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Invasive DNA elements modify the nuclear architecture of their insertion site by KNOT-linked silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana

Grob, Stefan; Grossniklaus, Ueli (2019). Invasive DNA elements modify the nuclear architecture of their insertion site by KNOT-linked silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genome Biology, 20(1):120.

Abstract

Background
The three-dimensional (3D) organization of chromosomes is linked to epigenetic regulation and transcriptional activity. However, only few functional features of 3D chromatin architecture have been described to date. The KNOT is a 3D chromatin structure in Arabidopsis, comprising 10 interacting genomic regions termed KNOT ENGAGED ELEMENTs (KEEs). KEEs are enriched in transposable elements and associated small RNAs, suggesting a function in transposon biology.
Results
Here, we report the KNOT’s involvement in regulating invasive DNA elements. Transgenes can specifically interact with the KNOT, leading to perturbations of 3D nuclear organization, which correlates with the transgene’s expression: high KNOT interaction frequencies are associated with transgene silencing. KNOT-linked silencing (KLS) cannot readily be connected to canonical silencing mechanisms, such as RNA-directed DNA methylation and post-transcriptional gene silencing, as both cytosine methylation and small RNA abundance do not correlate with KLS. Furthermore, KLS exhibits paramutation-like behavior, as silenced transgenes can lead to the silencing of active transgenes in trans.
Conclusion
Transgene silencing can be connected to a specific feature of Arabidopsis 3D nuclear organization, namely the KNOT. KLS likely acts either independent of or prior to canonical silencing mechanisms, such that its characterization not only contributes to our understanding of chromosome folding but also provides valuable insights into how genomes are defended against invasive DNA elements.

Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:07 Faculty of Science > Department of Plant and Microbial Biology
07 Faculty of Science > Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center
Dewey Decimal Classification:580 Plants (Botany)
Scopus Subject Areas:Life Sciences > Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Life Sciences > Genetics
Life Sciences > Cell Biology
Language:English
Date:1 December 2019
Deposited On:04 Feb 2020 12:58
Last Modified:22 Jan 2025 02:39
Publisher:BioMed Central
ISSN:1474-7596
OA Status:Gold
Free access at:PubMed ID. An embargo period may apply.
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-019-1722-3
PubMed ID:31186073
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  • Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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