51
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Hou Q, Wan X. Epigenome and Epitranscriptome: Potential Resources for Crop Improvement. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12912. [PMID: 34884725 PMCID: PMC8658206 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Crop breeding faces the challenge of increasing food demand, especially under climatic changes. Conventional breeding has relied on genetic diversity by combining alleles to obtain desired traits. In recent years, research on epigenetics and epitranscriptomics has shown that epigenetic and epitranscriptomic diversity provides additional sources for crop breeding and harnessing epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulation through biotechnologies has great potential for crop improvement. Here, we review epigenome and epitranscriptome variations during plant development and in response to environmental stress as well as the available sources for epiallele formation. We also discuss the possible strategies for applying epialleles and epitranscriptome engineering in crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quancan Hou
- Zhongzhi International Institute of Agricultural Biosciences, Shunde Graduate School, Research Center of Biology and Agriculture, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Beijing 100024, China
- Beijing Engineering Laboratory of Main Crop Bio-Tech Breeding, Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Bio-Tech Breeding, Beijing Solidwill Sci-Tech Co., Ltd., Beijing 100192, China
| | - Xiangyuan Wan
- Zhongzhi International Institute of Agricultural Biosciences, Shunde Graduate School, Research Center of Biology and Agriculture, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Beijing 100024, China
- Beijing Engineering Laboratory of Main Crop Bio-Tech Breeding, Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Bio-Tech Breeding, Beijing Solidwill Sci-Tech Co., Ltd., Beijing 100192, China
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52
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Harnessing epigenetic variability for crop improvement: current status and future prospects. Genes Genomics 2021; 44:259-266. [PMID: 34807374 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-021-01189-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The epigenetic mechanisms play critical roles in a vast diversity of biological processes of plants, including development and response to environmental challenges. Particularly, DNA methylation is a stable epigenetic signature that supplements the genetics-based view of complex life phenomena. In crop breeding, the decrease in genetic diversity due to artificial selection of conventional breeding methods has been a long-standing concern. Therefore, the epigenetic diversity has been proposed as a new resource for future crop breeding, which will be hereinafter referred to as epibreeding. DISCUSSION The induction of methylome changes has been performed in plants by several methods including chemical drugs treatment and tissue culture. Target-specific epigenetic engineering has been also attempted by exogenous RNAi mediated by virus-induced gene silencing and grafting. Importantly, the new and innovative techniques including the CRISPR-Cas9 system have recently been adopted in epigenetic engineering of plant genomes, facilitating the efforts for epibreeding. CONCLUSION In this review, we introduce several examples of natural and induced epigenetic changes impacting on agronomic traits and discuss the methods for generating epigenomic diversity and site-specific epigenetic engineering.
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Singh D, Chaudhary P, Taunk J, Kumar Singh C, Sharma S, Singh VJ, Singh D, Chinnusamy V, Yadav R, Pal M. Plant epigenomics for extenuation of abiotic stresses: challenges and future perspectives. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:6836-6855. [PMID: 34302734 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate change has escalated abiotic stresses, leading to adverse effects on plant growth and development, eventually having deleterious consequences on crop productivity. Environmental stresses induce epigenetic changes, namely cytosine DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications, thus altering chromatin structure and gene expression. Stable epigenetic changes are inheritable across generations and this enables plants to adapt to environmental changes (epipriming). Hence, epigenomes serve as a good source of additional tier of variability for development of climate-smart crops. Epigenetic resources such as epialleles, epigenetic recombinant inbred lines (epiRILs), epigenetic quantitative trait loci (epiQTLs), and epigenetic hybrids (epihybrids) can be utilized in epibreeding for improving stress tolerance of crops. Epigenome engineering is also gaining momentum for developing sustainable epimarks associated with important agronomic traits. Different epigenome editing tools are available for creating, erasing, and reading such epigenetic codes in plant genomes. However, epigenome editing is still understudied in plants due to its complex nature. Epigenetic interventions such as epi-fingerprinting can be exploited in the near future for health and quality assessment of crops under stress conditions. Keeping in view the challenges and opportunities associated with this important technology, the present review intends to enhance understanding of stress-induced epigenetic changes in plants and its prospects for development of climate-ready crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra Singh
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Priya Chaudhary
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Jyoti Taunk
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Chandan Kumar Singh
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Shristi Sharma
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Vikram Jeet Singh
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Deepti Singh
- Department of Botany, Meerut College, Meerut, India
| | - Viswanathan Chinnusamy
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajbir Yadav
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Madan Pal
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
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54
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Pathway conversion enables a double-lock mechanism to maintain DNA methylation and genome stability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2107320118. [PMID: 34453006 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107320118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The CMT2 and RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathways have been proposed to separately maintain CHH methylation in specific regions of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome. Here, we show that dysfunction of the chromatin remodeler DDM1 causes hundreds of genomic regions to switch from CMT2 dependency to RdDM dependency in DNA methylation. These converted loci are enriched at the edge regions of long transposable elements (TEs). Furthermore, we found that dysfunction in both DDM1 and RdDM causes strong reactivation of TEs and a burst of TE transposition in the first generation of mutant plants, indicating that the DDM1 and RdDM pathways together are critical to maintaining TE repression and protecting genomic stability. Our findings reveal the existence of a pathway conversion-based backup mechanism to guarantee the maintenance of DNA methylation and genome integrity.
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55
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Noshay JM, Marand AP, Anderson SN, Zhou P, Mejia Guerra MK, Lu Z, O'Connor CH, Crisp PA, Hirsch CN, Schmitz RJ, Springer NM. Assessing the regulatory potential of transposable elements using chromatin accessibility profiles of maize transposons. Genetics 2021; 217:1-13. [PMID: 33683350 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) have the potential to create regulatory variation both through the disruption of existing DNA regulatory elements and through the creation of novel DNA regulatory elements. In a species with a large genome, such as maize, many TEs interspersed with genes create opportunities for significant allelic variation due to TE presence/absence polymorphisms among individuals. We used information on putative regulatory elements in combination with knowledge about TE polymorphisms in maize to identify TE insertions that interrupt existing accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) in B73 as well as examples of polymorphic TEs that contain ACRs among four inbred lines of maize including B73, Mo17, W22, and PH207. The TE insertions in three other assembled maize genomes (Mo17, W22, or PH207) that interrupt ACRs that are present in the B73 genome can trigger changes to the chromatin, suggesting the potential for both genetic and epigenetic influences of these insertions. Nearly 20% of the ACRs located over 2 kb from the nearest gene are located within an annotated TE. These are regions of unmethylated DNA that show evidence for functional importance similar to ACRs that are not present within TEs. Using a large panel of maize genotypes, we tested if there is an association between the presence of TE insertions that interrupt, or carry, an ACR and the expression of nearby genes. While most TE polymorphisms are not associated with expression for nearby genes, the TEs that carry ACRs exhibit enrichment for being associated with higher expression of nearby genes, suggesting that these TEs may contribute novel regulatory elements. These analyses highlight the potential for a subset of TEs to rewire transcriptional responses in eukaryotic genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Noshay
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Alexandre P Marand
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, 120 W Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Sarah N Anderson
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, 2437 Pammel Dr, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Peng Zhou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | | | - Zefu Lu
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, 120 W Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Christine H O'Connor
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, 1994 Upper Buford Circle, 411 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Peter A Crisp
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Harley Teakle Building, Keyhold Rd, St Lucia QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Candice N Hirsch
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, 1994 Upper Buford Circle, 411 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, 120 W Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Nathan M Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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56
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Kakoulidou I, Avramidou EV, Baránek M, Brunel-Muguet S, Farrona S, Johannes F, Kaiserli E, Lieberman-Lazarovich M, Martinelli F, Mladenov V, Testillano PS, Vassileva V, Maury S. Epigenetics for Crop Improvement in Times of Global Change. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:766. [PMID: 34439998 PMCID: PMC8389687 DOI: 10.3390/biology10080766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics has emerged as an important research field for crop improvement under the on-going climatic changes. Heritable epigenetic changes can arise independently of DNA sequence alterations and have been associated with altered gene expression and transmitted phenotypic variation. By modulating plant development and physiological responses to environmental conditions, epigenetic diversity-naturally, genetically, chemically, or environmentally induced-can help optimise crop traits in an era challenged by global climate change. Beyond DNA sequence variation, the epigenetic modifications may contribute to breeding by providing useful markers and allowing the use of epigenome diversity to predict plant performance and increase final crop production. Given the difficulties in transferring the knowledge of the epigenetic mechanisms from model plants to crops, various strategies have emerged. Among those strategies are modelling frameworks dedicated to predicting epigenetically controlled-adaptive traits, the use of epigenetics for in vitro regeneration to accelerate crop breeding, and changes of specific epigenetic marks that modulate gene expression of traits of interest. The key challenge that agriculture faces in the 21st century is to increase crop production by speeding up the breeding of resilient crop species. Therefore, epigenetics provides fundamental molecular information with potential direct applications in crop enhancement, tolerance, and adaptation within the context of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Kakoulidou
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 2, 85354 Freising, Germany; (I.K.); (F.J.)
| | - Evangelia V. Avramidou
- Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Dimitra (ELGO-DIMITRA), 11528 Athens, Greece;
| | - Miroslav Baránek
- Faculty of Horticulture, Mendeleum—Institute of Genetics, Mendel University in Brno, Valtická 334, 69144 Lednice, Czech Republic;
| | - Sophie Brunel-Muguet
- UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et Nutritions N, C, S, UNICAEN, INRAE, Normandie Université, CEDEX, F-14032 Caen, France;
| | - Sara Farrona
- Plant and AgriBiosciences Centre, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland;
| | - Frank Johannes
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 2, 85354 Freising, Germany; (I.K.); (F.J.)
