LncRNA DANA1 promotes drought tolerance and histone deacetylation of drought responsive genes in Arabidopsis

Abstract

Although many long noncoding RNAs have been discovered in plants, little is known about their biological function and mode of action. Here we show that the drought-induced long intergenic noncoding RNA DANA1 interacts with the L1p/L10e family member protein DANA1-INTERACTING PROTEIN 1 (DIP1) in the cell nucleus of Arabidopsis, and both DANA1 and DIP1 promote plant drought resistance. DANA1 and DIP1 increase histone deacetylase HDA9 binding to the CYP707A1 and CYP707A2 loci. DIP1 further interacts with PWWP3, a member of the PEAT complex that associates with HDA9 and has histone deacetylase activity. Mutation of DANA1 enhances CYP707A1 and CYP707A2 acetylation and expression resulting in impaired drought tolerance, in agreement with dip1 and pwwp3 mutant phenotypes. Our results demonstrate that DANA1 is a positive regulator of drought response and that DANA1 works jointly with the novel chromatin-related factor DIP1 on epigenetic reprogramming of the plant transcriptome during the response to drought.

Synopsis

During plant drought stress, the drought-induced lincRNA DANA1 works jointly with the DANA1 INTERACTING PROTEIN 1 (DIP1) to decrease the expression of CYP707A1 and CYP707A2 by facilitating HDA9-mediated histone deacetylation, thereby increasing ABA content and enhancing plant drought tolerance.

• DANA1 is a long intergenic noncoding RNA that promotes drought response in plants.

• DANA1 binds to the epigenetic regulator DIP1, and both DANA1 and DIP1 promote HDA9 binding to and deacetylation of the drought stress-responsive loci CYP707A1 and 2.

Abstract

During plant drought stress, the drought-induced lincRNA DANA1 works jointly with the DANA1 INTERACTING PROTEIN 1 (DIP1) to decrease the expression of CYP707A1 and CYP707A2 by facilitating HDA9-mediated histone deacetylation, thereby increasing ABA content and enhancing plant drought tolerance.