En savoir plus

Clustered organization of biosynthetic non-homologous genes is emerging as a characteristic feature of plant genomes. The co-regulation of clustered genes seems to largely depend on epigenetic reprogramming and three-dimensional chromatin conformation. We identify, in the Arabidopsis triterpene cluster marneral, a lncRNA able to modulate the binding of the POLYCOMB REPRESSIVE COMPLEX 1 (PRC1) component LIKE-HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1 (LHP1) throughout the cluster in a dose-dependent manner, determining H3K27me3 deposition and chromatin condensation. Deregulation of MARS lncRNA impaired the response of the genes of the marneral cluster to ABA, and lead to seed germination defect. Interestingly, a large majority of metabolic clusters contain lncRNAs highly coregulated with their neighboring clustered genes expanding the possibilities about how noncoding transcripts shape the coregulation of secondary metabolic clustered genes in plants.