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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2019

The MADS-box transcription factor PHERES1 controls imprinting in the endosperm by binding to domesticated transposons

Batista, Rita A.; Moreno-Romero, Jordi; Qiu, Yichun; van Boven, Joram; Santos-Gonzalez, Juan; Figueiredo, Duarte D.; Kohler, Claudia

Abstract

MADS-box transcription factors (TFs) are ubiquitous in eukaryotic organisms and play major roles during plant development. Nevertheless, their function in seed development remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the imprinted Arabidopsis thaliana MADS-box TF PHERES1 (PHE1) is a master regulator of paternally expressed imprinted genes, as well as of non-imprinted key regulators of endosperm development. PHE1 binding sites show distinct epigenetic modifications on maternal and paternal alleles, correlating with parental-specific transcriptional activity. Importantly, we show that the CArG-box-like DNA-binding motifs that are bound by PHE1 have been distributed by RC/Helitron transposable elements. Our data provide an example of the molecular domestication of these elements which, by distributing PHE1 binding sites throughout the genome, have facilitated the recruitment of crucial endosperm regulators into a single transcriptional network.

Published in

eLife
2019, volume: 8, article number: e50541
Publisher: ELIFE SCIENCES PUBLICATIONS LTD

Authors' information

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Biology
Moreno Romero, Jordi
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Biology
Qiu, Yichun
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Biology
van Boven, Joram
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Biology
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Biology
Figueiredo, Duarte
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Biology
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Biology

UKÄ Subject classification

Developmental Biology

Publication Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.50541

URI (permanent link to this page)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/103450