Mating system is associated with seed phenotypes upon loss of RNA-directed DNA Methylation in Brassicaceae

Abstract

AbstractIn plants,de novoDNA methylation is guided by 24-nt short interfering (si)RNAs in a process called RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Primarily targeted at transposons, RdDM causes transcriptional silencing and can indirectly influence expression of neighboring genes. During reproduction, a small number of siRNA loci are dramatically upregulated in the maternally-derived seed coat, suggesting that RdDM might have a special function during reproduction. However, the developmental consequence of RdDM has been difficult to dissect because disruption of RdDM does not result in overt phenotypes inArabidopsis thaliana, where the pathway has been most thoroughly studied. In contrast,Brassica rapamutants lacking RdDM have a severe seed production defect, which is determined by the maternal sporophytic genotype. To explore the factors that underlie the different phenotypes of these species, we produced RdDM mutations in three additional members of the Brassicaceae family:Camelina sativa, Capsella rubella, andCapsella grandiflora. Among these three species, only mutations in the obligate outcrosser,C. grandiflora, displayed a seed production defect similar toBrassica rapamutants, suggesting that mating system is a key determinant for reproductive phenotypes in RdDM mutants.