Essential angiosperm-specific subunits of HDA19 histone deacetylase complexes in Arabidopsis

Although the Arabidopsis thaliana RPD3-type histone deacetylase HDA19 and its close homolog HDA6 participate in SIN3-type histone deacetylase complexes, they display distinct biological roles, with the reason for these differences being poorly understood. This study identifies three angiosperm-specific HDA19-interacting homologous proteins, termed HDIP1, HDIP2, and HDIP3 (HDIP1/2/3). These proteins interact with HDA19 and other conserved histone deacetylase complex components, leading to the formation of HDA19-containing SIN3-type complexes, while they are not involved in the formation of HDA6-containing complexes. While mutants of conserved SIN3-type complex components show phenotypes divergent from the hda19 mutant, the hdip1/2/3 mutant closely phenocopies the hda19 mutant with respect to development, abscisic acid response, and drought stress tolerance. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses indicate that HDIP1/2/3 and HDA19 co-occupy chromatin and jointly repress gene transcription, especially for stress-related genes. An α-helix motif within HDIP1 has the capacity to bind to nucleosomes and architectural DNA, and is required for its function in Arabidopsis plants. These findings suggest that the angiosperm SIN3-type complexes have evolved to include additional subunits for the precise regulation of histone deacetylation and gene transcription.