Rapid Establishment of Genetic Incompatibility through Natural Epigenetic Variation
Rapid Establishment of Genetic Incompatibility through Natural Epigenetic Variation
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DOI：
10.1016/j.cub.2011.12.054
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发表时间：
2012-02-21
期刊：
影响因子：
9.2
通讯作者：
Camilleri, Christine
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Durand, Stephanie;Bouche, Nicolas;Camilleri, Christine
目前正在研究表观遗传变异，目的是破译其在适应和进化中的重要性[1]。在植物中，表观突变可能是可遗传表型多样性的基础[2-4]，表观遗传机制可能导致物种之间[5]或物种内[6]的生殖障碍。表观遗传变异的程度在拟南芥中开始被理解[7]，但天然表观等位基因的起源及其在野生环境中的影响仍然是未知的。在这里，我们表明，拟南芥菌株之间的遗传不相容性是有关的表观遗传控制的一对重复的基因参与健身：转座事件的结果在一个重排的旁系同源结构，导致DNA甲基化和转录沉默的其他副本。我们进一步表明，这种天然的，菌株特异性表观等位基因是稳定的许多代，即使在删除重复，重排的基因拷贝通过杂交。最后，我们提供的证据表明，重排的基因拷贝触发从头DNA甲基化和沉默的未连接的天然基因的RNA指导的DNA甲基化。我们的研究结果表明，一个重要的作用，自然发生的表观等位基因起源于结构变异，迅速建立基因重复事件后的遗传不相容性。
Epigenetic variation is currently being investigated with the aim of deciphering its importance in both adaptation and evolution [1]. In plants, epimutations can underlie heritable phenotypic diversity [2-4], and epigenetic mechanisms might contribute to reproductive barriers between [5] or within species [6]. The extent of epigenetic variation begins to be appreciated in Arabidopsis [7], but the origin of natural epialleles and their impact in the wild remain largely unknown. Here we show that a genetic incompatibility among Arabidopsis thaliana strains is related to the epigenetic control of a pair of duplicate genes involved in fitness: a transposition event results in a rearranged paralogous structure that causes DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing of the other copy. We further show that this natural, strain-specific epiallele is stable over numerous generations even after removal of the duplicated, rearranged gene copy through crosses. Finally, we provide evidence that the rearranged gene copy triggers de novo DNA methylation and silencing of the unlinked native gene by RNA-directed DNA methylation. Our findings suggest an important role of naturally occurring epialleles originating from structural variation in rapidly establishing genetic incompatibilities following gene duplication events.