Insights into the Role of Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Response to Herbicide-Treatments in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>
Herbicide resistance is broadly recognized as the adaptive evolution of weed populations to the intense selection pressure imposed by the herbicide applications. Here, we tested whether transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) and RNA-directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) pathways modulate resistance to commo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/7/3314 |
| _version_ | 1797540215631380480 |
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| author | Catarine Markus Ales Pecinka Aldo Merotto |
| author_facet | Catarine Markus Ales Pecinka Aldo Merotto |
| author_sort | Catarine Markus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Herbicide resistance is broadly recognized as the adaptive evolution of weed populations to the intense selection pressure imposed by the herbicide applications. Here, we tested whether transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) and RNA-directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) pathways modulate resistance to commonly applied herbicides. Using <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> wild-type plants exposed to sublethal doses of glyphosate, imazethapyr, and 2,4-D, we found a partial loss of TGS and increased susceptibility to herbicides in six out of 11 tested TGS/RdDM mutants. Mutation in <i>REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1</i> (<i>ROS1</i>), that plays an important role in DNA demethylation, leading to strongly increased susceptibility to all applied herbicides, and imazethapyr in particular. Transcriptomic analysis of the imazethapyr-treated wild type and <i>ros1</i> plants revealed a relation of the herbicide upregulated genes to chemical stimulus, secondary metabolism, stress condition, flavonoid biosynthesis, and epigenetic processes. Hypersensitivity to imazethapyr of the flavonoid biosynthesis component <i>TRANSPARENT TESTA 4</i> (<i>TT4</i>) mutant plants strongly suggests that ROS1-dependent accumulation of flavonoids is an important mechanism for herbicide stress response in <i>A. thaliana</i>. In summary, our study shows that herbicide treatment affects transcriptional gene silencing pathways and that misregulation of these pathways makes Arabidopsis plants more sensitive to herbicide treatment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:56:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-461daf5c709949f5bf6a8cb7240fedb5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:56:57Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-461daf5c709949f5bf6a8cb7240fedb52023-11-21T11:49:10ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672021-03-01227331410.3390/ijms22073314Insights into the Role of Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Response to Herbicide-Treatments in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>Catarine Markus0Ales Pecinka1Aldo Merotto2Department of Crop Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91540-000, BrazilDepartment of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, D-50829 Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Crop Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91540-000, BrazilHerbicide resistance is broadly recognized as the adaptive evolution of weed populations to the intense selection pressure imposed by the herbicide applications. Here, we tested whether transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) and RNA-directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) pathways modulate resistance to commonly applied herbicides. Using <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> wild-type plants exposed to sublethal doses of glyphosate, imazethapyr, and 2,4-D, we found a partial loss of TGS and increased susceptibility to herbicides in six out of 11 tested TGS/RdDM mutants. Mutation in <i>REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1</i> (<i>ROS1</i>), that plays an important role in DNA demethylation, leading to strongly increased susceptibility to all applied herbicides, and imazethapyr in particular. Transcriptomic analysis of the imazethapyr-treated wild type and <i>ros1</i> plants revealed a relation of the herbicide upregulated genes to chemical stimulus, secondary metabolism, stress condition, flavonoid biosynthesis, and epigenetic processes. Hypersensitivity to imazethapyr of the flavonoid biosynthesis component <i>TRANSPARENT TESTA 4</i> (<i>TT4</i>) mutant plants strongly suggests that ROS1-dependent accumulation of flavonoids is an important mechanism for herbicide stress response in <i>A. thaliana</i>. In summary, our study shows that herbicide treatment affects transcriptional gene silencing pathways and that misregulation of these pathways makes Arabidopsis plants more sensitive to herbicide treatment.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/7/3314epigeneticsherbicide resistancechromatin mutantsROS1imazethapyrglyphosate |
| spellingShingle | Catarine Markus Ales Pecinka Aldo Merotto Insights into the Role of Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Response to Herbicide-Treatments in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> International Journal of Molecular Sciences epigenetics herbicide resistance chromatin mutants ROS1 imazethapyr glyphosate |
| title | Insights into the Role of Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Response to Herbicide-Treatments in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> |
| title_full | Insights into the Role of Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Response to Herbicide-Treatments in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> |
| title_fullStr | Insights into the Role of Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Response to Herbicide-Treatments in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights into the Role of Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Response to Herbicide-Treatments in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> |
| title_short | Insights into the Role of Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Response to Herbicide-Treatments in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> |
| title_sort | insights into the role of transcriptional gene silencing in response to herbicide treatments in i arabidopsis thaliana i |
| topic | epigenetics herbicide resistance chromatin mutants ROS1 imazethapyr glyphosate |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/7/3314 |
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