BCL7A and BCL7B potentiate SWI/SNF-complex-mediated chromatin accessibility to regulate gene expression and vegetative phase transition in plants

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 935 - 19
• Main Authors: Lei, Yawen, Yu, Yaoguang, Fu, Wei, Zhu, Tao, Wu, Caihong, Zhang, Zhihao, Yu, Zewang, Song, Xin, Xu, Jianqu, Liang, Zhenwei, Lü, Peitao, Li, Chenlong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 31.01.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13/1; 14/35; 38/15; 38/22; 38/23; 38/39; 38/77; 38/88; 38/90; 38/91; 631/208/176; 631/449/2653/2656; 631/449/2653/2658; 82/58; Accessibility; B-cell lymphoma; Chromatin remodeling; Eukaryotes; Gene expression; Genomes; Genomics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Leukemia; Lymphocytes B; Lymphoma; miRNA; multidisciplinary; Phase transitions; Plants (botany); Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sucrose
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45250-x

Switch defective/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complexes are multi-subunit machineries that establish and maintain chromatin accessibility and gene expression by regulating chromatin structure. However, how the remodeling activities of SWI/SNF complexes are regulated in eukaryotes remains elusive. B-cell lymphoma/leukemia protein 7 A/B/C (BCL7A/B/C) have been reported as subunits of SWI/SNF complexes for decades in animals and recently in plants; however, the role of BCL7 subunits in SWI/SNF function remains undefined. Here, we identify a unique role for plant BCL7A and BCL7B homologous subunits in potentiating the genome-wide chromatin remodeling activities of SWI/SNF complexes in plants. BCL7A/B require the catalytic ATPase BRAHMA (BRM) to assemble with the signature subunits of the BRM-Associated SWI/SNF complexes (BAS) and for genomic binding at a subset of target genes. Loss of BCL7A and BCL7B diminishes BAS-mediated genome-wide chromatin accessibility without changing the stability and genomic targeting of the BAS complex, highlighting the specialized role of BCL7A/B in regulating remodeling activity. We further show that BCL7A/B fine-tune the remodeling activity of BAS complexes to generate accessible chromatin at the juvenility resetting region (JRR) of the microRNAs MIR156A/C for plant juvenile identity maintenance. In summary, our work uncovers the function of previously elusive SWI/SNF subunits in multicellular eukaryotes and provides insights into the mechanisms whereby plants memorize the juvenile identity through SWI/SNF-mediated control of chromatin accessibility. This study uncovers the specialized function of previously elusive BCL7 subunits of SWI/SNF complexes in eukaryotes and reveals the mechanism whereby plants memorize the juvenile identity through SWI/SNF-mediated control of chromatin accessibility.