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Expression of vernalization responsive genes in wheat is associated with histone H3 trimethylation

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Abstract

The transition to flowering in winter wheat requires prolonged exposure to low temperature, a process called vernalization. This process is regulated by a genetic pathway that involves at least three genes, Triticum aestivum VERNALIZATION 1 (TaVRN1), Triticum aestivum VERNALIZATION 2 (TaVRN2) and Triticum aestivum FLOWERING LOCUS T-like 1 (TaFT1). These genes regulate flowering by integrating environmental and developmental cues. To determine whether the expression of these genes is associated with the chromatin methylation state during vernalization in wheat, the level of two markers of histone modifications, the activator histone H3 trimethylation of lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and the repressor histone H3 trimethylation of lysine 27 (H3K27me3) were measured at the promoter regions of these three genes. Bioinformatics analysis of these promoters demonstrates the presence of conserved cis-acting elements in the promoters of the three vernalization genes, TaVRN1, TaVRN2 and TaFT1. These elements are targeted by common transcription factors in the vernalization responsive cereals. These promoters also contain the functional “units” PRE/TRE targeted by Polycomb and Trithorax proteins that maintain repressed or active transcription states of developmentally regulated genes. These proteins are known to be associated with the regulation of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3. Expression studies indicate that TaVRN1 and TaFT1 are up-regulated by vernalization in winter wheat. This up-regulation is associated with increased level of the activator H3K4me3 with no change in the level of the repressor H3K27me3 at the promoter region. This study shows that the flowering transition induced by vernalization in winter wheat is associated with histone methylation at the promoter level of TaVRN1 and TaFT1 while the role of these markers is less evident in TaVRN2 repression. This may represent part of the cellular memory of vernalization in wheat.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Ndjido Ardo Kane, Dr. Zahra Agharbaoui (UQAM) and Dr. Yoko Tominaga (UQAM) for their valuable advices. This work was supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada discovery grant to Dr. Fathey Sarhan.

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  1. Département des Sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Succ. Centre-ville, C.P. 8888, Montreal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada

    Amadou Oury Diallo, Mohamed Ali Ali-Benali, Mohamed Badawi, Mario Houde & Fathey Sarhan

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  1. Amadou Oury Diallo
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  2. Mohamed Ali Ali-Benali
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Correspondence to Fathey Sarhan.

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Communicated by S. Hohmann.

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Diallo, A.O., Ali-Benali, M.A., Badawi, M. et al. Expression of vernalization responsive genes in wheat is associated with histone H3 trimethylation. Mol Genet Genomics 287, 575–590 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-012-0701-0

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