title: ZRF1 Chromatin Regulators Have Polycomb Silencing and Independent Roles in Development.
abstract: Histone H2A monoubiquitination (H2Aub1), catalyzed by Polycomb-Repressive Complex1 (PRC1), is a key epigenetic mark in Polycomb silencing. However, little is known about how H2Aub1 is read to exert downstream physiological functions. The animal ZUOTIN-RELATED FACTOR1 (ZRF1) has been reported to bind H2Aub1 to promote or repress the expression of varied target genes. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ZRF1 homologs, AtZRF1a and AtZRF1b, are key regulators of multiple processes during plant growth and development. Loss of function of both AtZRF1a and AtZRF1b in atzrf1a atzrf1b mutants causes seed germination delay, small plant size, abnormal meristem activity, abnormal flower development, as well as gametophyte transmission and embryogenesis defects. Some of these defects overlap with those described previously in the PRC1-defective mutants atbmi1a atbmi1b and atring1a atring1b, but others are specific to atzrf1a atzrf1b In line with this, 4,519 genes (representing more than 14% of all genes) within the Arabidopsis genome are found differentially expressed in atzrf1a atzrf1b seedlings, and among them, 114 genes are commonly up-regulated in atring1a atring1b and atbmi1a atbmi1b Finally, we show that in both atzrf1a atzrf1b and atbmi1a atbmi1b seedlings, the seed developmental genes ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3, CRUCIFERIN3, and CHOTTO1 are derepressed, in association with the reduced levels of H2Aub1 and histone H3 lysine-27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). Collectively, our results indicate that AtZRF1a/b play both PRC1-related and PRC1-unrelated functions in regulating plant growth and development and that AtZRF1a/b promote H2Aub1 and H3K27me3 deposition in gene suppression. Our work provides novel insight into the mechanisms of function of this family of evolutionarily conserved chromatin regulators.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Propre de Recherche 2357 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg cedex, France (J.F., D.C., A.B., W.-H.S.); and.|Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China (D.C.).
authors.forename: Jing
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3214-2313
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Propre de Recherche 2357 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg cedex, France (J.F., D.C., A.B., W.-H.S.); and.|Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China (D.C.).
authors.forename: Donghong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Propre de Recherche 2357 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg cedex, France (J.F., D.C., A.B., W.-H.S.); and.|Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China (D.C.).
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berr
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Propre de Recherche 2357 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg cedex, France (J.F., D.C., A.B., W.-H.S.); and wen-hui.shen@ibmp-cnrs.unistra.fr.|Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China (D.C.) wen-hui.shen@ibmp-cnrs.unistra.fr.
authors.forename: Wen-Hui
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7988-6382
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D035264:Flowers / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018525:Germination / Q000235:genetics; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D018519:Meristem / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D063245:Plant Development / Q000235:genetics; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D013489:Suppression, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D006657:Histones; C036483:T-DNA; C000623010:ZRF1a protein, Arabidopsis; C000623011:ZRF1b protein, Arabidopsis; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C457769:PRC1 protein, Arabidopsis