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenberg Str. 2a, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Eirini Kaiserli
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Bower Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK;
| | - Michal Lieberman-Lazarovich
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel;
| | - Federico Martinelli
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy;
| | - Velimir Mladenov
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Sq. Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
| | - Pilar S. Testillano
- Pollen Biotechnology of Crop Plants Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas-(CIB-CSIC), Ramiro Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Valya Vassileva
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bldg. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Stéphane Maury
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures, INRAE, EA1207 USC1328, Université d’Orléans, F-45067 Orléans, France
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57
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Noshay JM, Liang Z, Zhou P, Crisp PA, Marand AP, Hirsch CN, Schmitz RJ, Springer NM. Stability of DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility in structurally diverse maize genomes. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:6288454. [PMID: 34849810 PMCID: PMC8496265 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Accessible chromatin and unmethylated DNA are associated with many genes and cis-regulatory elements. Attempts to understand natural variation for accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) and unmethylated regions (UMRs) often rely upon alignments to a single reference genome. This limits the ability to assess regions that are absent in the reference genome assembly and monitor how nearby structural variants influence variation in chromatin state. In this study, de novo genome assemblies for four maize inbreds (B73, Mo17, Oh43, and W22) are utilized to assess chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation patterns in a pan-genome context. A more complete set of UMRs and ACRs can be identified when chromatin data are aligned to the matched genome rather than a single reference genome. While there are UMRs and ACRs present within genomic regions that are not shared between genotypes, these features are 6- to 12-fold enriched within regions between genomes. Characterization of UMRs present within shared genomic regions reveals that most UMRs maintain the unmethylated state in other genotypes with only ∼5% being polymorphic between genotypes. However, the majority (71%) of UMRs that are shared between genotypes only exhibit partial overlaps suggesting that the boundaries between methylated and unmethylated DNA are dynamic. This instability is not solely due to sequence variation as these partially overlapping UMRs are frequently found within genomic regions that lack sequence variation. The ability to compare chromatin properties among individuals with structural variation enables pan-epigenome analyses to study the sources of variation for accessible chromatin and unmethylated DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Noshay
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Zhikai Liang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Peng Zhou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Peter A Crisp
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Candice N Hirsch
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Nathan M Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
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58
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Somasundaram S, Satheesh V, Singh M, Anandhan S. A simple flow cytometry-based assay to study global methylation levels in onion, a non-model species. PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1859-1865. [PMID: 34539120 PMCID: PMC8405793 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-021-01047-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark and global methylation dynamics regulate plant developmental processes. Even though genome sequencing technologies have made DNA methylation studies easier, it is difficult in non-model species where genome information is not available. Therefore in this study, we developed a simple assay for analysing global methylation levels in plants by washless immunolabelling of unfixed nuclei using flow cytometry. Onion leaf tissue was used as a model system, and mean fluorescence intensity due to anti-5- methyl cytosine (5-mC) antibodies were used as a measure of global methylation levels. Among three nuclear isolation buffers evaluated, the highest nuclear yield with the low background was obtained with LB01. To maintain a balance between high DNA fluorescence value and low coefficient of variation of DNA peaks, 45 min of hydrolysis with 0.2 N hydrochloric acid was used for chromatin denaturation resulting in six-fold increase in 5-mC fluorescence compared to control. This method was used successfully to detect 5-Azacytidine induced DNA hypomethylation in onion leaf tissues. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01047-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saravanakumar Somasundaram
- ICAR-Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Pune, 410505 India
- Present Address: Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Seeland, Germany
| | - Viswanathan Satheesh
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Major Singh
- ICAR-Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Pune, 410505 India
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59
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Yao N, Schmitz RJ, Johannes F. Epimutations Define a Fast-Ticking Molecular Clock in Plants. Trends Genet 2021; 37:699-710. [PMID: 34016450 PMCID: PMC8282728 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Stochastic gains and losses of DNA methylation at CG dinucleotides are a frequent occurrence in plants. These spontaneous 'epimutations' occur at a rate that is 100 000 times higher than the genetic mutation rate, are effectively neutral at the genome-wide scale, and are stably inherited across mitotic and meiotic cell divisions. Mathematical models have been extraordinarily successful at describing how epimutations accumulate in plant genomes over time, making this process one of the most predictable epigenetic phenomena to date. Here, we propose that their high rate and effective neutrality make epimutations a powerful new molecular clock for timing evolutionary events of the recent past and for age dating of long-lived perennials such as trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Yao
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Frank Johannes
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany; Population Epigenetics and Epigenomics, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
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60
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Mladenov V, Fotopoulos V, Kaiserli E, Karalija E, Maury S, Baranek M, Segal N, Testillano PS, Vassileva V, Pinto G, Nagel M, Hoenicka H, Miladinović D, Gallusci P, Vergata C, Kapazoglou A, Abraham E, Tani E, Gerakari M, Sarri E, Avramidou E, Gašparović M, Martinelli F. Deciphering the Epigenetic Alphabet Involved in Transgenerational Stress Memory in Crops. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7118. [PMID: 34281171 PMCID: PMC8268041 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although epigenetic modifications have been intensely investigated over the last decade due to their role in crop adaptation to rapid climate change, it is unclear which epigenetic changes are heritable and therefore transmitted to their progeny. The identification of epigenetic marks that are transmitted to the next generations is of primary importance for their use in breeding and for the development of new cultivars with a broad-spectrum of tolerance/resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this review, we discuss general aspects of plant responses to environmental stresses and provide an overview of recent findings on the role of transgenerational epigenetic modifications in crops. In addition, we take the opportunity to describe the aims of EPI-CATCH, an international COST action consortium composed by researchers from 28 countries. The aim of this COST action launched in 2020 is: (1) to define standardized pipelines and methods used in the study of epigenetic mechanisms in plants, (2) update, share, and exchange findings in epigenetic responses to environmental stresses in plants, (3) develop new concepts and frontiers in plant epigenetics and epigenomics, (4) enhance dissemination, communication, and transfer of knowledge in plant epigenetics and epigenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Velimir Mladenov
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Sq. Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
| | - Vasileios Fotopoulos
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology & Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos 3036, Cyprus;
| | - Eirini Kaiserli
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK;
| | - Erna Karalija
- Laboratory for Plant Physiology, Department for Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
| | - Stephane Maury
- INRAe, EA1207 USC1328 Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures, Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France;
| | - Miroslav Baranek
- Mendeleum—Insitute of Genetics, Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University in Brno, Valtická 334, 69144 Lednice, Czech Republic;
| | - Naama Segal
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, The National Center for Mariculture (NCM), P.O.B. 1212, Eilat 88112, Israel;
| | - Pilar S. Testillano
- Center of Biological Research Margarita Salas, CIB-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Valya Vassileva
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bldg. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Glória Pinto
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Biology Department, Campus de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal;
| | - Manuela Nagel
- Genebank Department, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany;
| | - Hans Hoenicka
- Genomic Research Department, Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics, 22927 Grosshansdorf, Germany;
| | - Dragana Miladinović
- Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Maksima Gorkog 30, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
| | - Philippe Gallusci
- UMR Ecophysiologie et Génomique Fonctionnelle de la Vigne, Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux Science Agro, 210 Chemin de Leysotte—CS5000833882 Villenave d’Ornon, 33076 Bordeaux, France;
| | - Chiara Vergata
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy;
| | - Aliki Kapazoglou
- Department of Vitis, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture (IOSV), Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Dimitra (HAO-Dimitra), Sofokli Venizelou 1, Lykovrysi, 14123 Athens, Greece;
| | - Eleni Abraham
- Laboratory of Range Science, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Eleni Tani
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (E.A.)
| | - Maria Gerakari
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (E.A.)
| | - Efi Sarri
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (E.A.)
| | - Evaggelia Avramidou
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (E.A.)
