奥地利科学院Magnus Nordborg和Yoav Voichek共同合作，近期取得重要工作进展。他们研究提出，植物中广泛存在的位置依赖性转录调控序列。相关研究成果2024年9月12日在线发表于《自然—遗传学》杂志上。

据介绍，人们对真核转录的了解大多来自动物和酵母，然而，植物分别演化了十亿多年，为转录调控的分化留下了充足的时间。

研究人员开始阐明植物顺式调控序列的基本特性。通过对四种植物物种进行大规模平行报告分析，研究人员证明了转录起始位点（TSS）下游序列在转录调控中的核心作用。

与位置无关的动物增强子不同，植物调控元件取决于它们的位置，因为改变它们相对于TSS的位置会显著影响转录。

研究人员通过鉴定一种在维管植物中保守的DNA基序，强调了TSS下游区域在调节转录中的重要性，该基序足够以剂量依赖的方式增强基因表达。大量位置依赖性增强子的鉴定表明，植物和动物在基因调控方面存在根本差异。

附：英文原文

Title: Widespread position-dependent transcriptional regulatory sequences in plants

Author: Voichek, Yoav, Hristova, Gabriela, Moll-Morales, Almudena, Weigel, Detlef, Nordborg, Magnus

Issue&Volume: 2024-09-12

Abstract: Much of what we know about eukaryotic transcription stems from animals and yeast; however, plants evolved separately for over a billion years, leaving ample time for divergence in transcriptional regulation. Here we set out to elucidate fundamental properties of cis-regulatory sequences in plants. Using massively parallel reporter assays across four plant species, we demonstrate the central role of sequences downstream of the transcription start site (TSS) in transcriptional regulation. Unlike animal enhancers that are position independent, plant regulatory elements depend on their position, as altering their location relative to the TSS significantly affects transcription. We highlight the importance of the region downstream of the TSS in regulating transcription by identifying a DNA motif that is conserved across vascular plants and is sufficient to enhance gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. The identification of a large number of position-dependent enhancers points to fundamental differences in gene regulation between plants and animals.

DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01907-3

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-024-01907-3