The XPF-ERCC1 Complex Is Essential for Genome Stability and Is Involved in the Mechanism of Gene Targeting in .

The XPF-ERCC1 complex, a highly conserved structure-specific endonuclease, functions in multiple DNA repair pathways that are pivotal for maintaining genome stability, including nucleotide excision repair, interstrand crosslink repair, and homologous recombination. XPF-ERCC1 incises double-stranded DNA at double-strand/single-strand junctions, making it an ideal enzyme for processing DNA structures that contain partially unwound strands. Here, we have examined the role of the XPF-ERCC1 complex in the model bryophyte which exhibits uniquely high gene targeting frequencies.

Highly efficient gene tagging in the bryophyte Physcomitrella patens using the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Tnt1 retrotransposon.

Because of its highly efficient homologous recombination, the moss Physcomitrella patens is a model organism particularly suited for reverse genetics, but this inherent characteristic limits forward genetic approaches. Here, we show that the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) retrotransposon Tnt1 efficiently transposes in P. patens, being the first retrotransposon from a vascular plant reported to transpose in a bryophyte.

CRISPR-Cas9-mediated efficient directed mutagenesis and RAD51-dependent and RAD51-independent gene targeting in the moss Physcomitrella patens.

The ability to address the CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease complex to any target DNA using customizable single-guide RNAs has now permitted genome engineering in many species. Here, we report its first successful use in a nonvascular plant, the moss Physcomitrella patens. Single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) were designed to target an endogenous reporter gene, PpAPT, whose inactivation confers resistance to 2-fluoroadenine.

Plant genomes enclose footprints of past infections by giant virus relatives.

Nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) are eukaryotic viruses with large genomes (100 kb-2.5 Mb), which include giant Mimivirus, Megavirus and Pandoravirus. NCLDVs are known to infect animals, protists and phytoplankton but were never described as pathogens of land plants.