| | - Mateo Gašparović
- Chair of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Federico Martinelli
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy;
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61
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Exploration of Epigenetics for Improvement of Drought and Other Stress Resistance in Crops: A Review. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10061226. [PMID: 34208642 PMCID: PMC8235456 DOI: 10.3390/plants10061226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Crop plants often have challenges of biotic and abiotic stresses, and they adapt sophisticated ways to acclimate and cope with these through the expression of specific genes. Changes in chromatin, histone, and DNA mostly serve the purpose of combating challenges and ensuring the survival of plants in stressful environments. Epigenetic changes, due to environmental stress, enable plants to remember a past stress event in order to deal with such challenges in the future. This heritable memory, called "plant stress memory", enables plants to respond against stresses in a better and efficient way, not only for the current plant in prevailing situations but also for future generations. Development of stress resistance in plants for increasing the yield potential and stability has always been a traditional objective of breeders for crop improvement through integrated breeding approaches. The application of epigenetics for improvements in complex traits in tetraploid and some other field crops has been unclear. An improved understanding of epigenetics and stress memory applications will contribute to the development of strategies to incorporate them into breeding for complex agronomic traits. The insight in the application of novel plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) has opened a new plethora of options among plant scientists to develop germplasms for stress tolerance. This review summarizes and discusses plant stress memory at the intergenerational and transgenerational levels, mechanisms involved in stress memory, exploitation of induced and natural epigenetic changes, and genome editing technologies with their future possible applications, in the breeding of crops for abiotic stress tolerance to increase the yield for zero hunger goals achievement on a sustainable basis in the changing climatic era.
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Chachar S, Liu J, Zhang P, Riaz A, Guan C, Liu S. Harnessing Current Knowledge of DNA N6-Methyladenosine From Model Plants for Non-model Crops. Front Genet 2021; 12:668317. [PMID: 33995495 PMCID: PMC8118384 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.668317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications alter the gene activity and function by causing change in the chromosomal architecture through DNA methylation/demethylation, or histone modifications without causing any change in DNA sequence. In plants, DNA cytosine methylation (5mC) is vital for various pathways such as, gene regulation, transposon suppression, DNA repair, replication, transcription, and recombination. Thanks to recent advances in high throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies for epigenomic “Big Data” generation, accumulated studies have revealed the occurrence of another novel DNA methylation mark, N6-methyladenosine (6mA), which is highly present on gene bodies mainly activates gene expression in model plants such as eudicot Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and monocot rice (Oryza sativa). However, in non-model crops, the occurrence and importance of 6mA remains largely less known, with only limited reports in few species, such as Rosaceae (wild strawberry), and soybean (Glycine max). Given the aforementioned vital roles of 6mA in plants, hereinafter, we summarize the latest advances of DNA 6mA modification, and investigate the historical, known and vital functions of 6mA in plants. We also consider advanced artificial-intelligence biotechnologies that improve extraction and prediction of 6mA concepts. In this Review, we discuss the potential challenges that may hinder exploitation of 6mA, and give future goals of 6mA from model plants to non-model crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadaruddin Chachar
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.,Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Crop Production, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan
| | - Jingrong Liu
- College of Mathematics and Statistics, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Pingxian Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Adeel Riaz
- Deaprtment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
| | - Changfei Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Shuyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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Li W, Yan J, Wang S, Wang Q, Wang C, Li Z, Zhang D, Ma F, Guan Q, Xu J. Genome-wide analysis of SET-domain group histone methyltransferases in apple reveals their role in development and stress responses. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:283. [PMID: 33874904 PMCID: PMC8054418 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07596-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Histone lysine methylation plays an important role in plant development and stress responses by activating or repressing gene expression. Histone lysine methylation is catalyzed by a class of SET-domain group proteins (SDGs). Although an increasing number of studies have shown that SDGs play important regulatory roles in development and stress responses, the functions of SDGs in apple remain unclear. Results A total of 67 SDG members were identified in the Malus×domestica genome. Syntenic analysis revealed that most of the MdSDG duplicated gene pairs were associated with a recent genome-wide duplication event of the apple genome. These 67 MdSDG members were grouped into six classes based on sequence similarity and the findings of previous studies. The domain organization of each MdSDG class was characterized by specific patterns, which was consistent with the classification results. The tissue-specific expression patterns of MdSDGs among the 72 apple tissues in the different apple developmental stages were characterized to provide insight into their potential functions in development. The expression profiles of MdSDGs were also investigated in fruit development, the breaking of bud dormancy, and responses to abiotic and biotic stress; the results indicated that MdSDGs might play a regulatory role in development and stress responses. The subcellular localization and putative interaction network of MdSDG proteins were also analyzed. Conclusions This work presents a fundamental comprehensive analysis of SDG histone methyltransferases in apple and provides a basis for future studies of MdSDGs involved in apple development and stress responses. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07596-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jinjiao Yan
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shicong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qianying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Caixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhongxing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dehui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fengwang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qingmei Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jidi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
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Jiang J, Liu J, Sanders D, Qian S, Ren W, Song J, Liu F, Zhong X. UVR8 interacts with de novo DNA methyltransferase and suppresses DNA methylation in Arabidopsis. NATURE PLANTS 2021; 7:184-197. [PMID: 33495557 PMCID: PMC7889724 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-00843-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic gene regulatory mechanism conserved in eukaryotes. Emerging evidence shows DNA methylation alterations in response to environmental cues. However, the mechanism of how cells sense these signals and reprogramme the methylation landscape is poorly understood. Here, we uncovered a connection between ultraviolet B (UVB) signalling and DNA methylation involving UVB photoreceptor (UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8)) and a de novo DNA methyltransferase (DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE 2 (DRM2)) in Arabidopsis. We demonstrated that UVB acts through UVR8 to inhibit DRM2-mediated DNA methylation and transcriptional de-repression. Interestingly, DNA transposons with high DNA methylation are more sensitive to UVB irradiation. Mechanistically, UVR8 interacts with and negatively regulates DRM2 by preventing its chromatin association and inhibiting the methyltransferase activity. Collectively, this study identifies UVB as a potent inhibitor of DNA methylation and provides mechanistic insights into how signalling transduction cascades intertwine with chromatin to guide genome functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Jiang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Laboratory of Genetics & Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- Laboratory of Genetics & Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Dean Sanders
- Laboratory of Genetics & Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Shuiming Qian
- Laboratory of Genetics & Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Wendan Ren
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jikui Song
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Fengquan Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Laboratory of Genetics & Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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Tissue culture-induced DNA methylation in crop plants: a review. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:823-841. [PMID: 33394224 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-06062-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Plant tissue culture techniques have been extensively employed in commercial micropropagation to provide year-round production. Tissue culture regenerants are not always genotypically and phenotypically similar. Due to the changes in the tissue culture microenvironment, plant cells are exposed to additional stress which induces genetic and epigenetic instabilities in the regenerants. These changes lead to tissue culture-induced variations (TCIV) which are also known as somaclonal variations to categorically specify the inducing environment. TCIV includes molecular and phenotypic changes persuaded in the in vitro culture due to continuous sub-culturing and tissue culture-derived stress. Epigenetic variations such as altered DNA methylation pattern are induced due to the above-mentioned factors. Reportedly, alteration in DNA methylation pattern is much more frequent in the plant genome during the tissue culture process. DNA methylation plays an important role in gene expression and regulation of plant development. Variants originated in tissue culture process due to heritable methylation changes, can contribute to intra-species phenotypic variation. Several molecular techniques are available to detect DNA methylation at different stages of in vitro culture. Here, we review the aspects of TCIV with respect to DNA methylation and its effect on crop improvement programs. It is anticipated that a precise and comprehensive knowledge of molecular basis of in vitro-derived DNA methylation will help to design strategies to overcome the bottlenecks of micropropagation system and maintain the clonal fidelity of the regenerants.
