Translational repression by a miniature inverted-repeat transposable element in the 3′ untranslated region

Transposable elements constitute a substantial portion of eukaryotic genomes and contribute to genomic variation, function, and evolution. Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs), as DNA transposons, are widely distributed in plant and animal genomes. Previous studies have suggested that retrotransposons act as translational regulators; however, it remains unknown how host mRNAs are influenced by DNA transposons. Here we report a translational repression mechanism mediated by a stowaway-like MITE (sMITE) embedded in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of Ghd2, a member of the CCT (CONSTANS [CO], CO-LIKE and TIMING OF CAB1) gene family in rice. Ghd2 regulates important agronomic traits, including grain number, plant height and heading date. Interestingly, the translational repression of Ghd2 by the sMITE mainly relies on Dicer-like 3a (OsDCL3a). Furthermore, other MITEs in the 3'-UTRs of different rice genes exhibit a similar effect on translational repression, thus suggesting that MITEs may exert a general regulatory function at the translational level.