Abstract
Exogenous dsRNA can induce gene silencing in higher plants. Previously we showed that delivery of dsDNA fragments such as PCR products with an endogenous gene sequence into fern Adiantum capillus-veneris gametophytic cells can induce sequence-specific gene silencing named DNAi (Kawai-Toyooka et al., 2004). The silencing effect by DNAi is inherited to the following progeny. It was also shown that the DNA methylation of a target gene was detected in silenced fern. In this study, we used a NEO1 gene that mediates red light-induced chloroplast movement as a model of DNAi. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that histone deacetylation was detected in the NEO1-silenced lines. Interestingly, histone deacetylation was also detected in the next progeny of silenced fern. Furthermore, histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A cancelled the gene silencing effect in silenced ferns. Our data suggest that the gene silencing by DNAi effect memorized over generations is regulated by epigenetic modification.
Kawai-Toyooka H, Kuramoto C, Orui K, Motoyama K, Kikuchi K, Kanegae T, Wada M (2004)Plant Cell Physiol 45: 1648-1657