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Busconi M, Wischnitzki E, Del Corvo M, Colli L, Soffritti G, Stagnati L, Fluch S, Sehr EM, de los Mozos Pascual M, Fernández JA. Epigenetic Variability Among Saffron Crocus ( Crocus sativus L.) Accessions Characterized by Different Phenotypes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:642631. [PMID: 33747022 PMCID: PMC7970008 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.642631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
This work represents the first epigenomic study carried out on saffron crocus. Five accessions of saffron, showing differences in tepal pigmentation, yield of saffron and flowering time, were analyzed at the epigenetic level by applying a methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme-sequencing (MRE-seq) approach. Five accession-specific hypomethylomes plus a reference hypomethylome, generated by combining the sequence data from the single accessions, were obtained. Assembled sequences were annotated against existing online databases. In the absence of the Crocus genome, the rice genome was mainly used as the reference as it is the best annotated genome among monocot plants. Comparison of the hypomethylomes revealed many differentially methylated regions, confirming the high epigenetic variability present among saffron accessions, including sequences encoding for proteins that could be good candidates to explain the accessions' alternative phenotypes. In particular, transcription factors involved in flowering process (MADS-box and TFL) and for the production of pigments (MYB) were detected. Finally, by comparing the generated sequences of the different accessions, a high number of SNPs, likely having arisen as a consequence of the prolonged vegetative propagation, were detected, demonstrating surprisingly high genetic variability. Gene ontology (GO) was performed to map and visualize sequence polymorphisms located within the GOs and to compare their distributions among different accessions. As well as suggesting the possible existence of alternative phenotypes with a genetic basis, a clear difference in polymorphic GO is present among accessions based on their geographic origin, supporting a possible signature of selection in the Indian accession with respect to the Spanish ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Busconi
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Research Centre BioDNA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
- *Correspondence: Matteo Busconi,
| | - Elisabeth Wischnitzki
- Centre for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln, Austria
| | - Marcello Del Corvo
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Research Centre BioDNA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Licia Colli
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Research Centre BioDNA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Giovanna Soffritti
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Research Centre BioDNA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Stagnati
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Research Centre BioDNA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Silvia Fluch
- Centre for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln, Austria
| | - Eva Maria Sehr
- Centre for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln, Austria
| | - Marcelino de los Mozos Pascual
- Centro de Investigación Agroforestal de Albaladejito, Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal, Cuenca, Spain
| | - José Antonio Fernández
- IDR-Biotechnology and Natural Resources, Universidad de Castilla—La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
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Zhi P, Chang C. Exploiting Epigenetic Variations for Crop Disease Resistance Improvement. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:692328. [PMID: 34149790 PMCID: PMC8212930 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.692328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Pathogen infections seriously threaten plant health and global crop production. Epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, chromatin assembly and remodeling play important roles in transcriptional regulation of plant defense responses and could provide a new direction to drive breeding strategies for crop disease resistance improvement. Although past decades have seen unprecedented proceedings in understanding the epigenetic mechanism of plant defense response, most of these advances were derived from studies in model plants like Arabidopsis. In this review, we highlighted the recent epigenetic studies on crop-pathogen interactions and discussed the potentials, challenges, and strategies in exploiting epigenetic variations for crop disease resistance improvement.
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Vigneaud J, Maury S. [Developmental plasticity in plants: an interaction between hormones and epigenetics at the meristem level]. Biol Aujourdhui 2020; 214:125-135. [PMID: 33357371 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2020011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Plants are fixed organisms with continuous development throughout their life and great sensitivity to environmental variations. They react in this way by exhibiting large developmental phenotypic plasticity. This plasticity is partly controlled by (phyto)hormones, but recent studies also suggest the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms. It seems that these two factors may interact in a complex way and especially in the stem cells grouped together in meristems. The objective of this review is to present the current arguments about this interaction which would promote developmental plasticity. Three major points are thus addressed to justify this interaction between hormonal control and epigenetics (control at the chromatin level) for the developmental plasticity of plants: the arguments in favor of an effect of hormones on chromatin and vice versa, the arguments in favor of their roles on developmental plasticity and finally the arguments in favor of the central place of these interactions, the meristems. Various perspectives and applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Vigneaud
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), INRAe, Université d'Orléans, EA1207 USC1328, 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Stéphane Maury
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), INRAe, Université d'Orléans, EA1207 USC1328, 45067 Orléans, France
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Bondada R, Somasundaram S, Marimuthu MP, Badarudeen MA, Puthiyaveedu VK, Maruthachalam R. Natural epialleles of Arabidopsis SUPERMAN display superwoman phenotypes. Commun Biol 2020; 3:772. [PMID: 33319840 PMCID: PMC7738503 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01525-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epimutations are heritable changes in gene function due to loss or gain of DNA cytosine methylation or chromatin modifications without changes in the DNA sequence. Only a few natural epimutations displaying discernible phenotypes are documented in plants. Here, we report natural epimutations in the cadastral gene, SUPERMAN(SUP), showing striking phenotypes despite normal transcription, discovered in a natural tetraploid, and subsequently in eleven diploid Arabidopsis genetic accessions. This natural lois lane(lol) epialleles behave as recessive mendelian alleles displaying a spectrum of silent to strong superwoman phenotypes affecting only the carpel whorl, in contrast to semi-dominant superman or supersex features manifested by induced epialleles which affect both stamen and carpel whorls. Despite its unknown origin, natural lol epialleles are subjected to the same epigenetic regulation as induced clk epialleles. The existence of superwoman epialleles in diverse wild populations is interpreted in the light of the evolution of unisexuality in plants. Ramesh Bondada et al. report natural epimutations in the Arabidopsis SUPERMAN gene from tetraploid and diploid accessions. The existence of these epialleles in diverse wild populations have the potential to shed light on the evolution of unisexuality in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh Bondada
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Thiruvananthapuram, Vithura, Kerala, 695551, India
| | - Saravanakumar Somasundaram
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Thiruvananthapuram, Vithura, Kerala, 695551, India
| | | | - Mohammed Afsal Badarudeen
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Thiruvananthapuram, Vithura, Kerala, 695551, India
| | - Vaishak Kanjirakol Puthiyaveedu
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Thiruvananthapuram, Vithura, Kerala, 695551, India
| | - Ravi Maruthachalam
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Thiruvananthapuram, Vithura, Kerala, 695551, India.
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70
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Genomic Selection for Forest Tree Improvement: Methods, Achievements and Perspectives. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11111190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The breeding of forest trees is only a few decades old, and is a much more complicated, longer, and expensive endeavor than the breeding of agricultural crops. One breeding cycle for forest trees can take 20–30 years. Recent advances in genomics and molecular biology have revolutionized traditional plant breeding based on visual phenotype assessment: the development of different types of molecular markers has made genotype selection possible. Marker-assisted breeding can significantly accelerate the breeding process, but this method has not been shown to be effective for selection of complex traits on forest trees. This new method of genomic selection is based on the analysis of all effects of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) using a large number of molecular markers distributed throughout the genome, which makes it possible to assess the genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) of an individual. This approach is expected to be much more efficient for forest tree improvement than traditional breeding. Here, we review the current state of the art in the application of genomic selection in forest tree breeding and discuss different methods of genotyping and phenotyping. We also compare the accuracies of genomic prediction models and highlight the importance of a prior cost-benefit analysis before implementing genomic selection. Perspectives for the further development of this approach in forest breeding are also discussed: expanding the range of species and the list of valuable traits, the application of high-throughput phenotyping methods, and the possibility of using epigenetic variance to improve of forest trees.
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Xu G, Lyu J, Li Q, Liu H, Wang D, Zhang M, Springer NM, Ross-Ibarra J, Yang J. Evolutionary and functional genomics of DNA methylation in maize domestication and improvement. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5539. [PMID: 33139747 PMCID: PMC7606521 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19333-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is a ubiquitous chromatin feature, present in 25% of cytosines in the maize genome, but variation and evolution of the methylation landscape during maize domestication remain largely unknown. Here, we leverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data on populations of modern maize, landrace, and teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) to estimate epimutation rates and selection coefficients. We find weak evidence for direct selection on DNA methylation in any context, but thousands of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) are identified population-wide that are correlated with recent selection. For two trait-associated DMRs, vgt1-DMR and tb1-DMR, HiChIP data indicate that the interactive loops between DMRs and respective downstream genes are present in B73, a modern maize line, but absent in teosinte. Our results enable a better understanding of the evolutionary forces acting on patterns of DNA methylation and suggest a role of methylation variation in adaptive evolution. Variation and evolution of DNA methylation during maize domestication remain largely unknown. Here, the authors generate genome and methylome sequencing data as well as HiChIP-based interactome data to investigate the adaptive and phenotypic consequences of methylation variations in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Xu
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Jing Lyu
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Plant Biology, Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Han Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Fragrant Hill, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Dafang Wang
- Division of Math and Sciences, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS, 38733, USA
| | - Mei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Fragrant Hill, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Nathan M Springer
- Department of Plant Biology, Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Center for Population Biology and Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jinliang Yang
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA. .,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.
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Epigenetics and epigenomics: underlying mechanisms, relevance, and implications in crop improvement. Funct Integr Genomics 2020; 20:739-761. [PMID: 33089419 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-020-00756-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics is defined as changes in gene expression that are not associated with changes in DNA sequence but due to the result of methylation of DNA and post-translational modifications to the histones. These epigenetic modifications are known to regulate gene expression by bringing changes in the chromatin state, which underlies plant development and shapes phenotypic plasticity in responses to the environment and internal cues. This review articulates the role of histone modifications and DNA methylation in modulating biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as crop improvement. It also highlights the possibility of engineering epigenomes and epigenome-based predictive models for improving agronomic traits.
