Functional analysis of DNA methyltransferase 2 (DNMT2) role in development and stress response and tRNA derived fragments (tRFs) in Arabidopsis thaliana.

• Grant number: 11/19512-6
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal researcher: Fabio Tebaldi Silveira Nogueira
• Grantee: Cristiane de Santis Alves Rosa
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/21108-4 - Possible dual epigenetic role for DNA methyltransferase 2 (DNMT2) in Arabidopsis thaliana, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

DNA methylation is associated with genetic regulation, cell memory, transposable element silencing, genomic imprinting and repression of pseudo-elements coming from duplicate sequences. Methylation patterns are established, kept and translated via an appropriate functional DNA methylation machinery, which includes a family of proteins classified into three methyltransferase enzyme groups: DNMT1, DNMT3 e DNMT2. DNA methyltransferase 2 (DNMT2) was first identified by searching for novel DNA methyltransferase candidates. DNMT2 does not have a biological function well defined so far; although, it has been shown to be capable of methylating both DNA and RNA, most specifically transfer RNA (tRNA). In human cells, DNMT2 is localized both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm, being capable to migrate from nucleus to cytoplasm under stress conditions. In cytoplasm, DNMT2 methylates tRNAs, possibly to protect against cleavage events that occur under stress conditions. In several species, including plants, these cleavage events are specific, generating tRNA-derived small RNAs fragments or tRFs. These tRFs might have biological roles in the cell metabolism and differentiation. Most importantly, these tRFS are common among eukaryotes, including plants. Using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model, this work aim to determine the possible roles of DNMT2 during development and stress responses, and its possible association with tRF biogenesis in plants.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALVES, CRISTIANE S.; VICENTINI, RENATO; DUARTE, GUSTAVO T.; PINOTI, VITOR F.; VINCENTZ, MICHEL; NOGUEIRA, FABIO T. S. Genome-wide identification and characterization of tRNA-derived RNA fragments in land plants. Plant Molecular Biology, v. 93, n. 1-2, p. 35-48, JAN 2017. Web of Science Citations: 22.