Overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana ERI, the homolog of C. elegans Enhancer of RNAinterference, leads to enhanced growth

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00531
• Publication Date: 2015-07-22T08:00:36Z
• Authors: Rhonda C. Meyer; Gunnar Hönig; Ronny Brandt; Fernando Arana-Ce...; Cathleen Neitsch; Gunter Reuter; Thomas Altmann; Markus Kuhlmann
• Keywords: Ectopic expression

Organisms adopt a wide range of strategies to adapt change. Gene silencing describes the ability organisms modulate expression susceptible genes at certain times transcriptional or translational level. In all known eukaryotic 21-nt long short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are effector molecules post-transcriptional gene (PTGS), while 24-nt siRNAs involved in PTGS plants. Mutant studies Caenorhabditis elegans lead identification enzyme ERI (Enhancer RNAinterference) with enhanced PTGS. Although growth vigor and rate still unknown, it becomes clearer that population small plays role very early phase plant development. To pinpoint link between siRNAs, Arabidopsis uni-gene Enhancer RNAi (ERI) homolog from C. was modulated. Increased degradation achieved by ectopic AtERI overexpression planta. Based on global RNA analysis, affects mainly 21 mers, excluding miRNAs. identify target genes, gain-of-function mutants were analyzed, differentially abundant identified. Plants an elevated level bigger three light intensities indicating inhibitory function particular growth, differences relative rates depending developmental stage intensity. Understanding these could open new avenues for enhancing growth.