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Abstract
The universal importance of epigenetic regulation has become explicit over the last decade. There is now a detailed understanding of the molecular signatures and chromatin-modifying enzymes determining epigenetic regulation. For example, the trimethylation of lysine 27 at histone H3 by Polycomb complexes is a hallmark of silenced gene expression conserved across animal and plant kingdoms. The repressive activity of Polycomb complexes is balanced by the histone demethylase activity of Jumonji C-domain proteins. There has been a lot of research on Polycomb functions and H3K27 methylation; however, until recently, little was known about the role of histone H3K27 demethylases. Here, we review the role of Jumonji C-domain proteins from the plant development perspective. We will recall the history of histone lysine demethylation and explore the recent advances on the H3K27 demethylases in plant biology. Conserved and novel genomic functions of these epigenetic regulators will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Crevillén
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) - Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), Spain
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Stange M, Barrett RDH, Hendry AP. The importance of genomic variation for biodiversity, ecosystems and people. Nat Rev Genet 2020; 22:89-105. [PMID: 33067582 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-00288-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The 2019 United Nations Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services estimated that approximately 1 million species are at risk of extinction. This primarily human-driven loss of biodiversity has unprecedented negative consequences for ecosystems and people. Classic and emerging approaches in genetics and genomics have the potential to dramatically improve these outcomes. In particular, the study of interactions among genetic loci within and between species will play a critical role in understanding the adaptive potential of species and communities, and hence their direct and indirect effects on biodiversity, ecosystems and people. We explore these population and community genomic contexts in the hope of finding solutions for maintaining and improving ecosystem services and nature's contributions to people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madlen Stange
- Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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75
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Abstract
The importance of tree genetic variability in the ability of forests to respond and adapt to environmental changes is crucial in forest management and conservation. Along with genetics, recent advances have highlighted “epigenetics” as an emerging and promising field of research for the understanding of tree phenotypic plasticity and adaptive responses. In this paper, we review recent advances in this emerging field and their potential applications for tree researchers and breeders, as well as for forest managers. First, we present the basics of epigenetics in plants before discussing its potential for trees. We then propose a bibliometric and overview of the literature on epigenetics in trees, including recent advances on tree priming. Lastly, we outline the promises of epigenetics for forest research and management, along with current gaps and future challenges. Research in epigenetics could use highly diverse paths to help forests adapt to global change by eliciting different innovative silvicultural approaches for natural- and artificial-based forest management.
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76
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Stable unmethylated DNA demarcates expressed genes and their cis-regulatory space in plant genomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:23991-24000. [PMID: 32879011 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2010250117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomic sequences of crops continue to be produced at a frenetic pace. It remains challenging to develop complete annotations of functional genes and regulatory elements in these genomes. Chromatin accessibility assays enable discovery of functional elements; however, to uncover the full portfolio of cis-elements would require profiling of many combinations of cell types, tissues, developmental stages, and environments. Here, we explore the potential to use DNA methylation profiles to develop more complete annotations. Using leaf tissue in maize, we define ∼100,000 unmethylated regions (UMRs) that account for 5.8% of the genome; 33,375 UMRs are found greater than 2 kb from genes. UMRs are highly stable in multiple vegetative tissues, and they capture the vast majority of accessible chromatin regions from leaf tissue. However, many UMRs are not accessible in leaf, and these represent regions with potential to become accessible in specific cell types or developmental stages. These UMRs often occur near genes that are expressed in other tissues and are enriched for binding sites of transcription factors. The leaf-inaccessible UMRs exhibit unique chromatin modification patterns and are enriched for chromatin interactions with nearby genes. The total UMR space in four additional monocots ranges from 80 to 120 megabases, which is remarkably similar considering the range in genome size of 271 megabases to 4.8 gigabases. In summary, based on the profile from a single tissue, DNA methylation signatures provide powerful filters to distill large genomes down to the small fraction of putative functional genes and regulatory elements.
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77
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Varotto S, Tani E, Abraham E, Krugman T, Kapazoglou A, Melzer R, Radanović A, Miladinović D. Epigenetics: possible applications in climate-smart crop breeding. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:5223-5236. [PMID: 32279074 PMCID: PMC7475248 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
To better adapt transiently or lastingly to stimuli from the surrounding environment, the chromatin states in plant cells vary to allow the cells to fine-tune their transcriptional profiles. Modifications of chromatin states involve a wide range of post-transcriptional histone modifications, histone variants, DNA methylation, and activity of non-coding RNAs, which can epigenetically determine specific transcriptional outputs. Recent advances in the area of '-omics' of major crops have facilitated identification of epigenetic marks and their effect on plant response to environmental stresses. As most epigenetic mechanisms are known from studies in model plants, we summarize in this review recent epigenetic studies that may be important for improvement of crop adaptation and resilience to environmental changes, ultimately leading to the generation of stable climate-smart crops. This has paved the way for exploitation of epigenetic variation in crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Varotto
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and the Environment, University of Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell’Università, Padova, Italy
| | - Eleni Tani
- Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Abraham
- Laboratory of Range Science, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Tamar Krugman
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Aliki Kapazoglou
- Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture (IOSV), Department of Vitis, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter (HAO-Demeter), Lykovrysi, Greece
| | - Rainer Melzer
- School of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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78
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Nikhil KL, Korge S, Kramer A. Heritable gene expression variability and stochasticity govern clonal heterogeneity in circadian period. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000792. [PMID: 32745129 PMCID: PMC7425987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A ubiquitous feature of the circadian clock across life forms is its organization as a network of cellular oscillators, with individual cellular oscillators within the network often exhibiting considerable heterogeneity in their intrinsic periods. The interaction of coupling and heterogeneity in circadian clock networks is hypothesized to influence clock’s entrainability, but our knowledge of mechanisms governing period heterogeneity within circadian clock networks remains largely elusive. In this study, we aimed to explore the principles that underlie intercellular period variation in circadian clock networks (clonal period heterogeneity). To this end, we employed a laboratory selection approach and derived a panel of 25 clonal cell populations exhibiting circadian periods ranging from 22 to 28 h. We report that a single parent clone can produce progeny clones with a wide distribution of circadian periods, and this heterogeneity, in addition to being stochastically driven, has a heritable component. By quantifying the expression of 20 circadian clock and clock-associated genes across our clone panel, we found that inheritance of expression patterns in at least three clock genes might govern clonal period heterogeneity in circadian clock networks. Furthermore, we provide evidence suggesting that heritable epigenetic variation in gene expression regulation might underlie period heterogeneity. How do genetically identical cells exhibit a different circadian phenotype? This study reveals that a single parent clone can produce progeny with a wide distribution of circadian periods and that this heterogeneity, in addition to being stochastically driven, has a heritable component, likely via heritable epigenetic variation in gene expression regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. L. Nikhil
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory of Chronobiology, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Korge
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory of Chronobiology, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Achim Kramer
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory of Chronobiology, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
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79
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Rambani A, Pantalone V, Yang S, Rice JH, Song Q, Mazarei M, Arelli PR, Meksem K, Stewart CN, Hewezi T. Identification of introduced and stably inherited DNA methylation variants in soybean associated with soybean cyst nematode parasitism. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:168-184. [PMID: 32112408 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a widespread epigenetic mark that contributes to transcriptome reprogramming during plant-pathogen interactions. However, the distinct role of DNA methylation in establishing resistant and susceptible responses remains largely unexplored. Here, we developed and used a pair of near-isogenic lines (NILs) to characterize DNA methylome landscapes of soybean roots during the susceptible and resistant interactions with soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines). We also compared the methylomes of the NILs and their parents to identify introduced and stably inherited methylation variants. The genomes of the NILs were substantially differentially methylated under uninfected conditions. This difference was associated with differential gene expression that may prime the NIL responses to SCN infection. In response to SCN infection, the susceptible line exhibited reduced global methylation levels in both protein-coding genes and transposable elements, whereas the resistant line showed the opposite response, increased global methylation levels. Heritable and novel nonparental differentially methylated regions overlapping with genes associated with soybean response to SCN infection were identified and validated using transgenic hairy root system. Our analyses indicate that DNA methylation patterns associated with the susceptible and resistant interactions are highly specific and that novel and stably inherited methylation variants are of biological significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Rambani
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Vince Pantalone
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Songnan Yang
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - J Hollis Rice
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Qijian Song
- Soybean Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Mitra Mazarei
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | | | - Khalid Meksem
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Agricultural Systems, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA
| | - C Neal Stewart
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Tarek Hewezi
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
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80
