The second subunit of DNA-polymerase delta is required for genomic stability and epigenetic regulation

DNA polymerase δ plays crucial roles in DNA repair and replication as well as maintaining genomic stability. However, the function of POLD2, the second small subunit of DNA polymerase δ, has not been characterized yet in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). During a genetic screen for release of transcriptional gene silencing, we identified a mutation in POLD2. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing indicated that POLD2 is not involved in the regulation of DNA methylation. POLD2 genetically interacts with Ataxia Telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related and DNA polymerase α The pold2-1 mutant exhibits genomic instability with a high frequency of homologous recombination. It also exhibits hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging reagents and short telomere length. Whole-genome chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing analyses suggest that pold2-1 changes H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 modifications, and these changes are correlated with the gene expression levels. Our study suggests that POLD2 is required for maintaining genome integrity and properly establishing the epigenetic markers during DNA replication to modulate gene expression.