A SUMO Ligase AtMMS21 Regulates the Stability of the Chromatin Remodeler BRAHMA in Root Development.

Chromatin remodeling is essential for gene expression regulation in plant development and response to stresses. Brahma (BRM) is a conserved ATPase in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and is involved in various biological processes in plant cells, but the regulation mechanism on BRM protein remains unclear. Here, we report that BRM interacts with AtMMS21, a SUMO ligase in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The interaction was confirmed in different approaches in vivo and in vitro. The mutants of BRM and AtMMS21 displayed a similar defect in root development. In the mms21-1 mutant, the protein level of BRM-GFP was significantly lower than that in wild type, but the RNA level of BRM did not change. Biochemical evidence indicated that BRM was modified by SUMO3, and the reaction was enhanced by AtMMS21. Furthermore, overexpression of wild-type AtMMS21 but not the mutated AtMMS21 without SUMO ligase activity was able to recover the stability of BRM in mms21-1 Overexpression of BRM in mms21-1 partially rescued the developmental defect of roots. Taken together, these results supported that AtMMS21 regulates the protein stability of BRM in root development.