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Martins AA, da Silva MF, Pinto LR. Epigenetic diversity of Saccharum spp. accessions assessed by methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP). 3 Biotech 2020; 10:265. [PMID: 32509498 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02257-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The epigenetic diversity of six genotype groups (commercial cultivars, S. officinarum, S. spontaneum, S. robustum, S. barberi, and Erianthus sp.) was assessed through methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP). A total of 1341 MSAP loci were analyzed, of which 1117 (83.29%) were susceptible to cytosine methylation and responsible for a higher proportion of overall diversity among genotypes. The MSAP selective primer combinations captured different proportions of internal and external cytosine methylation loci across genotype groups, while the average external cytosine frequency was higher for all genotype groups. The genotypes were divided into two subpopulations with a high differentiation index (φst = 0.086) based on epigenetic loci. The genotypes were clustered in three subgroups for both methylated and unmethylated loci, considering dissimilarity values. Four methylated fragments (MFs) were randomly selected and subsequently sequenced and compared with sugarcane public databases using BLASTN. MF alignments suggest that cytosine methylation occurs in sugarcane near CpG islands and tandem repeats within transcribed regions and putative cis-regulatory sequences, which assigned functions are associated with stress adaptation. These results provide the first insights about the distribution of this epigenetic mark in sugarcane genome, and suggest a biological relevance of methylated loci.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcel F da Silva
- Instituto Agronômico, Centro de Cana, CP 206, Ribeirão Preto, SP CEP 14001‑970 Brazil
| | - Luciana Rossini Pinto
- Instituto Agronômico, Centro de Cana, CP 206, Ribeirão Preto, SP CEP 14001‑970 Brazil
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81
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Eichten SR, Srivastava A, Reddiex AJ, Ganguly DR, Heussler A, Streich JC, Wilson PB, Borevitz JO. Extending the Genotype in Brachypodium by Including DNA Methylation Reveals a Joint Contribution with Genetics on Adaptive Traits. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:1629-1637. [PMID: 32132166 PMCID: PMC7202021 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Epigenomic changes have been considered a potential missing link underlying phenotypic variation in quantitative traits but is potentially confounded with the underlying DNA sequence variation. Although the concept of epigenetic inheritance has been discussed in depth, there have been few studies attempting to directly dissect the amount of epigenomic variation within inbred natural populations while also accounting for genetic diversity. By using known genetic relationships between Brachypodium lines, multiple sets of nearly identical accession families were selected for phenotypic studies and DNA methylome profiling to investigate the dual role of (epi)genetics under simulated natural seasonal climate conditions. Despite reduced genetic diversity, appreciable phenotypic variation was still observable in the measured traits (height, leaf width and length, tiller count, flowering time, ear count) between as well as within the inbred accessions. However, with reduced genetic diversity there was diminished variation in DNA methylation within families. Mixed-effects linear modeling revealed large genetic differences between families and a minor contribution of DNA methylation variation on phenotypic variation in select traits. Taken together, this analysis suggests a limited but significant contribution of DNA methylation toward heritable phenotypic variation relative to genetic differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R Eichten
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Akanksha Srivastava
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Adam J Reddiex
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Diep R Ganguly
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Alison Heussler
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Jared C Streich
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Pip B Wilson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Justin O Borevitz
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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82
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Kong L, Liu Y, Wang X, Chang C. Insight into the Role of Epigenetic Processes in Abiotic and Biotic Stress Response in Wheat and Barley. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041480. [PMID: 32098241 PMCID: PMC7073019 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental stresses such as salinity, drought, heat, freezing, heavy metal and even pathogen infections seriously threaten the growth and yield of important cereal crops including wheat and barley. There is growing evidence indicating that plants employ sophisticated epigenetic mechanisms to fine-tune their responses to environmental stresses. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in understanding the epigenetic processes and elements—such as DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs—involved in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses in wheat and barley. Potentials of exploiting epigenetic variation for the improvement of wheat and barley are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyao Kong
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; (L.K.); (Y.L.); (X.W.)
| | - Yanna Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; (L.K.); (Y.L.); (X.W.)
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; (L.K.); (Y.L.); (X.W.)
| | - Cheng Chang
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; (L.K.); (Y.L.); (X.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-532-85953227
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83
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Gardiner LJ. Understanding DNA Methylation Patterns in Wheat. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2093:33-46. [PMID: 32088887 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0179-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The bread wheat genome is large (17 Gb), allohexaploid, and highly repetitive (80-90% of the genome), which makes genomic and epigenomic analyses expensive to conduct and a challenge to analyze. Here we provide an overview of recent bioinformatic and experimental methods that have been developed to understand DNA methylation patterns in the complex polyploid genome of wheat.
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84
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Hu L, Li N, Zhang Z, Meng X, Dong Q, Xu C, Gong L, Liu B. CG hypomethylation leads to complex changes in DNA methylation and transpositional burst of diverse transposable elements in callus cultures of rice. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 101:188-203. [PMID: 31529551 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
CG methylation (m CG) is essential for preserving genome stability in mammals, but this link remains obscure in plants. OsMET1-2, a major rice DNA methyltransferase, plays critical roles in maintaining m CG in rice. Null mutation of OsMET1-2 causes massive CG hypomethylation, rendering the mutant suitable to address the role of m CG in maintaining genome integrity in plants. Here, we analyzed m CG dynamics and genome stability in tissue cultures of OsMET1-2 homozygous (-/-) and heterozygous (+/-) mutants, and isogenic wild-type (WT). We found m CG levels in cultures of -/- were substantially lower than in those of WT and +/-, as expected. Unexpectedly, m CG levels in 1- and 3-year cultures of -/- were 77.6% and 48.7% higher, respectively, than in shoot, from which the cultures were initiated, suggesting substantial regain of m CG in -/- cultures, which contrasts to the general trend of m CG loss in all WT plant tissue cultures hitherto studied. Transpositional burst of diverse transposable elements (TEs) occurred only in -/- cultures, although no elevation of genome-wide mutation rate in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms was detected. Altogether, our results establish an essential role of m CG in retaining TE immobility and hence genome stability in rice and likely in plants in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanjuan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
- College of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Ning Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xinchao Meng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Qianli Dong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Chunming Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Lei Gong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Bao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
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85
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Xu J, Chen G, Hermanson PJ, Xu Q, Sun C, Chen W, Kan Q, Li M, Crisp PA, Yan J, Li L, Springer NM, Li Q. Population-level analysis reveals the widespread occurrence and phenotypic consequence of DNA methylation variation not tagged by genetic variation in maize. Genome Biol 2019; 20:243. [PMID: 31744513 PMCID: PMC6862797 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-019-1859-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation can provide a source of heritable information that is sometimes entirely uncoupled from genetic variation. However, the extent of this uncoupling and the roles of DNA methylation in shaping diversity of both gene expression and phenotypes are hotly debated. Here, we investigate the genetic basis and biological functions of DNA methylation at a population scale in maize. RESULTS We perform targeted DNA methylation profiling for a diverse panel of 263 maize inbred genotypes. All genotypes show similar levels of DNA methylation globally, highlighting the importance of DNA methylation in maize development. Nevertheless, we identify more than 16,000 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that are distributed across the 10 maize chromosomes. Genome-wide association analysis with high-density genetic markers reveals that over 60% of the DMRs are not tagged by SNPs, suggesting the presence of unique information in DMRs. Strong associations between DMRs and the expression of many genes are identified in both the leaf and kernel tissues, pointing to the biological significance of methylation variation. Association analysis with 986 metabolic traits suggests that DNA methylation is associated with phenotypic variation of 156 traits. There are some traits that only show significant associations with DMRs and not with SNPs. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that DNA methylation can provide unique information to explain phenotypic variation in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Guo Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
- Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091 China
| | - Peter J. Hermanson
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Qiang Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Changshuo Sun
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Wenqing Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Qiuxin Kan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Minqi Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Peter A. Crisp
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Lin Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Nathan M. Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Qing Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
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86
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Lorts C, Lynch JP, Brown KM. Parental effects and provisioning under drought and low phosphorus stress in common bean. Food Energy Secur 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/fes3.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Lorts
- Department of Plant Science The Pennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
| | - Jonathan P. Lynch
- Department of Plant Science The Pennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
| | - Kathleen M. Brown
- Department of Plant Science The Pennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
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87
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Tirnaz S, Batley J. Epigenetics: Potentials and Challenges in Crop Breeding. MOLECULAR PLANT 2019; 12:1309-1311. [PMID: 31541738 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2019.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Soodeh Tirnaz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Jacqueline Batley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
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88
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Latutrie M, Gourcilleau D, Pujol B. Epigenetic variation for agronomic improvement: an opportunity for vegetatively propagated crops. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:1281-1284. [PMID: 31505022 PMCID: PMC6856848 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Latutrie
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRSUSR 3278 CRIOBEUniversité de Perpignan52 Avenue Paul Alduy66860Perpignan CedexFrance
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB, UMR 5174)Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi‐Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS.118 route de Narbonne, Bat 4R131062Toulouse cedex 9France
| | - Delphine Gourcilleau
