Complex of Proteins Associated with Set1 complexes and their increasing roles in crop improvement

Abstract

The Complex of Proteins Associated with Set1 (COMPASS) complexes represent a group of highly conserved, multi-subunit complexes that catalyze histone H3 lysine 4 methylation across eukaryotic species. In Drosophila and mammals, COMPASS complexes are classified into distinct subtypes with diverse functions determined by their subunit composition. Plants have evolved analogous COMPASS assemblies that similarly exhibit functional diversification, playing pleiotropic roles in regulating vegetative growth, flowering transition, and stress adaptation. Recent studies have significantly advanced our understanding of the composition, chromatin targeting, and biological functions of plant COMPASS. In this review, we summarize the conserved core components of COMPASS in several plant species, the chromatin targeting strategies, crosstalk with other epigenetic marks, and regulatory role of COMPASS in stress adaptation. We also talk about the researches that may provide clues for crop improvement.