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PMID: 9843986 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Gene dosage and stochastic effects determine the severity and direction of uniparental ribosomal RNA gene silencing (nucleolar dominance) in Arabidopsis allopolyploids.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 95 ·No. 25 ·1998-12-08 ·Pages 14891-6

Chen ZJ, Comai L, Pikaard CS

Abstract

Nucleolar dominance is an epigenetic phenomenon in which one parental set of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes is silenced in an interspecific hybrid. In natural Arabidopsis suecica, an allotetraploid (amphidiploid) hybrid of Arabidopsis thaliana and Cardaminopsis arenosa, the A. thaliana rRNA genes are repressed. Interestingly, A. thaliana rRNA gene silencing is variable in synthetic Arabidopsis suecica F1 hybrids. Two generations are needed for A. thaliana rRNA genes to be silenced in all lines, revealing a species-biased direction but stochastic onset to nucleolar dominance. Backcrossing synthetic A. suecica to tetraploid A. thaliana yielded progeny with active A. thaliana rRNA genes and, in some cases, silenced C. arenosa rRNA genes, showing that the direction of dominance can be switched. The hypothesis that naturally dominant rRNA genes have a superior binding affinity for a limiting transcription factor is inconsistent with dominance switching. Inactivation of a species-specific transcription factor is argued against by showing that A. thaliana and C. arenosa rRNA genes can be expressed transiently in the other species. Transfected A. thaliana genes are also active in A. suecica protoplasts in which chromosomal A. thaliana genes are repressed. Collectively, these data suggest that nucleolar dominance is a chromosomal phenomenon that results in coordinate or cooperative silencing of rRNA genes.

MeSH Terms

Arabidopsis/genetics Gene Dosage Gene Expression Regulation, Plant Polyploidy RNA, Plant/genetics RNA, Ribosomal/genetics

Chemicals

RNA, Plant RNA, Ribosomal

Authors & Affiliations

3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID

Chen Z J

Biology Department, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.

Comai L

Pikaard C S

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Article Info

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Abbr.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

ISSN

0027-8424

DOI

10.1073/pnas.95.25.14891

Published

1998-12-08

Pages

14891-6

Language

English

Region

United States

NLM ID

7505876

PMCID

PMC24546

Subset

Grants

NIGMS NIH HHS · F32 GM019072 · United States

NIGMS NIH HHS · 1 F32 GM19072 · United States

External Links

PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.95.25.14891 PMC Full Text View journal details

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Gene dosage and stochastic effects determine the severity and direction of uniparental ribosomal RNA gene silencing (nucleolar dominance) in Arabidopsis allopolyploids.

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