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB, UMR 5174)Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi‐Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS.118 route de Narbonne, Bat 4R131062Toulouse cedex 9France
| | - Benoit Pujol
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRSUSR 3278 CRIOBEUniversité de Perpignan52 Avenue Paul Alduy66860Perpignan CedexFrance
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB, UMR 5174)Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi‐Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS.118 route de Narbonne, Bat 4R131062Toulouse cedex 9France
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Noshay JM, Anderson SN, Zhou P, Ji L, Ricci W, Lu Z, Stitzer MC, Crisp PA, Hirsch CN, Zhang X, Schmitz RJ, Springer NM. Monitoring the interplay between transposable element families and DNA methylation in maize. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008291. [PMID: 31498837 PMCID: PMC6752859 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation and epigenetic silencing play important roles in the regulation of transposable elements (TEs) in many eukaryotic genomes. A majority of the maize genome is derived from TEs that can be classified into different orders and families based on their mechanism of transposition and sequence similarity, respectively. TEs themselves are highly methylated and it can be tempting to view them as a single uniform group. However, the analysis of DNA methylation profiles in flanking regions provides evidence for distinct groups of chromatin properties at different TE families. These differences among TE families are reproducible in different tissues and different inbred lines. TE families with varying levels of DNA methylation in flanking regions also show distinct patterns of chromatin accessibility and modifications within the TEs. The differences in the patterns of DNA methylation flanking TE families arise from a combination of non-random insertion preferences of TE families, changes in DNA methylation triggered by the insertion of the TE and subsequent selection pressure. A set of nearly 70,000 TE polymorphisms among four assembled maize genomes were used to monitor the level of DNA methylation at haplotypes with and without the TE insertions. In many cases, TE families with high levels of DNA methylation in flanking sequence are enriched for insertions into highly methylated regions. The majority of the >2,500 TE insertions into unmethylated regions result in changes in DNA methylation in haplotypes with the TE, suggesting the widespread potential for TE insertions to condition altered methylation in conserved regions of the genome. This study highlights the interplay between TEs and the methylome of a major crop species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M. Noshay
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul MN, United States of America
| | - Sarah N. Anderson
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul MN, United States of America
| | - Peng Zhou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul MN, United States of America
| | - Lexiang Ji
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens GA, United States of America
| | - William Ricci
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens GA, United States of America
| | - Zefu Lu
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens GA, United States of America
| | - Michelle C. Stitzer
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis CA, United States of America
| | - Peter A. Crisp
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul MN, United States of America
| | - Candice N. Hirsch
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul MN, United States of America
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens GA, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens GA, United States of America
| | - Nathan M. Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul MN, United States of America
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90
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Abstract
The idea that epigenetic determinants such as DNA methylation, histone modifications or RNA can be passed to the next generation through meiotic products (gametes) is long standing. Such meiotic epigenetic inheritance (MEI) is fairly common in yeast, plants and nematodes, but its extent in mammals has been much debated. Advances in genomics techniques are now driving the profiling of germline and zygotic epigenomes, thereby improving our understanding of MEI in diverse species. Whereas the role of DNA methylation in MEI remains unclear, insights from genome-wide studies suggest that a previously underappreciated fraction of mammalian genomes bypass epigenetic reprogramming during development. Notably, intergenerational inheritance of histone modifications, tRNA fragments and microRNAs can affect gene regulation in the offspring. It is important to note that MEI in mammals rarely constitutes transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI), which spans multiple generations. In this Review, we discuss the examples of MEI in mammals, including mammalian epigenome reprogramming, and the molecular mechanisms of MEI in vertebrates in general. We also discuss the implications of the inheritance of histone modifications and small RNA for embryogenesis in metazoans, with a particular focus on insights gained from genome-wide studies.
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91
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Fernie AR, Yan J. De Novo Domestication: An Alternative Route toward New Crops for the Future. MOLECULAR PLANT 2019; 12:615-631. [PMID: 30999078 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2019.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Current global agricultural production must feed over 7 billion people. However, productivity varies greatly across the globe and is under threat from both increased competitions for land and climate change and associated environmental deterioration. Moreover, the increase in human population size and dietary changes are putting an ever greater burden on agriculture. The majority of this burden is met by the cultivation of a very small number of species, largely in locations that differ from their origin of domestication. Recent technological advances have raised the possibility of de novo domestication of wild plants as a viable solution for designing ideal crops while maintaining food security and a more sustainable low-input agriculture. Here we discuss how the discovery of multiple key domestication genes alongside the development of technologies for accurate manipulation of several target genes simultaneously renders de novo domestication a route toward crops for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisdair R Fernie
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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92
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Wang J, Li X, Do Kim K, Scanlon MJ, Jackson SA, Springer NM, Yu J. Genome-wide nucleotide patterns and potential mechanisms of genome divergence following domestication in maize and soybean. Genome Biol 2019; 20:74. [PMID: 31018867 PMCID: PMC6482504 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-019-1683-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant domestication provides a unique model to study genome evolution. Many studies have been conducted to examine genes, genetic diversity, genome structure, and epigenome changes associated with domestication. Interestingly, domesticated accessions have significantly higher [A] and [T] values across genome-wide polymorphic sites than accessions sampled from the corresponding progenitor species. However, the relative contributions of different genomic regions to this genome divergence pattern and underlying mechanisms have not been well characterized. RESULTS Here, we investigate the genome-wide base-composition patterns by analyzing millions of SNPs segregating among 100 accessions from a teosinte-maize comparison set and among 302 accessions from a wild-domesticated soybean comparison set. We show that non-genic part of the genome has a greater contribution than genic SNPs to the [AT]-increase observed between wild and domesticated accessions in maize and soybean. The separation between wild and domesticated accessions in [AT] values is significantly enlarged in non-genic and pericentromeric regions. Motif frequency and sequence context analyses show the motifs (PyCG) related to solar-UV signature are enriched in these regions, particularly when they are methylated. Additional analysis using population-private SNPs also implicates the role of these motifs in relatively recent mutations. With base-composition across polymorphic sites as a genome phenotype, genome scans identify a set of putative candidate genes involved in UV damage repair pathways. CONCLUSIONS The [AT]-increase is more pronounced in genomic regions that are non-genic, pericentromeric, transposable elements; methylated; and with low recombination. Our findings establish important links among UV radiation, mutation, DNA repair, methylation, and genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Wang
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Xianran Li
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Kyung Do Kim
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Michael J. Scanlon
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Scott A. Jackson
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Nathan M. Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Jianming Yu
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
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93
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Maury S, Sow MD, Le Gac AL, Genitoni J, Lafon-Placette C, Mozgova I. Phytohormone and Chromatin Crosstalk: The Missing Link For Developmental Plasticity? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:395. [PMID: 31024580 PMCID: PMC6459951 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Maury
- LBLGC, INRA, Université d'Orléans, EA1207 USC 1328, Orléans, France
| | - Mamadou Dia Sow
- LBLGC, INRA, Université d'Orléans, EA1207 USC 1328, Orléans, France
| | - Anne-Laure Le Gac
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signaling Studies, Institute for Biology III, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julien Genitoni
- LBLGC, INRA, Université d'Orléans, EA1207 USC 1328, Orléans, France
- ESE, Ecology and Ecosystem Health, Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, Rennes, France
| | | | - Iva Mozgova
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Trebon, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
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94
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Cerruti E, Comino C, Acquadro A, Marconi G, Repetto AM, Pisanu AB, Pilia R, Albertini E, Portis E. Analysis of DNA Methylation Patterns Associated with In Vitro Propagated Globe Artichoke Plants Using an EpiRADseq-Based Approach. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E263. [PMID: 30939865 PMCID: PMC6523903 DOI: 10.3390/genes10040263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Globe artichoke represents one of the main horticultural species of the Mediterranean basin, and 'Spinoso sardo' is the most widespread and economically relevant varietal type in Sardinia, Italy. In the last decades, in vitro culture of meristematic apices has increased the frequency of aberrant plants in open-field production. These off-type phenotypes showed highly pinnate-parted leaves and late inflorescence budding, and emerged from some branches of the true-to-type 'Spinoso sardo' plants. This phenomenon cannot be foreseen and is reversible through generations, suggesting the occurrence of epigenetic alterations. Here, we report an exploratory study on DNA methylation patterns in off-type/true-to-type globe artichoke plants, using a modified EpiRADseq technology, which allowed the identification of 2,897 differentially methylated loci (DML): 1,998 in CG, 458 in CHH, and 441 in CHG methylation contexts of which 720, 88, and 152, respectively, were in coding regions. Most of them appeared involved in primary metabolic processes, mostly linked to photosynthesis, regulation of flower development, and regulation of reproductive processes, coherently with the observed phenotype. Differences in the methylation status of some candidate genes were integrated with transcriptional analysis to test whether these two regulation levels might interplay in the emergence and spread of the 'Spinoso sardo' non-conventional phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Cerruti
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Comino
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
| | - Alberto Acquadro
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
| | - Gianpiero Marconi
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
| | - Anna Maria Repetto
- Agris Sardegna-Agenzia Regionale per la Ricerca in Agricoltura-Servizio Ricerca sui Sistemi Colturali Erbacei, 09123 Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Anna Barbara Pisanu
- Agris Sardegna-Agenzia Regionale per la Ricerca in Agricoltura-Servizio Ricerca sui Sistemi Colturali Erbacei, 09123 Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Roberto Pilia
