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Chen S, Han J, Wu S, Guo S, Tang Y, Zheng Y, Hu L, Zhang X, Zhang P, Zhang H, Ren G, Gao S. From non-coding RNAs to histone modification: The epigenetic mechanisms in tomato fruit ripening and quality regulation. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 215:109070. [PMID: 39191041 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.109070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Ripening is one of the most important stages of fruit development and determines the fruit quality. Various factors play a role in this process, with epigenetic mechanisms emerging as important players. Epigenetic regulation encompasses DNA methylation, histone modifications and variants, chromatin remodeling, RNA modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Over the past decade, studies using tomato as a model have made considerable progress in understanding the impact of epigenetic regulation on fleshy fruit ripening and quality. In this paper, we provide an overview of recent advancements in the epigenetic regulation of tomato fruit ripening and quality regulation, focusing on three main mechanisms: DNA/RNA modifications, non-coding RNAs, and histone modifications. Furthermore, we highlight the unresolved issues and challenges within this research field, offering perspectives for future investigations to drive agricultural innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vege-table, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticultural Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Jiazhen Han
- The Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vege-table, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticultural Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Shu Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vege-table, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticultural Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Shangjing Guo
- Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Yufei Tang
- The Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vege-table, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticultural Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Yujing Zheng
- The Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vege-table, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticultural Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Lei Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vege-table, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticultural Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Xingxing Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vege-table, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticultural Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, China
| | | | - Guodong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Shuai Gao
- The Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vege-table, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticultural Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
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Kumar S, Singh A, Bist CMS, Sharma M. Advancements in genetic techniques and functional genomics for enhancing crop traits and agricultural sustainability. Brief Funct Genomics 2024; 23:607-623. [PMID: 38679487 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elae017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic variability is essential for the development of new crop varieties with economically beneficial traits. The traits can be inherited from wild relatives or induced through mutagenesis. Novel genetic elements can then be identified and new gene functions can be predicted. In this study, forward and reverse genetics approaches were described, in addition to their applications in modern crop improvement programs and functional genomics. By using heritable phenotypes and linked genetic markers, forward genetics searches for genes by using traditional genetic mapping and allele frequency estimation. Despite recent advances in sequencing technology, omics and computation, genetic redundancy remains a major challenge in forward genetics. By analyzing close-related genes, we will be able to dissect their functional redundancy and predict possible traits and gene activity patterns. In addition to these predictions, sophisticated reverse gene editing tools can be used to verify them, including TILLING, targeted insertional mutagenesis, gene silencing, gene targeting and genome editing. By using gene knock-down, knock-up and knock-out strategies, these tools are able to detect genetic changes in cells. In addition, epigenome analysis and editing enable the development of novel traits in existing crop cultivars without affecting their genetic makeup by increasing epiallelic variants. Our understanding of gene functions and molecular dynamics of various biological phenomena has been revised by all of these findings. The study also identifies novel genetic targets in crop species to improve yields and stress tolerances through conventional and non-conventional methods. In this article, genetic techniques and functional genomics are specifically discussed and assessed for their potential in crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surender Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Horticulture, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173230, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Anupama Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Horticulture, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173230, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Chander Mohan Singh Bist
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla-171001, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Munish Sharma
- Department of Plant Sciences, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala-176215, Himachal Pradesh, India
