Abstract
BACKGROUND: DAYSLEEPER encodes a domesticated transposase from the hAT-superfamily, which is essential for development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Little is known about the presence of DAYSLEEPER orthologs in other species, or how and when it was domesticated. We studied the presence of DAYSLEEPER orthologs in plants and propose a model for the domestication of the ancestral DAYSLEEPER gene in angiosperms. RESULTS: Using specific BLAST searches in genomic and EST libraries, we found that DAYSLEEPER-like genes (hereafter called SLEEPER genes) are unique to angiosperms. Basal angiosperms as well as grasses (Poaceae) and dicotyledonous plants possess such putative orthologous genes, but SLEEPER-family genes were not found in gymnosperms, mosses and algae. Most species contain more than one SLEEPER gene. All SLEEPERs contain a C2H2 type BED-zinc finger domain and a hATC dimerization domain. We designated 3 motifs, partly overlapping the BED-zinc finger and dimerization domain, which are hallmark features in the SLEEPER family. Although SLEEPER genes are structurally conserved between species, constructs with SLEEPER genes from grapevine and rice did not complement the daysleeper phenotype in Arabidopsis, when expressed under control of the DAYSLEEPER promoter. However these constructs did cause a dominant phenotype when expressed in Arabidopsis. Rice plant lines with an insertion in the RICESLEEPER1 or 2 locus displayed phenotypic abnormalities, indicating that these genes are functional and important for normal development in rice. We suggest a model in which we hypothesize that an ancestral hAT transposase was retrocopied and stably integrated in the genome during early angiosperm evolution. Evidence is also presented for more recent retroposition events of SLEEPER genes, such as an event in the rice genome, which gave rise to the RICESLEEPER1 and 2 genes. CONCLUSIONS: We propose the ancestral SLEEPER gene was formed after a process of retro-transposition during the evolution of the first angiosperms. It may have acquired an important function early on, as mutation of two SLEEPER genes in rice, like the daysleeper mutant in A. thaliana gave a developmental phenotype indicative of their importance for normal plant development.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
SLEEPER genes were found only in angiosperms.
- Taxon
- angiospermsMagnoliopsidae0
- Gene
- SLEEPER genese0
- Outcome
- unique to angiospermse0
Verbatim
e0“DAYSLEEPER-like genes (hereafter called SLEEPER genes) are unique to angiosperms”
Claim · model-written summary
Basal angiosperms, grasses and dicotyledonous plants have putative SLEEPER orthologs.
- Taxon
- angiospermsMagnoliopsidae0
- Outcome
- possess such putative orthologous genese0
Verbatim
e0“Basal angiosperms as well as grasses (Poaceae) and dicotyledonous plants possess such putative orthologous genes”
Claim · model-written summary
SLEEPER-family genes were not detected in gymnosperms, mosses or algae.
Verbatim
e0“SLEEPER-family genes were not found in gymnosperms, mosses and algae”
Claim · model-written summary
Most species carry more than one SLEEPER gene.
Verbatim
e0“Most species contain more than one SLEEPER gene”
Claim · model-written summary
All SLEEPER proteins contain BED-zinc finger and hATC dimerization domains.
- Taxon
- SLEEPERsEleotridaee0
- Outcome
- contain a C2H2 type BED-zinc finger domain and a hATC dimerization domaine0
Verbatim
e0“All SLEEPERs contain a C2H2 type BED-zinc finger domain and a hATC dimerization domain”
Claim · model-written summary
Three motifs were designated as hallmarks of the SLEEPER family.
Verbatim
e0“We designated 3 motifs, partly overlapping the BED-zinc finger and dimerization domain, which are hallmark features in the SLEEPER family”
Claim · model-written summary
Grapevine and rice SLEEPER constructs failed to complement the Arabidopsis daysleeper phenotype.
- Taxon
- Arabidopsis
Arabidopsise0 - Treatment
- constructs with SLEEPER genes from grapevine and ricee0
- Outcome
- did not complement the daysleeper phenotypee0
- Direction
- did not complemente0
- Comparator
- daysleeper phenotypee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“constructs with SLEEPER genes from grapevine and rice did not complement the daysleeper phenotype in Arabidopsis, when expressed under control of the DAYSLEEPER promoter”
Claim · model-written summary
Those constructs produced a dominant phenotype in Arabidopsis.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsise0
- Treatment
- these constructse0
- Outcome
- dominant phenotypee0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“these constructs did cause a dominant phenotype when expressed in Arabidopsis”
Claim · model-written summary
Rice insertion lines at RICESLEEPER1 or 2 showed developmental abnormalities.
- Taxon
- Rice
Oryza sativae0 - Treatment
- an insertion in the RICESLEEPER1 or 2 locuse0
- Outcome
- phenotypic abnormalitiese0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Rice plant lines with an insertion in the RICESLEEPER1 or 2 locus displayed phenotypic abnormalities”
Claim · model-written summary
A rice retroposition event gave rise to RICESLEEPER1 and 2.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativae0
- Outcome
- gave rise to the RICESLEEPER1 and 2 genese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“an event in the rice genome, which gave rise to the RICESLEEPER1 and 2 genes”
Claim · model-written summary
The ancestral SLEEPER gene was proposed to arise by retro-transposition in early angiosperms.
- Taxon
- angiospermsMagnoliopsidae0
- Outcome
- ancestral SLEEPER gene was formede0
- Qualifier
- retro-transpositione0
Verbatim
e0“ancestral SLEEPER gene was formed after a process of retro-transposition during the evolution of the first angiosperms”