WGBS of Arabidopsis thaliana tho2-8 mutant

The mechanistic connection between the THO/TREX complex and RdDM remains poorly understood. To address this, we performed EMS mutagenesis in a transgenic Col-0 background harboring pro2×35S::LUC and pro2×35S::NPTII reporters and homozygous for rdr6, and identified a low-fluorescence mutant, tho2-8. Unlike null alleles, tho2-8 is a viable homozygous allele, offering a unique opportunity to explore THO2 function in DNA methylation. Here, we report that THO2 is required for proper siRNA accumulation and RdDM activity, revealing a previously uncharacterized role for the THO/TREX complex in epigenetic gene silencing. This study expands our understanding of the molecular coordination between RNA metabolism and epigenetic regulation in plants. BS-seq of tho2-8;Col-LUC;ros1-7.