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Zhu K, Liu J, Lyu A, Luo T, Chen X, Peng L, Hu L. Analysis of the Mechanism of Wood Vinegar and Butyrolactone Promoting Rapeseed Growth and Improving Low-Temperature Stress Resistance Based on Transcriptome and Metabolomics. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9757. [PMID: 39273704 PMCID: PMC11395900 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapeseed is an important oil crop in the world. Wood vinegar could increase the yield and abiotic resistance of rapeseed. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of wood vinegar or its valid chemical components on rapeseed. In the present study, wood vinegar and butyrolactone (γ-Butyrolactone, one of the main components of wood vinegar) were applied to rapeseed at the seedling stage, and the molecular mechanisms of wood vinegar that affect rapeseed were studied by combining transcriptome and metabolomic analyses. The results show that applying wood vinegar and butyrolactone increases the biomass of rapeseed by increasing the leaf area and the number of pods per plant, and enhances the tolerance of rapeseed under low temperature by reducing membrane lipid oxidation and improving the content of chlorophyll, proline, soluble sugar, and antioxidant enzymes. Compared to the control, 681 and 700 differentially expressed genes were in the transcriptional group treated with wood vinegar and butyrolactone, respectively, and 76 and 90 differentially expressed metabolites were in the metabolic group. The combination of transcriptome and metabolomic analyses revealed the key gene-metabolic networks related to various pathways. Our research shows that after wood vinegar and butyrolactone treatment, the amino acid biosynthesis pathway of rapeseed may be involved in mediating the increase in rapeseed biomass, the proline metabolism pathway of wood vinegar treatment may be involved in mediating rapeseed's resistance to low-temperature stress, and the sphingolipid metabolism pathway of butyrolactone treatment may be involved in mediating rapeseed's resistance to low-temperature stress. It is suggested that the use of wood vinegar or butyrolactone are new approaches to increasing rapeseed yield and low-temperature resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunmiao Zhu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ang Lyu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Lijun Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Liyong Hu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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4
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Song S, Li H, Lin S, Dong X, Tian R, Wu Z, Li Q, Li M, Zhang K, Liu X, Wan J, Liu L. Heterologous Expression of Sunflower HaHPT and HaTMT Genes Enhances Rice-Grain Vitamin E Content. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2392. [PMID: 39273875 PMCID: PMC11397534 DOI: 10.3390/plants13172392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Insufficient dietary vitamin intake can lead to severe health conditions in humans. Improving the vitamin E (VE) content of food crops such as rice through breeding is an economical and effective means to alleviate this problem. In this study, Homogentisate phytyltransferase (HPT) and γ-tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT), two genes derived from sunflower (Helianthus annuus L., a high VE species), were introduced into an elite rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar "Ningjing 7" for biofortification. We verified the successful expression of the two genes in multiple transformation events. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed that transgenic plants expressing either HaHPT alone or HaHPT and HaTMT accumulate more VE compared with the wild type. We also revealed that the level of α-tocopherol, the form of VE with the highest biological activity, had increased to 2.33 times in transgenic HaTMT plants compared with the wild type. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression levels of some chlorophyll synthesis pathway genes related to VE precursor synthesis significantly increased during grain filling in transgenic rice grains. No difference in agronomic traits was observed between the transgenic plants and their wild type except for a slightly reduced plant height associated with the transgenic plants. These data demonstrate that the heterologous expression of HaHPT gene is effective in increasing the total VE content, while HaTMT plays an important role in the relative abundance of α-tocopherol in rice grains. This study demonstrates a promising strategy for breeding rice with elevated VE content via metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Song
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Hang Li
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Shaoyan Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaoou Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ruiping Tian
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zewan Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Mingyi Li
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Keying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xi Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jianmin Wan
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Linglong Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Jiangsu Nanjing National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Rice Germplasm, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Japonica Rice in Mid-Lower Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sanya Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing 210095, China
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5
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Yang Y, Liu J, Singer SD, Yan G, Bennet DR, Liu Y, Hily JM, Xu W, Yang Y, Wang X, Zhong GY, Liu Z, An YC, Liu H, Liu Z. Ectopic enhancer-enhancer interactions as causal forces driving RNA-directed DNA methylation in gene regulatory regions. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024. [PMID: 39021281 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) are integral to the spatiotemporal and quantitative expression dynamics of target genes, thus directly influencing phenotypic variation and evolution. However, many of these CREs become highly susceptible to transcriptional silencing when in a transgenic state, particularly when organised as tandem repeats. We investigated the mechanism of this phenomenon and found that three of the six selected flower-specific CREs were prone to transcriptional silencing when in a transgenic context. We determined that this silencing was caused by the ectopic expression of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which were processed into 24-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that drove RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Detailed analyses revealed that aberrant ncRNA transcription within the AGAMOUS enhancer (AGe) in a transgenic context was significantly enhanced by an adjacent CaMV35S enhancer (35Se). This particular enhancer is known to mis-activate the regulatory activities of various CREs, including the AGe. Furthermore, an insertion of 35Se approximately 3.5 kb upstream of the AGe in its genomic locus also resulted in the ectopic induction of ncRNA/siRNA production and de novo methylation specifically in the AGe, but not other regions, as well as the production of mutant flowers. This confirmed that interactions between the 35Se and AGe can induce RdDM activity in both genomic and transgenic states. These findings highlight a novel epigenetic role for CRE-CRE interactions in plants, shedding light on the underlying forces driving hypermethylation in transgenes, duplicate genes/enhancers, and repetitive transposons, in which interactions between CREs are inevitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhou Yang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Jia Liu
