title: MORF-RELATED GENE702, a Reader Protein of Trimethylated Histone H3 Lysine 4 and Histone H3 Lysine 36, Is Involved in Brassinosteroid-Regulated Growth and Flowering Time Control in Rice.
abstract: The methylation of histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36) plays critical roles in brassinosteroid (BR)-related processes and is involved in controlling flowering time in rice (Oryza sativa). Although enzymes that catalyze this methylation reaction have been described, little is known about the recognition mechanisms to decipher H3K36 methylation information in rice. In this study, biochemical characterizations showed that MORF-RELATED GENE702 (MRG702) binds to trimethylated H3K4 and H3K36 (H3K4me3 and H3K36me3) in vitro. Similar to the loss-of-function mutants of the rice H3K36 methyltransferase gene SET DOMAIN GROUP725 (SDG725), the MRG702 knockdown mutants displayed typical BR-deficient mutant and late-flowering phenotypes. Gene transcription analyses showed that MRG702 knockdown resulted in the down-regulation of BR-related genes, including DWARF11, BRASSINOSTEROD INSENSITIVE1, and BRASSINOSTEROID UPREGULATED1, and several flowering genes, including Early heading date1 (Ehd1), Ehd2, Ehd3, OsMADS50, Heading date 3a, and RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T1. A binding analysis showed that MRG702 directly binds to the chromatin at target gene loci. This binding is dependent on the level of trimethylated H3K36, which is mediated by SDG725. Together, our results demonstrate that MRG702 acts as a reader protein of H3K4me3 and H3K36me3 and deciphers the H3K36 methylation information set by SDG725. Therefore, the role of MRG702 in the BR pathway and in controlling flowering time in rice is to function as a reader protein to decipher methylation information.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China (J.J., J.S., B.L., Y.Y., A.D.); andNational Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China (Y.L., Y.H.).
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Jin
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China (J.J., J.S., B.L., Y.Y., A.D.); andNational Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China (Y.L., Y.H.).
authors: Jinlei
authors: J
authors: Shi
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China (J.J., J.S., B.L., Y.Y., A.D.); andNational Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China (Y.L., Y.H.).
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Liu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China (J.J., J.S., B.L., Y.Y., A.D.); andNational Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China (Y.L., Y.H.).
authors: Yanchao
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China (J.J., J.S., B.L., Y.Y., A.D.); andNational Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China (Y.L., Y.H.).
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Huang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China (J.J., J.S., B.L., Y.Y., A.D.); andNational Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China (Y.L., Y.H.) yuy@fudan.edu.cn aiwudong@fudan.edu.cn.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Yu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China (J.J., J.S., B.L., Y.Y., A.D.); andNational Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China (Y.L., Y.H.) yuy@fudan.edu.cn aiwudong@fudan.edu.cn.
authors: Aiwu
authors: A
authors: Dong
mesh_terms: D060406:Brassinosteroids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D060406:Brassinosteroids; D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D008239:Lysine