title: Transcriptional Gene Silencing Maintained by OTS1 SUMO Protease Requires a DNA-Dependent Polymerase V-Dependent Pathway.
abstract: The expression of genes with aberrant structure is prevented at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation levels. Aberrant gene silencing at the posttranscriptional level is well studied; however, it is not well understood how aberrant genes are silenced at the transcriptional level. In this study, through genetic screening a transgenic report line that harbors an aberrant gene (35S-LUC, lacking 3'-untranslated region [3'-UTR]) and lacks luciferase (LUC) activity, we identify that the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protease OTS1 gene is required for maintaining the silence of the reporter 35S-LUC and an endogenous mutator-like element MULE-F19G14 at the transcriptional level, which requires DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (Pol) V and DDR complex, but not Pol IV. The increased transcripts in ots1 mutants are terminated by the 3'-UTRs of downstream genes. In addition to ots1 mutations, mutations in several known or putative SUMO proteases and two SUMO E3 ligases, SIZ1 and MMS21, have similar effects on this silencing regulation. Taken together, our results reveal that the enzymes involved in the SUMOylation process restrain aberrant gene transcription by using a downstream gene 3'-UTR, and this regulation requires a functional Pol V-dependent pathway in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana).
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (L.L., X.Y., Y.Z., Z.G., Y.G.); and.|Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China (X.K., J.B.J.).
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (L.L., X.Y., Y.Z., Z.G., Y.G.); and.|Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China (X.K., J.B.J.).
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (L.L., X.Y., Y.Z., Z.G., Y.G.); and.|Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China (X.K., J.B.J.).
authors.forename: Xiangxiong
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8436-7787
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (L.L., X.Y., Y.Z., Z.G., Y.G.); and.|Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China (X.K., J.B.J.).
authors.forename: Yiqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (L.L., X.Y., Y.Z., Z.G., Y.G.); and.|Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China (X.K., J.B.J.).
authors.forename: Zhizhong
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6551-6014
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (L.L., X.Y., Y.Z., Z.G., Y.G.); and.|Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China (X.K., J.B.J.).
authors.forename: Jing Bo
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5847-5138
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China (L.L., X.Y., Y.Z., Z.G., Y.G.); and guoyan@cau.edu.cn.|Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China (X.K., J.B.J.) guoyan@cau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6955-8008
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000074183:ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D008025:Ligases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D058207:Sumoylation; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C538841:RNA polymerase V, Arabidopsis; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; C504888:DRD1 protein, Arabidopsis; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C535127:OTS1 protein, Arabidopsis; C535128:OTS2 protein, Arabidopsis; D000074183:ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities; C409208:MOM protein, Arabidopsis; D008025:Ligases; C555898:MMS21 protein, Arabidopsis; C502552:SIZ1 protein, Arabidopsis