TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular genetic analysis of the drought-inducible linker histone variant in Arabidopsis thaliana
AU - Ascenzi, Robert
AU - Gantt, J. Stephen
PY - 1999/9/1
Y1 - 1999/9/1
N2 - Linker histones are ubiquitous structural components of chromatin that have been shown to influence the expression of a subset of genes in diverse organisms. Plants contain a minor linker histone variant that is expressed in most tissues of all organs, and is induced during drought stress. Based on reporter gene analysis in roots, His1-3 is expressed almost exclusively in emerging secondary roots in unstressed plants, but is primarily expressed in the root meristem and elongation zone of stressed plants. In shoots, expression is higher in younger tissues than older tissues. In order to investigate the function of H1-3, we have generated lines with altered levels of H1-3. Plants expressing an antisense His1-3 transcript exhibit a greatly impaired induction (5% of wild-type RNA levels during stress) of His1-3 transcripts in shoots during drought and contain decreased protein relative to wild-type control plants. In plants overexpressing His1-3, more H1-3 is bound to chromatin than in unstressed wild-type plants. None of the plants containing these transgenes display phenotypic aberrations or differences in water content during drought stress. Additionally, the expression of several drought-responsive genes is not significantly altered in lines misexpressing His1-3.
AB - Linker histones are ubiquitous structural components of chromatin that have been shown to influence the expression of a subset of genes in diverse organisms. Plants contain a minor linker histone variant that is expressed in most tissues of all organs, and is induced during drought stress. Based on reporter gene analysis in roots, His1-3 is expressed almost exclusively in emerging secondary roots in unstressed plants, but is primarily expressed in the root meristem and elongation zone of stressed plants. In shoots, expression is higher in younger tissues than older tissues. In order to investigate the function of H1-3, we have generated lines with altered levels of H1-3. Plants expressing an antisense His1-3 transcript exhibit a greatly impaired induction (5% of wild-type RNA levels during stress) of His1-3 transcripts in shoots during drought and contain decreased protein relative to wild-type control plants. In plants overexpressing His1-3, more H1-3 is bound to chromatin than in unstressed wild-type plants. None of the plants containing these transgenes display phenotypic aberrations or differences in water content during drought stress. Additionally, the expression of several drought-responsive genes is not significantly altered in lines misexpressing His1-3.
KW - Antisense
KW - Arabidopsis
KW - Chromatin
KW - Environmental stress
KW - Linker histone variants
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U2 - 10.1023/A:1006302330879
DO - 10.1023/A:1006302330879
M3 - Article
C2 - 10579484
AN - SCOPUS:0033197801
VL - 41
SP - 159
EP - 169
JO - Plant Molecular Biology
JF - Plant Molecular Biology
SN - 0167-4412
IS - 2
ER -