OsCLSY4 modulates epigenomic patterns and grain size in rice

De novo DNA methylation, orchestrated by the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway, is essential for gene regulation and transposon silencing. While CLASSY (CLSY) proteins facilitate RNA POLYMERASE IV (Pol IV) recruitment to initiate the RdDM pathway in plants, their roles in crops are incompletely explored. Here, we report OsCLSY4 as the dominant regulator within the OsCLSY family, driving Pol IV-mediated epigenomic patterns and influencing diverse agricultural traits. Epigenomics analyses reveal that OsCLSY4 controls over 95% of Pol IV-dependent 24-nucleotide small interfering RNA (24-nt siRNA) clusters and more than 70% of Pol IV-dependent hypomethylated CHH differentially methylated regions (DMRs), predominantly at miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs). Loss of OsCLSY4 leads to dysregulation of MADS22 and GA20ox1 in a DNA methylation-dependent manner. SunTag-mediated targeted demethylation confirms that reduced DNA methylation in promoter regions leads to MADS22 activation and GA20ox1 repression to influence grain size, linking epigenetic changes to phenotypic outcomes of osclsy4. Moreover, OsCLSY4 governs tissue-specific methylation patterns in panicle and seedling. Mechanistically, OsCLSY4 is the predominantly expressed OsCLSY family member and interacts with Pol IV. Collectively, our findings position OsCLSY4 as a central hub for Pol IV-mediated epigenomic regulation in rice and suggest its potential utility in epigenetic breeding strategies.