- College of Landscape, Architecture and Life science/Institute of Special Plants, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Yongchuan, Chongqing, China
| | - Stacy D Singer
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Guohua Yan
- The Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dennis R Bennet
- USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, West Virginia, USA
| | - Yue Liu
- College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jean-Michel Hily
- Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin (IFV), Le Grau du Roi, France
| | - Weirong Xu
- School of Food & Wine, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yingzhen Yang
- USDA-ARS, Grape Genetic Research Unit, Geneva, New York, USA
| | - Xiping Wang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Gan-Yuan Zhong
- USDA-ARS, Grape Genetic Research Unit, Geneva, New York, USA
| | - Zhongchi Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Yong-Chiang An
- USDA-ARS, Plant Genetics Research Unit, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Huawei Liu
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Zongrang Liu
- USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, West Virginia, USA
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6
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Chernomas G, Griswold CK. Deleterious mutation/epimutation-selection balance with and without inbreeding: a population (epi)genetics model. Genetics 2024; 227:iyae080. [PMID: 38733620 PMCID: PMC11228854 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae080] [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] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics in the form of DNA methylation and other processes is an established property of genotypes and a focus of empirical research. Yet, there remain fundamental gaps in the evolutionary theory of epigenetics. To support a comprehensive understanding of epigenetics, this paper investigates theoretically the combined effects of deleterious mutation and epimutation with and without inbreeding. Both spontaneous epimutation and paramutation are considered to cover a broader range of epigenetic phenomena. We find that inbreeding generally reduces the amount of segregating deleterious genetic and epigenetic variation at equilibrium, although interestingly inbreeding can also increase the amount of deleterious genetic or epigenetic variation. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that epimutation indirectly can cause increased or decreased deleterious genetic variation at equilibrium relative to classic expectations, which is particularly evident when paramutation is occurring. With the addition of deleterious epimutation, there may be significantly increased purging of deleterious variation in more inbred populations and a significantly increased amount of segregating deleterious variation in more outbred populations, with notable exceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Chernomas
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Cortland K Griswold
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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7
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Cao S, Sawettalake N, Li P, Fan S, Shen L. DNA methylation variations underlie lettuce domestication and divergence. Genome Biol 2024; 25:158. [PMID: 38886807 PMCID: PMC11184767 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03310-x] [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] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is an economically important vegetable crop worldwide. Lettuce is believed to be domesticated from a single wild ancestor Lactuca serriola and subsequently diverged into two major morphologically distinct vegetable types: leafy lettuce and stem lettuce. However, the role of epigenetic variation in lettuce domestication and divergence remains largely unknown. RESULTS To understand the genetic and epigenetic basis underlying lettuce domestication and divergence, we generate single-base resolution DNA methylomes from 52 Lactuca accessions, including major lettuce cultivars and wild relatives. We find a significant increase of DNA methylation during lettuce domestication and uncover abundant epigenetic variations associated with lettuce domestication and divergence. Interestingly, DNA methylation variations specifically associated with leafy and stem lettuce are related to regulation and metabolic processes, respectively, while those associated with both types are enriched in stress responses. Moreover, we reveal that domestication-induced DNA methylation changes could influence expression levels of nearby and distal genes possibly through affecting chromatin accessibility and chromatin loop. CONCLUSION Our study provides population epigenomic insights into crop domestication and divergence and valuable resources for further domestication for diversity and epigenetic breeding to boost crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Cao
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Nunchanoke Sawettalake
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Ping Li
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Sheng Fan
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore
| | - Lisha Shen
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
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8