- Agris Sardegna-Agenzia Regionale per la Ricerca in Agricoltura-Servizio Ricerca sui Sistemi Colturali Erbacei, 09123 Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Emidio Albertini
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
| | - Ezio Portis
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
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95
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Fukao T, Barrera-Figueroa BE, Juntawong P, Peña-Castro JM. Submergence and Waterlogging Stress in Plants: A Review Highlighting Research Opportunities and Understudied Aspects. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:340. [PMID: 30967888 PMCID: PMC6439527 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Soil flooding creates composite and complex stress in plants known as either submergence or waterlogging stress depending on the depth of the water table. In nature, these stresses are important factors dictating the species composition of the ecosystem. On agricultural land, they cause economic damage associated with long-term social consequences. The understanding of the plant molecular responses to these two stresses has benefited from research studying individual components of the stress, in particular low-oxygen stress. To a lesser extent, other associated stresses and plant responses have been incorporated into the molecular framework, such as ion and ROS signaling, pathogen susceptibility, and organ-specific expression and development. In this review, we aim to highlight known or suspected components of submergence/waterlogging stress that have not yet been thoroughly studied at the molecular level in this context, such as miRNA and retrotransposon expression, the influence of light/dark cycles, protein isoforms, root architecture, sugar sensing and signaling, post-stress molecular events, heavy-metal and salinity stress, and mRNA dynamics (splicing, sequestering, and ribosome loading). Finally, we explore biotechnological strategies that have applied this molecular knowledge to develop cultivars resistant to flooding or to offer alternative uses of flooding-prone soils, like bioethanol and biomass production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Fukao
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | | | - Piyada Juntawong
- Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University – Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Julián Mario Peña-Castro
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Vegetal, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad del Papaloapan, Tuxtepec, Mexico
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96
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Lv Z, Zhang W, Wu Y, Huang S, Zhou Y, Zhang A, Deng X, Xu C, Xu Z, Gong L, Liu B. Extensive allele-level remodeling of histone methylation modification in reciprocal F 1 hybrids of rice subspecies. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 97:571-586. [PMID: 30375057 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms play a major role in heterosis, partly as a result of the remodeling of epigenetic modifications in F1 hybrids. Based on chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-Seq) analyses, we show that at the allele level extensive histone methylation remodeling occurred for a subset of genomic loci in reciprocal F1 hybrids of Oryza sativa (rice) cultivars Nipponbare and 93-11, representing the two subspecies japonica and indica. Globally, the allele modification-altered loci in leaf or root of the reciprocal F1 hybrids involved ˜12-43% or more of the genomic regions carrying either of two typical histone methylation markers, H3K4me3 (>21 000 genomic regions) and H3K27me3 (>11 000 genomic regions). Nevertheless, at the total modification level, the majority (from ˜43 to >90%) of the modification-altered alleles lay within the range of parental additivity in the hybrids because of concerted alteration in opposite directions, consistent with an overall attenuation of allelic differences in the modifications. Importantly, of the genomic regions that did show non-additivity in total modification level by either marker in the two tissues of hybrids, >80% manifested transgressivity, which involved genes enriched in specific functional categories. Extensive allele-level alteration of H3K4me3 alone was positively correlated with genome-wide changes in allele-level gene expression, whereas at the total level, both H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 remodeling, although affecting just a small number of genes, contributes to the overall non-additive gene expression to variable extents, depending on tissue/marker combinations. Our results emphasize the importance of allele-level analysis in hybrids to assess the remodeling of epigenetic modifications and their relation to changes in gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenling Lv
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Wenjie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Shuangzhan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Yunxiao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Ai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Chunming Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Zhengyi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Lei Gong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Bao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
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97
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Norouzitallab P, Baruah K, Vanrompay D, Bossier P. Can epigenetics translate environmental cues into phenotypes? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 647:1281-1293. [PMID: 30180336 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms are constantly exposed to wide ranges of environmental cues. They react to these cues by undergoing a battery of phenotypic responses, such as by altering their physiological and behavioral traits, in order to adapt and survive in the changed environments. The adaptive response of a species induced by environmental cues is typically thought to be associated with its genetic diversity such that higher genetic diversity provides increased adaptive potential. This originates from the general consensus that phenotypic traits have a genetic basis and are subject to Darwinian natural selection and Mendelian inheritance. There is no doubt about the validity of these principles, supported by the successful introgression of specific traits during (selective) breeding. However, a range of recent studies provided fascinating evidences suggesting that environmental effects experienced by an organism during its lifetime can have marked influences on its phenotype, and additionally the organism can pass on the acquired phenotypes to its subsequent generations through non-genetic mechanisms (also termed as epigenetic mechanism) - a notion that dates back to Lamarck and has been controversial ever since. In this review, we describe how the epigenetics has reshaped our long perception about the inheritance/development of phenotypes within organisms, contrasting with the classical gene-based view of inheritance. We particularly highlighted recent developments in our understanding of inheritance of parental environmental induced phenotypic traits in multicellular organisms under different environmental conditions, and discuss how modifications of the epigenome contribute to the determination of the adult phenotype of future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Norouzitallab
- Laboratory for Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium; Laboratory of Aquaculture &Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
| | - Kartik Baruah
- Laboratory of Aquaculture &Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium; Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daisy Vanrompay
- Laboratory for Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Peter Bossier
- Laboratory of Aquaculture &Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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98
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Liu JH, Wang YZ, Chen L, He Y. Fluorescence Immunolocalization in Mitotic Chromosome Spreads from Maize Embryos. Bio Protoc 2019. [DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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99
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Mousavi‐Derazmahalleh M, Bayer PE, Hane JK, Valliyodan B, Nguyen HT, Nelson MN, Erskine W, Varshney RK, Papa R, Edwards D. Adapting legume crops to climate change using genomic approaches. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2019; 42:6-19. [PMID: 29603775 PMCID: PMC6334278 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Our agricultural system and hence food security is threatened by combination of events, such as increasing population, the impacts of climate change, and the need to a more sustainable development. Evolutionary adaptation may help some species to overcome environmental changes through new selection pressures driven by climate change. However, success of evolutionary adaptation is dependent on various factors, one of which is the extent of genetic variation available within species. Genomic approaches provide an exceptional opportunity to identify genetic variation that can be employed in crop improvement programs. In this review, we illustrate some of the routinely used genomics-based methods as well as recent breakthroughs, which facilitate assessment of genetic variation and discovery of adaptive genes in legumes. Although additional information is needed, the current utility of selection tools indicate a robust ability to utilize existing variation among legumes to address the challenges of climate uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Mousavi‐Derazmahalleh
- UWA School of Agriculture and EnvironmentThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWestern Australia6009Australia
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWestern Australia6009Australia
| | - Philipp E. Bayer
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWestern Australia6009Australia
| | - James K. Hane
- CCDM BioinformaticsCentre for Crop Disease Management, Curtin UniversityBentleyWestern Australia6102Australia
| | - Babu Valliyodan
- Division of Plant Sciences and National Center for Soybean BiotechnologyUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMO65211USA
| | - Henry T. Nguyen
- Division of Plant Sciences and National Center for Soybean BiotechnologyUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMO65211USA
| | - Matthew N. Nelson
- UWA School of Agriculture and EnvironmentThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWestern Australia6009Australia
- Natural Capital and Plant HealthRoyal Botanic Gardens Kew, Wakehurst PlaceArdinglyWest SussexRH17 6TNUK
- The UWA Institute of AgricultureThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayPerthWestern Australia6009Australia
| | - William Erskine
- UWA School of Agriculture and EnvironmentThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWestern Australia6009Australia
- Centre for Plant Genetics and BreedingThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWestern Australia6009Australia
- The UWA Institute of AgricultureThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayPerthWestern Australia6009Australia
| | - Rajeev K. Varshney
- UWA School of Agriculture and EnvironmentThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWestern Australia6009Australia
- The UWA Institute of AgricultureThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayPerthWestern Australia6009Australia
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)Patancheru502 324India
| | - Roberto Papa
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental SciencesUniversità Politecnica delle Marche60131AnconaItaly
| | - David Edwards
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWestern Australia6009Australia
- The UWA Institute of AgricultureThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayPerthWestern Australia6009Australia
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100
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Zaidem ML, Groen SC, Purugganan MD. Evolutionary and ecological functional genomics, from lab to the wild. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 97:40-55. [PMID: 30444573 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant phenotypes are the result of both genetic and environmental forces that act to modulate trait expression. Over the last few years, numerous approaches in functional genomics and systems biology have led to a greater understanding of plant phenotypic variation and plant responses to the environment. These approaches, and the questions that they can address, have been loosely termed evolutionary and ecological functional genomics (EEFG), and have been providing key insights on how plants adapt and evolve. In particular, by bringing these studies from the laboratory to the field, EEFG studies allow us to gain greater knowledge of how plants function in their natural contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricris L Zaidem
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Simon C Groen
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Michael D Purugganan
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, NYU Abu Dhabi Research Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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