Strigolactone induces D14-dependent large-scale changes in gene expression requiring SWI/SNF chromatin remodellers

Area of Science:

• Plant biology
• Molecular genetics
• Epigenetics

Background:

• Strigolactones (SL) are crucial plant hormones regulating development through gene expression.
• Early gene expression responses to SL are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the immediate early-gene regulation by SL.
• To explore the role of chromatin remodeling in SL signaling.

Main Methods:

• Treatment of protoplasts with synthetic SL (rac-GR24).
• RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze gene expression over time (5-180 minutes).
• Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) to map chromatin accessibility.

Main Results:

• Discovered rapid, dynamic, and D14-dependent gene expression changes in response to rac-GR24.
• Identified significant dependence of SL signaling on chromatin remodeling, requiring SWI/SNF ATPase SPLAYED (SYD).
• ATAC-seq revealed over 1400 differentially accessible regions, preceding transcriptional changes and requiring SYD.

Conclusions:

• SL signaling involves rapid regulation of chromatin accessibility.
• The SWI/SNF ATPase SYD is essential for SL-induced chromatin modification and gene expression.
• Identified potential genomic locations of SL cis-regulatory elements.