A single CMT methyltransferase homolog is involved in CHG DNA methylation and development of Physcomitrella patens

Chen Noy-Malka, Rafael Yaari, Rachel Itzhaki, Assaf Mosquna, Nitzan Auerbach Gershovitz, Aviva Katz*, Nir Ohad

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

C-5 DNA methylation is an essential mechanism controlling gene expression and developmental programs in a variety of organisms. Though the role of DNA methylation has been intensively studied in mammals and Arabidopsis, little is known about the evolution of this mechanism. The chromomethylase (CMT) methyltransferase family is unique to plants and was found to be involved in DNA methylation in Arabidopsis, maize and tobacco. The moss Physcomitrella patens, a model for early terrestrial plants, harbors a single homolog of the CMT protein family designated as PpCMT. Our phylogenetic analysis suggested that the CMT family is unique to embryophytes and its earliest known member PpCMT belongs to the CMT3 subfamily. Thus, P. patens may serve as a model to study the ancient functions of the CMT3 family. We have generated a ΔPpcmt deletion mutant which demonstrated that PpCMT is essential for P. patens protonema and gametophore development and is involved in CHG methylation as demonstrated at four distinct genomic loci. PpCMT protein accumulation pattern correlated with proliferating cells and was sub-localized to the nucleus as predicted from its function. Taken together, our results suggested that CHG DNA methylation mediated by CMT has been employed early in land plant evolution to control developmental programs during both the vegetative and reproductive haploid phases along the plant life cycle.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)719-735
Number of pages17
JournalPlant Molecular Biology
Volume84
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2014

Funding

FundersFunder number
International Moss Stock Center40739, 157, 40738, 40740, IMSC 40736, 281, 40737, χPpcmt 103
Manna foundation
Israel Science Foundation3-824, 767/09
Ministry of Science and Technology, Israel

    Keywords

    • Chromomethylase
    • DNA methylation
    • Development
    • Epigenetic regulation
    • Physcomitrella patens
    • Transgene copy number

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