Chromatin retained MUSHER lncRNA integrates ABA and DOG1 signalling pathways to enhance Arabidopsis seeds dormancy
Many plant lncRNAs regulate gene expression by binding to chromatin, but how they are retained at the target loci is unclear. We identify a chromatin-localized lncRNA - MUSHER, which activates two parallel regulatory pathways to increase Arabidopsis seed dormancy. MUSHER is upregulated in response to high temperatures, contributing to the induction of secondary dormancy. It promotes DOG1 expression by recruitment of the CPSF complex to enhance the proximal cleavage and polyadenylation at the DOG1 transcript. It also increases ABA sensitivity in seeds by activating PIR1 gene transcription. These genes, located on different chromosomes, are both bound by MUSHER, despite lacking sequence homology. The chromatin association of MUSHER enables the integration of the DOG1- and ABA pathways to adjust seed germination timing. Additionally, MUSHER and other lncRNAs interact with U1 snRNP, which is required for their chromatin localisation, revealing a role for U1 snRNP in plants.
Authors
- Szymon Świeżewski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2007-2779)
- Artur Jarmołowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1073-146X)
- Magdalena Wrona (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9619-9664)
- Łukasz Szewc (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2219-6513)
- Miguel Montez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1383-0885)
- Karol Jerzy Rogowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4560-0715)
- Veena Halale Manjunath (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1514-9379)
- Michał Krzysztoń (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9795-5588)
- Lien Brzeźniak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6932-413X)
- Ruslan Yatusevich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5382-4079)
- Sebastian Sacharowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8220-9649)
- Katarzyna Rosol
Institutions
- John Innes Centre (GB)
- Norwich Research Park (GB)
- Atlas Biolabs (Germany) (DE)
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics (RU)
- Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-08-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62991-5
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Plant Molecular Biology Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 12.25
Funders
- Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej
- Narodowe Centrum Nauki