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Daware A, Mohanty JK, Narnoliya L, Singh A, Rathore D, Thakro V, Francis A, Singh NP, Francis P, Tripathi S, Chattopadhyay D, Parida SK. Uncovering DNA methylation landscapes to decipher evolutionary footprints of phenotypic diversity in chickpea. DNA Res 2024; 31:dsae013. [PMID: 38702947 PMCID: PMC11149376 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsae013] [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] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic diversity and environmental factors are long believed to be the dominant contributors to phenotypic diversity in crop plants. However, it has been recently established that, besides genetic variation, epigenetic variation, especially variation in DNA methylation, plays a significant role in determining phenotypic diversity in crop plants. Therefore, assessing DNA methylation diversity in crop plants becomes vital, especially in the case of crops like chickpea, which has a narrow genetic base. Thus, in the present study, we employed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to assess DNA methylation diversity in wild and cultivated (desi and kabuli) chickpea. This revealed extensive DNA methylation diversity in both wild and cultivated chickpea. Interestingly, the methylation diversity was found to be significantly higher than genetic diversity, suggesting its potential role in providing vital phenotypic diversity for the evolution and domestication of the Cicer gene pool. The phylogeny based on DNA methylation variation also indicates a potential complementary role of DNA methylation variation in addition to DNA sequence variation in shaping chickpea evolution. Besides, the study also identified diverse epi-alleles of many previously known genes of agronomic importance. The Cicer MethVarMap database developed in this study enables researchers to readily visualize methylation variation within the genes and genomic regions of their interest (http://223.31.159.7/cicer/public/). Therefore, epigenetic variation like DNA methylation variation can potentially explain the paradox of high phenotypic diversity despite the narrow genetic base in chickpea and can potentially be employed for crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Daware
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Jitendra K Mohanty
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Laxmi Narnoliya
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Akansha Singh
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Deepanshi Rathore
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Virevol Thakro
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Aleena Francis
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Nagendra Pratap Singh
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Philip Francis
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Shailesh Tripathi
- Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur 208024, India
| | - Debasis Chattopadhyay
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Swarup K Parida
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
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9
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Cao S, Chen ZJ. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance during plant evolution and breeding. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024:S1360-1385(24)00112-2. [PMID: 38806375 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Plants can program and reprogram their genomes to create genetic variation and epigenetic modifications, leading to phenotypic plasticity. Although consequences of genetic changes are comprehensible, the basis for transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic variation is elusive. This review addresses contributions of external (environmental) and internal (genomic) factors to the establishment and maintenance of epigenetic memory during plant evolution, crop domestication, and modern breeding. Dynamic and pervasive changes in DNA methylation and chromatin modifications provide a diverse repertoire of epigenetic variation potentially for transgenerational inheritance. Elucidating and harnessing epigenetic inheritance will help us develop innovative breeding strategies and biotechnological tools to improve crop yield and resilience in the face of environmental challenges. Beyond plants, epigenetic principles are shared across sexually reproducing organisms including humans with relevance to medicine and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Cao
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Z Jeffrey Chen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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10
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de Oliveira IP, Schaaf C, de Setta N. Drought Responses in Poaceae: Exploring the Core Components of the ABA Signaling Pathway in Setaria italica and Setaria viridis. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1451. [PMID: 38891260 PMCID: PMC11174756 DOI: 10.3390/plants13111451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Drought severely impacts plant development and reproduction, reducing biomass and seed number, and altering flowering patterns. Drought-tolerant Setaria italica and Setaria viridis species have emerged as prominent model species for investigating water deficit responses in the Poaceae family, the most important source of food and biofuel biomass worldwide. In higher plants, abscisic acid (ABA) regulates environmental stress responses, and its signaling entails interactions between PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors and clade A PP2C phosphatases, which in turn modulate SnRK2 kinases via reversible phosphorylation to activate ABA-responsive genes. To compare the diversity of PYR/PYL/RCAR, PP2C, and SnRK2 between S. italica and S. viridis, and their involvement in water deficit responses, we examined gene and regulatory region structures, investigated orthology relationships, and analyzed their gene expression patterns under water stress via a meta-analysis approach. Results showed that coding and regulatory sequences of PYR/PYL/RCARs, PP2Cs, and SnRK2s are highly conserved between Setaria spp., allowing us to propose pairs of orthologous genes for all the loci identified. Phylogenetic relationships indicate which clades of Setaria spp. sequences are homologous to the functionally well-characterized Arabidopsis thaliana PYR/PYL/RCAR, PP2C, and SnRK2 genes. Gene expression analysis showed a general downregulation of PYL genes, contrasting with upregulation of PP2C genes, and variable expression modulation of SnRK2 genes under drought stress. This complex network implies that ABA core signaling is a diverse and multifaceted process. Through our analysis, we identified promising candidate genes for further functional characterization, with great potential as targets for drought resistance studies, ultimately leading to advances in Poaceae biology and crop-breeding strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nathalia de Setta
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, SP, Brazil; (I.P.d.O.); (C.S.)
