title: DEFORMED FLORAL ORGAN1 (DFO1) regulates floral organ identity by epigenetically repressing the expression of OsMADS58 in rice (Oryza sativa).
abstract: Floral organ identity in plants is controlled by floral homeotic A/B/C/D/E-class genes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, several epigenetic repressors that regulate these floral organ identity genes have been characterized. However, the roles of epigenetic factors in rice floral development have not been explored in detail. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of a rice epigenetic repressor, DEFORMED FLORAL ORGAN1 (DFO1) gene, which causes abnormal floral morphology when mutated. We isolated dfo1 by mapping, and confirmed its function by rescue experiments, combined with genetic, cytological and molecular biological analysis. We showed that DFO1 is constitutively expressed and encodes a nuclear-localized protein. Mutation of DFO1 causes the ectopic expression of C-class genes in the dfo1-1 mutant, and overexpression of OsMADS58, a C-class gene, phenocopies the dfo1 mutants. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that DFO1 interacts with the rice polycomb group (PcG) proteins (OsMSI1 and OsiEZ1). Remarkably, trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27, a mark of epigenetic repression, is significantly reduced on OsMADS58 chromatin in the dfo1-1 mutant. Our results suggest that DFO1 functions in maintaining rice floral organ identity by cooperating with PcG proteins to regulate the H3K27me3-mediated epigenetic repression on OsMADS58.
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Zheng
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Yihua
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Yunlong
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Chunming
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors: Yulong
authors: Y
authors: Ren
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Jia
authors: J
authors: Lv
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Cheng
authors: C
authors: Peng
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Wu
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Liu
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Shaolu
authors: S
authors: Zhao
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Xi
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors: Xiuping
authors: X
authors: Guo
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors: Ling
authors: L
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 18766, USA.
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Terzaghi
authors: State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.|National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors: Jianmin
authors: J
authors: Wan
mesh_terms: D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D012275:Oryza / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010641:Phenotype; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D008239:Lysine
keywords: DEFORMED FLORAL ORGAN1 (DFO1); EMBRYONIC FLOWER1 (EMF1); MADS-box genes; flower development; polycomb proteins; rice (Oryza sativa)