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Characterization of a drought inducible trithorax-like H3K4 methyltransferase from barley

  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Histone H3 lysine 4 methylations catalyzed by histone lysine methyltransferases (HKMTs), like the Arabidopsis thaliana ATX1 and ATX2, are important epigenetic modifications related to chromatin decondensation and gene activation. In order to study this epigenetic mechanism in monocot cereal plants, we performed homology searches of ATX1 and ATX2 against the Brachypodium distachyon L. Beauv and rice (Oryza sativa L. spp. japonica) genomes, discovering single homologues for each cereal crop representing both Arabidopsis sequences. Using this information, we employed the rolling circle amplification — rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RCA-RACE) method to isolate, clone and characterize HvTX1 from RNA extracted from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) tissues and studied its expression during seed development and under drought stress. The cloned cDNA sequence contained a 3 093 bp ORF homologous to ATX1 and ATX2. Characterization of the translated HvTX1 transcript sequence revealed the multi-domain nature of the putative protein, including all conserved regions characteristic for ATX1 and ATX2. By comparative genomic analysis and homology searches in EST databases we located, with high probability, the gene coding for HvTX1 on the barley chromosome 5H. Constant elevation of HvTX1 expression was observed during seed development. Expression of HvTX1 after drought stress was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in two different barley cultivars with varying drought stress tolerance, revealing HvTX1 drought-induction in a tolerance-specific manner.

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Abbreviations

ATX:

trithorax protein family in Arabidopsis thaliana

C-SAC:

SET-associated cysteine-rich motif

DAF:

days after fertilization

DAST:

domain associated with SET in trithorax

FLC:

FLOWERING LOCUS C

FYRC:

F/Y-rich C-terminus

FYRN:

F/Y-rich N-terminus

H3K4:

histone 3 lysine 4

HAT:

histone acetyltransferase

HDAC:

histone deacetylase

HKMT:

histone lysine methyltransferase

IMF:

immature flower

MADS:

acronym referring to the genes MCM1, AGAMOUS, DEFICIENS, SRF

PcG:

polycomb group

PHD:

plant homeo domain

qPCR:

quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

RCA-RACE:

rolling circle amplification — rapid amplification of cDNA ends

SET:

trithorax

TRX:

trithorax family

TrxG:

trithorax group

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Agrobiotechnology, CERTH, Thermi-Thessaloniki, GR-570 01, Greece

    D. Papaefthimiou & A. S. Tsaftaris

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR-54124, Greece

    D. Papaefthimiou

  3. Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR-54124, Greece

    A. S. Tsaftaris

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  1. D. Papaefthimiou
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Correspondence to A. S. Tsaftaris.

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Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Dr. Bladenopoulos for providing seed material, Dr. Kapazoglou and Dr. Darzentas for helpful discussions and Mr. Pasentzis for all his help and advice in this work. We also like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the editors for all their constructive comments and suggestions. This work was supported by a PENED grant (O3EΔ402/2003) and by the EU COST FA604 action. Continuous support for the Institute of Agrobiotechnology/CERTH is also acknowledged.

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Papaefthimiou, D., Tsaftaris, A.S. Characterization of a drought inducible trithorax-like H3K4 methyltransferase from barley. Biol Plant 56, 683–692 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0125-z

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