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11
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Gravot A, Liégard B, Quadrana L, Veillet F, Aigu Y, Bargain T, Bénéjam J, Lariagon C, Lemoine J, Colot V, Manzanares-Dauleux MJ, Jubault M. Two adjacent NLR genes conferring quantitative resistance to clubroot disease in Arabidopsis are regulated by a stably inherited epiallelic variation. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 5:100824. [PMID: 38268192 PMCID: PMC11121752 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Clubroot caused by the protist Plasmodiophora brassicae is a major disease affecting cultivated Brassicaceae. Using a combination of quantitative trait locus (QTL) fine mapping, CRISPR-Cas9 validation, and extensive analyses of DNA sequence and methylation patterns, we revealed that the two adjacent neighboring NLR (nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat) genes AT5G47260 and AT5G47280 cooperate in controlling broad-spectrum quantitative partial resistance to the root pathogen P. brassicae in Arabidopsis and that they are epigenetically regulated. The variation in DNA methylation is not associated with any nucleotide variation or any transposable element presence/absence variants and is stably inherited. Variations in DNA methylation at the Pb-At5.2 QTL are widespread across Arabidopsis accessions and correlate negatively with variations in expression of the two genes. Our study demonstrates that natural, stable, and transgenerationally inherited epigenetic variations can play an important role in shaping resistance to plant pathogens by modulating the expression of immune receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Gravot
- IGEPP Institut Agro, INRAE, Université de Rennes, 35650 Le Rheu, France
| | - Benjamin Liégard
- IGEPP Institut Agro, INRAE, Université de Rennes, 35650 Le Rheu, France
| | - Leandro Quadrana
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Florian Veillet
- IGEPP INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Rennes, 29260 Ploudaniel, France
| | - Yoann Aigu
- IGEPP Institut Agro, INRAE, Université de Rennes, 35650 Le Rheu, France
| | - Tristan Bargain
- IGEPP Institut Agro, INRAE, Université de Rennes, 35650 Le Rheu, France
| | - Juliette Bénéjam
- IGEPP Institut Agro, INRAE, Université de Rennes, 35650 Le Rheu, France
| | | | - Jocelyne Lemoine
- IGEPP Institut Agro, INRAE, Université de Rennes, 35650 Le Rheu, France
| | - Vincent Colot
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Mélanie Jubault
- IGEPP Institut Agro, INRAE, Université de Rennes, 35650 Le Rheu, France.
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12
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Seem K, Kaur S, Kumar S, Mohapatra T. Epigenome editing for targeted DNA (de)methylation: a new perspective in modulating gene expression. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 59:69-98. [PMID: 38440883 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2024.2320659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Traditionally, it has been believed that inheritance is driven as phenotypic variations resulting from changes in DNA sequence. However, this paradigm has been challenged and redefined in the contemporary era of epigenetics. The changes in DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNA biogenesis, and chromatin remodeling play crucial roles in genomic functions and regulation of gene expression. More importantly, some of these changes are inherited to the next generations as a part of epigenetic memory and play significant roles in gene expression. The sum total of all changes in DNA bases, histone proteins, and ncRNA biogenesis constitutes the epigenome. Continuous progress in deciphering epigenetic regulations and the existence of heritable epigenetic/epiallelic variations associated with trait of interest enables to deploy epigenome editing tools to modulate gene expression. DNA methylation marks can be utilized in epigenome editing for the manipulation of gene expression. Initially, genome/epigenome editing technologies relied on zinc-finger protein or transcriptional activator-like effector protein. However, the discovery of clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats CRISPR)/deadCRISPR-associated protein 9 (dCas9) enabled epigenome editing to be more specific/efficient for targeted DNA (de)methylation. One of the major concerns has been the off-target effects, wherein epigenome editing may unintentionally modify gene/regulatory element which may cause unintended change/harmful effects. Moreover, epigenome editing of germline cell raises several ethical/safety issues. This review focuses on the recent developments in epigenome editing tools/techniques, technological limitations, and future perspectives of this emerging technology in therapeutics for human diseases as well as plant improvement to achieve sustainable developmental goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karishma Seem
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Simardeep Kaur
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Trilochan Mohapatra
- Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority, New Delhi, India
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13
