Oxygen-dependent proteolysis regulates the stability of angiosperm polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit VERNALIZATION 2

Gibbs, Daniel J., Tedds, Hannah M., Labandera, Anne-Marie, Bailey, Mark, White, Mark D., Hartman, Sjon, Sprigg, Colleen, Mogg, Sophie, Osborne, Rory, Dambire, Charlene, Boeckx, Tinne, Paling, Zachary, Voesenek, Laurentius A. C. J., Flashman, Emily and Holdsworth, Michael J. (2018) Oxygen-dependent proteolysis regulates the stability of angiosperm polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit VERNALIZATION 2. Nature Communications, 9. ISSN 2041-1723

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Abstract

The polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) regulates epigenetic gene repression in eukaryotes. Mechanisms controlling its developmental specificity and signal-responsiveness are poorly understood. Here, we identify an oxygen-sensitive N-terminal (N-) degron in the plant PRC2 subunit VERNALIZATION(VRN) 2, a homolog of animal Su(z)12, that promotes its degradation via the N-end rule pathway. We provide evidence that this N-degron arose early during angiosperm evolution via gene duplication and N-terminal truncation, facilitating expansion of PRC2 function in flowering plants. We show that proteolysis via the N-end rule pathway prevents ectopic VRN2 accumulation, and that hypoxia and long-term cold exposure lead to increased VRN2 abundance, which we propose may be due to inhibition of VRN2 turnover via its N-degron. Furthermore, we identify an overlap in the transcriptional responses to hypoxia and prolonged cold, and show that VRN2 promotes tolerance to hypoxia. Our work reveals a mechanism for post-translational regulation of VRN2 stability that could potentially link environmental inputs to the epigenetic control of plant development.

Item Type: Article
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 04 Jan 2019 12:30
Last Modified: 20 Oct 2023 01:11
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/69443
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07875-7

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