Epigenomic profiles of Brachypodium distachyon mutants deficient in RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV)

Monocot grass species (Poaceae) express a diverse set of multisubunit RNA polymerase enzymes, including Pol II, Pol IV and Pol V. To better understand this functional diversity, we have charted Pol IV function in the model Brachypodium distachyon. Intriguingly, pol IV null mutations in Poaceae crops disrupt growth, reproductive development and seed set. In order to investigate how Pol IV controls vegetative growth and TE activity in these grasses, we have isolated B. distachyon mutant alleles for Pol IV’s largest subunit, NRPD1. We obtained the germplasm in which to screen for these pol IV mutations from the B. distachyon community's sodium azide (NaN) and T-DNA insertion collections. Transcriptomic analysis of NRPD1 wild-type and nrpd1 null mutant Brachypodium distachyon lines, sampling RNA from young emerging leaves of 4-week-old plants, including triplicate biological replicates.