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Frontiers in Biology

ISSN 1674-7984

ISSN 1674-7992(Online)

CN 11-5892/Q

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Front Biol    2011, Vol. 6 Issue (2) : 133-139    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11515-011-1136-4
REVIEW
MicroRNA-mediated DNA methylation in plants
Xiaoyun JIA1,2, Jun YAN2, Guiliang TANG2()
1. College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China; 2. Gene Suppression Laboratory, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and KTRDC, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
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Abstract

DNA methylation, a major event in epigenetics, plays an essential role in the control of gene expression. Increasing evidence suggests that long and short non-coding RNAs are involved extensively in plants to direct the establishment, spread, and removal of DNA cytosine methylation throughout their genomes. Yet, little has been known about the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in DNA methylation although the role of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in DNA methylation has been well established. Several recent studies, however, provided the evidence for miRNA-directed DNA methylation in plants, and the working mechanisms still need to be fully explored. In this review, we highlight the key features of miRNA-directed DNA methylation in plants and provide insight into the complexities of such an event in plants. The interaction between miRNAs and the epigenetic machinery and the future potential research questions are briefly discussed.
Corresponding Author(s): TANG Guiliang,Email:gtang2@uky.edu   
Issue Date: 01 April 2011
 Cite this article:   
Xiaoyun JIA,Jun YAN,Guiliang TANG. MicroRNA-mediated DNA methylation in plants[J]. Front Biol, 2011, 6(2): 133-139.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fib/EN/10.1007/s11515-011-1136-4
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fib/EN/Y2011/V6/I2/133
Fig.1  MicroRNA-related DNA methylation pathways in plants. Different sizes of miRNA-related sRNAs were discovered in different plant species and they are different in their biogenesis and maturation through different sets of enzymes and are channeled to different clades of AGO proteins for post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) or transcriptional silencing (TGS). Specifically, in and rice, 20-22 nt miRNAs are generated by DCL1 and specifically loaded into AGO1 clade proteins to form effector complexes to direct the cleavage of their target mRNAs posttranscriptionally. 24 nt and 23-27 nt miRNAs are processed by DCL3 with or without the coordination of DCL1 and bound to AGO4 clade proteins to guide methylation of the adjacent DNA transcriptionally. In moss, two types of miRNAs are produced via two different types of PpDCL1 proteins, PpDCL1a and PpDCL1b. PpDCL1b is responsible for the miRNAs that can form a cleavage-competent RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), while PpDCL1a is for miRNAs to form non-cleaving RISC or RNA-induced transcriptional silencing complex (RITS). To trigger the target DNA methylation in moss, RITS is believed to form either before the long miRNA binding to the target RNA or after the long miRNA formed a duplex structure with the target RNA. The cleaving RISC directs PTGS while the non-cleaving RISC mediates the TGS in moss. , rice, and moss pathways for miRNA-directed gene regulation are highlighted with the background of blue, yellow, and purple, respectively. Blue arrowed lines indicate PTGS pathways, and orange arrowed lines indicate TGS pathways in different plants. MIR, miRNA; Pol II, RNA polymerase II; Pri-miRNA, primary miRNA; AtDCL, Dicer-like protein; OsDCL, rice Dicer-like protein; PpDCL, moss Dicer-like protein; AGO, Argonaute; Poly(A), poly (A) tail; RITS, RNA-induced transcriptional silencing complex; CH3, methyl group.
Fig.1  MicroRNA-related DNA methylation pathways in plants. Different sizes of miRNA-related sRNAs were discovered in different plant species and they are different in their biogenesis and maturation through different sets of enzymes and are channeled to different clades of AGO proteins for post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) or transcriptional silencing (TGS). Specifically, in and rice, 20-22 nt miRNAs are generated by DCL1 and specifically loaded into AGO1 clade proteins to form effector complexes to direct the cleavage of their target mRNAs posttranscriptionally. 24 nt and 23-27 nt miRNAs are processed by DCL3 with or without the coordination of DCL1 and bound to AGO4 clade proteins to guide methylation of the adjacent DNA transcriptionally. In moss, two types of miRNAs are produced via two different types of PpDCL1 proteins, PpDCL1a and PpDCL1b. PpDCL1b is responsible for the miRNAs that can form a cleavage-competent RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), while PpDCL1a is for miRNAs to form non-cleaving RISC or RNA-induced transcriptional silencing complex (RITS). To trigger the target DNA methylation in moss, RITS is believed to form either before the long miRNA binding to the target RNA or after the long miRNA formed a duplex structure with the target RNA. The cleaving RISC directs PTGS while the non-cleaving RISC mediates the TGS in moss. , rice, and moss pathways for miRNA-directed gene regulation are highlighted with the background of blue, yellow, and purple, respectively. Blue arrowed lines indicate PTGS pathways, and orange arrowed lines indicate TGS pathways in different plants. MIR, miRNA; Pol II, RNA polymerase II; Pri-miRNA, primary miRNA; AtDCL, Dicer-like protein; OsDCL, rice Dicer-like protein; PpDCL, moss Dicer-like protein; AGO, Argonaute; Poly(A), poly (A) tail; RITS, RNA-induced transcriptional silencing complex; CH3, methyl group.
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