RT Journal Article
T1 Accurate chromosome segregation at first meiotic division requires AGO4, aprotein involved in RNA-dependent DNA methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana
A1 Oliver Velasco, Cecilia
A1 Santos Coloma, Juan Luis
A1 Padrillo Orellana, Mónica
AB RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway is important for the transcriptional repression of transposable elements and for heterochromatin formation. Small RNAs are key players in this process throughout a feedback with both DNA and histone methylation. Taking into account that methylation underlies gene silencing and that there are genes with meiosis-specific expression profiles, we have wondered whether genes involved in RdDM could play a role during this specialized cell division. To address this issue we have characterized meiosis progression in pollen mother cells (PMCs) from Arabidopsis thaliana mutant plants defective for several proteins related to RdDM. The most relevant results were obtained for ago4-1. In this mutant, meiocytes display a slight reduction in chiasma frequency, alterations in chromatin conformation around centromeric regions, lagging chromosomes at anaphase I, and defects in spindle organization. These abnormalities lead to the formation of polyads instead of tetrads at the end of meiosis, and might be responsible for the fertility defects observed in this mutant. Findings reported here highlight an involvement of AGO4 during meiosis by ensuring accurate chromosome segregation at anaphase I.
PB Genetics Society of America
SN 0016-6731, ESSN: 1943-2631
YR 2016
FD 2016-10
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/17820
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/17820
LA eng
NO Unión Europea. FP7
NO Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 4 jul 2025