Epigenetic Reprogramming and Small RNA Silencing of Transposable Elements in Pollen

The mutagenic activity of transposable elements (TEs) is suppressed by epigenetic silencing and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), especially in gametes that could transmit transposed elements to the next generation. In pollen from the model plant Arabidopsis, we show that TEs are unexpectedly reactiv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cell 2009-02, Vol.136 (3), p.461-472
Main Authors: Slotkin, R. Keith, Vaughn, Matthew, Borges, Filipe, Tanurdžić, Miloš, Becker, Jörg D., Feijó, José A., Martienssen, Robert A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arabidopsis
Arabidopsis - genetics
Arabidopsis - metabolism
DEVBIO
DNA
DNA Methylation
DNA Transposable Elements
Epigenesis, Genetic
Gene Expression Profiling
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Life Sciences
Pollen - genetics
Pollen - metabolism
RNA
RNA Interference
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Summary:The mutagenic activity of transposable elements (TEs) is suppressed by epigenetic silencing and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), especially in gametes that could transmit transposed elements to the next generation. In pollen from the model plant Arabidopsis, we show that TEs are unexpectedly reactivated and transpose, but only in the pollen vegetative nucleus, which accompanies the sperm cells but does not provide DNA to the fertilized zygote. TE expression coincides with downregulation of the heterochromatin remodeler DECREASE IN DNA METHYLATION 1 and of many TE siRNAs. However, 21 nucleotide siRNAs from Athila retrotransposons are generated and accumulate in pollen and sperm, suggesting that siRNA from TEs activated in the vegetative nucleus can target silencing in gametes. We propose a conserved role for reprogramming in germline companion cells, such as nurse cells in insects and vegetative nuclei in plants, to reveal intact TEs in the genome and regulate their activity in gametes.
ISSN:0092-8674
1097-4172
DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2008.12.038