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Biology subjects

Graindorge, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Graindorge, S..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

The INO80-EEN complex prevents genomic rearrangements at protein coding genes regions

Plants are continuously exposed to a myriad of DNA-damaging agents, including environmental cues such as sunlight. At the cellular level, plants respond to DNA damage by activating DNA damage response (DDR) pathways, in which chromatin remodelers play an important role. Among them, the evolutionary conserved INO80 complex (INO80c) has been shown in Arabidopsis to play a key role in DDR, notably by positively regulating Homologous Recombination (HR). Arabidopsis EIN6 ENHANCER (EEN) is the homolog of Yeast INO EIGHTY SUBUNIT 6 and interacts with the N-terminal region of INO80 in the INO80c. Using plant phenotyping, cellular and molecular biology, and third-generation sequencing technology we investigated how INO80 and EEN regulate plant development and genome integrity. We uncovered new roles for INO80 and EEN in plant growth and for INO80 in fine tuning endoreduplication. In addition, linear genome analysis revealed an important and unexpected function for the INO80-EEN complex in preventing Protein Coding Genes (PCGs) from structural rearrangements in somatic tissue and upon exposure to UV-B. Therefore, our results shed new light on the previously overlooked roles of INO80 and EEN in protecting genome integrity at PCGs.

plant biology↗

De novo RNA base editing in plant organelles with engineered synthetic P-type PPR editing factors

In plant mitochondria and chloroplasts, cytidine-to-uridine RNA editing plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression. While natural PLS-type PPR proteins are specialized in this process, synthetic PPR proteins offer significant potential for targeted RNA editing. In this study, we engineered chimeric editing factors by fusing synthetic P-type PPR guides with the DYW cytidine deaminase domain of a moss mitochondrial editing factor, PPR56. These designer PPR editors (dPPRe) elicited efficient and precise de novo RNA editing in Escherichia coli, and in Nicotiana benthamiana chloroplasts and mitochondria. Chloroplast transcriptome-wide analysis of the most efficient dPPRe revealed minimal off-target effects, with only three non-target C sites edited due to sequence similarity with the intended target. This study introduces a novel and precise method for RNA base editing in plant organelles, paving the way for new approaches in gene regulation applicable to plants and potentially other organisms.

synthetic biology↗

Characterization of radiations-inducedgenomic structural variations in Arabidopsis thaliana

DNA, is assaulted by endogenous and exogenous agents that lead to the formation of damage. In order to maintain genome integrity DNA repair pathways must be efficiently activated to prevent mutations and deleterious chromosomal rearrangements. Conversely, genome flexibility is also necessary to allow genetic diversity and evolution. The antagonist interaction between maintenance of genome integrity and flexibility determines genome shape and organization. Therefore, it is of great interest to understand how the whole linear genome structure behaves upon formation and repair of DNA damage. For this, we used long reads sequencing technology to identify and to characterize genomic structural variations (SV) of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana somatic cells exposed either to UV-B, to UV-C or to protons irradiations. We found that genomic regions located in heterochromatin a more prone to form SVs than those located in euchromatin, highlighting that genome stability and flexibility differs along the chromosome. This holds true in Arabidopsis plants deficient for the expression of master regulators of the DNA Damage Response (DDR), ATM and ATR, suggesting that independent and alternative surveillance processes exist to maintain integrity in genic regions. Finally, the analysis of the radiations-induced deleted regions allowed determining that exposure UV-B, UV-C and protons induced the Microhomology-mediated end joining mechanism (MMEJ) and that both ATM and ATR repress this repair pathway.

plant biology↗

Epigenetic silencing of clustered tDNAs in Arabidopsis

Beyond their key role in translation, cytosolic transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are involved in a wide range of other biological processes. Nuclear tRNA genes (tDNAs) are transcribed by the RNA polymerase III (RNAP III) and cis-elements, trans-factors as well as genomic features are known to influence their expression. In Arabidopsis, besides a predominant population of dispersed tDNAs spread along the 5 chromosomes, some clustered tDNAs have been identified. Here, we demonstrate that these tDNA clusters are transcriptionally silent and that pathways involved in the maintenance of DNA methylation play a predominant role in their repression. Moreover, we show that clustered tDNAs exhibit repressive chromatin features whilst their dispersed counterparts contain permissive euchromatic marks. Our data highlight that the combination of both genomic environment and epigenomic landscape contribute to fine tune the differential expression of dispersed versus clustered tDNAs in Arabidopsis.

plant biology↗

Photodamage repair pathways contribute to the accurate maintenance of the DNA methylome landscape upon UV exposure

Plants are exposed to the damaging effect of sunlight that induces DNA photolesions. In order to maintain genome integrity, specific DNA repair pathways are mobilized. Upon removal of UV-induced DNA lesions, the accurate re-establishment of epigenome landscape is expected to be a prominent step of these DNA repair pathways. However, it remains poorly documented whether DNA methylation is accurately maintained at photodamaged sites and how photodamage repair pathways contribute to the maintenance of genome/methylome integrities. Using genome wide approaches, we report that UV-C irradiation leads to asymmetric DNA methylation changes. We identified that the specific DNA repair pathways involved in the repair of UV-induced DNA lesions, Direct Repair (DR) and Global Genome Repair (GGR), prevent the excessive alterations of DNA methylation landscape. Moreover, we identified that UV-C irradiation induced chromocenter reorganization and that photodamage repair factors control this dynamics. The methylome changes rely on misregulation of maintenance, de novo and active DNA demethylation pathways highlighting that molecular processes related to genome and methylome integrities are closely interconnected. Importantly, we identified that photolesions are sources of DNA methylation changes in both, constitutive and facultative heterochromatin. This study unveils that DNA repair factors, together with small RNA, act to accurately maintain both genome and methylome integrities at photodamaged silent genomic regions, strengthening the idea that plants have evolved sophisticated interplays between DNA methylation dynamics and DNA repair.

plant biology↗