suppressors, and one contains an intragenic suppressor that affects splicing of ago1-52. In the presence of the wild-type allele of AGO1, most of the mas mutations cause a mild or no mutant phenotype on their own, indicating that the ago1-52 mutant may provide a sensitized background for examining the interactions of AGO1.
authors.affiliation: 1] Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain [2].
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Micol-Ponce
authors.affiliation: 1] Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain [2] [3].
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain.
authors.forename: María Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ponce
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D060565:Argonaute Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D016153:Genes, Suppressor; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods*; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity / Q000235:genetics*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: C117457:AGO1 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs