{"title":"Non-CG DNA methylation represses SDC expression to modulate hypocotyl elongation during thermormorphogenesis.","authors":"Maián Garro, Eleonora Greco, Gustavo J Vannay, Aleksandra Leonova, Leonardo Bruno, Matías Capella","doi":"10.1093/jxb/eraf105","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plants adapt to warm environments through physiological and morphological changes termed thermomorphogenesis, which involve transcriptional reprogramming exerted mainly by PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4). Fluctuating temperatures can also influence the patterns of cytosine DNA methylation, thereby influencing gene expression. However, whether these epigenetic changes provide an adaptative advantage remains unclear. Here, we provide evidence that DNA methylation is required to regulate thermomorphogenesis. Hypomethylated drm1 drm2 cmt3 mutants or seedlings treated with 5-azacytidine to block DNA methylation exhibit reduced hypocotyl growth at warm temperatures, primarily due to impaired cell elongation. Moreover, DNA hypomethylation compromises auxin biosynthesis and transport in response to warmth, partially by reducing PIF4 protein levels. Notably, the loss of DNA methylation leads to increased expression of SUPPRESSOR OF drm1 drm2 cmt3 (SDC), which in turn restricts hypocotyl elongation during thermomorphogenesis. Finally, we demonstrate that DNAme regulates the inhibition of SDC expression to promote gibberellin biosynthesis. Our findings underscore the critical role of DNA methylation in modulating gene expression in response to temperature fluctuations and provide new insights into the epigenetic regulation of thermomorphogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":15820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Experimental Botany","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraf105","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PLANT SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Plants adapt to warm environments through physiological and morphological changes termed thermomorphogenesis, which involve transcriptional reprogramming exerted mainly by PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4). Fluctuating temperatures can also influence the patterns of cytosine DNA methylation, thereby influencing gene expression. However, whether these epigenetic changes provide an adaptative advantage remains unclear. Here, we provide evidence that DNA methylation is required to regulate thermomorphogenesis. Hypomethylated drm1 drm2 cmt3 mutants or seedlings treated with 5-azacytidine to block DNA methylation exhibit reduced hypocotyl growth at warm temperatures, primarily due to impaired cell elongation. Moreover, DNA hypomethylation compromises auxin biosynthesis and transport in response to warmth, partially by reducing PIF4 protein levels. Notably, the loss of DNA methylation leads to increased expression of SUPPRESSOR OF drm1 drm2 cmt3 (SDC), which in turn restricts hypocotyl elongation during thermomorphogenesis. Finally, we demonstrate that DNAme regulates the inhibition of SDC expression to promote gibberellin biosynthesis. Our findings underscore the critical role of DNA methylation in modulating gene expression in response to temperature fluctuations and provide new insights into the epigenetic regulation of thermomorphogenesis.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Experimental Botany publishes high-quality primary research and review papers in the plant sciences. These papers cover a range of disciplines from molecular and cellular physiology and biochemistry through whole plant physiology to community physiology.
Full-length primary papers should contribute to our understanding of how plants develop and function, and should provide new insights into biological processes. The journal will not publish purely descriptive papers or papers that report a well-known process in a species in which the process has not been identified previously. Articles should be concise and generally limited to 10 printed pages.