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Nakashima K, Yuhazu M, Mikuriya S, Kasai M, Abe J, Taneda A, Kanazawa A. Frequency of cytosine methylation in the adjacent regions of soybean retrotransposon SORE-1 depends on chromosomal location. Genome 2024; 67:1-12. [PMID: 37746933 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2023-0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Mobilization of transposable elements (TEs) is suppressed by epigenetic mechanisms involving cytosine methylation. However, few studies have focused on clarifying relationships between epigenetic influences of TEs on the adjacent DNA regions and time after insertion of TEs into the genome and/or their chromosomal location. Here we addressed these issues using soybean retrotransposon SORE-1. We analyzed SORE-1, inserted in exon 1 of the GmphyA2 gene, one of the newest insertions in this family so far identified. Cytosine methylation was detected in this element but was barely present in the adjacent regions. These results were correlated, respectively, with the presence and absence of the production of short interfering RNAs. Cytosine methylation profiles of 74 SORE-1 elements in the Williams 82 reference genome indicated that methylation frequency in the adjacent regions of SORE-1 was profoundly higher in pericentromeric regions than in euchromatic chromosome arms and was only weakly correlated with the length of time after insertion into the genome. Notably, the higher level of methylation in the 5' adjacent regions of SORE-1 coincided with the presence of repetitive elements in pericentromeric regions. Together, these results suggest that epigenetic influence of SORE-1 on the adjacent regions is influenced by its location on the chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Nakashima
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
| | - Mashiro Yuhazu
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
| | - Shun Mikuriya
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
| | - Megumi Kasai
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
| | - Jun Abe
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
| | - Akito Taneda
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8561, Japan
| | - Akira Kanazawa
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
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14
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Shen S, Wang S, Yang C, Wang C, Zhou Q, Zhou S, Zhang R, Li Y, Wang Z, Dai L, Peng W, Hao Y, Guo H, Cao G, Liu X, Yao F, Xu Q, Fernie AR, Luo J. Elucidation of the melitidin biosynthesis pathway in pummelo. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:2505-2518. [PMID: 37675654 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Specialized plant metabolism is a rich resource of compounds for drug discovery. The acylated flavonoid glycoside melitidin is being developed as an anti-cholesterol statin drug candidate, but its biosynthetic route in plants has not yet been fully characterized. Here, we describe the gene discovery and functional characterization of a new flavonoid gene cluster (UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (CgUGTs), 1,2 rhamnosyltransferase (Cg1,2RhaT), acyltransferases (CgATs)) that is responsible for melitidin biosynthesis in pummelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck). Population variation analysis indicated that the tailoring of acyltransferases, specific for bitter substrates, mainly determine the natural abundance of melitidin. Moreover, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase enzyme inhibition assays showed that the product from this metabolic gene cluster, melitidin, may be an effective anti-cholesterol statin drug candidate. Co-expression of these clustered genes in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the formation of melitidin, demonstrating the potential for metabolic engineering of melitidin in a heterologous plant system. This study establishes a biosynthetic pathway for melitidin, which provides genetic resources for the breeding and genetic improvement of pummelo aimed at fortifying the content of biologically active metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangqian Shen
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Shouchuang Wang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Chenkun Yang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Qianqian Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Shen Zhou
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Ran Zhang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Yufei Li
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Zixuan Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Liupan Dai
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wenjv Peng
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yingchen Hao
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Guangping Cao
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Xianqing Liu
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Fan Yao
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qiang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, 14476, Germany
- Centre of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, Plovdiv, 4000, Bulgaria
| | - Jie Luo
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
- Yazhouwan National Laboratory, Sanya, 572025, China
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15
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Huang Q, Lu L, Xu Y, Tu M, Chen X, Jiang L. Genotypic variation of tocopherol content in a representative genetic population and genome-wide association study on tocopherol in rapeseed ( Brassica napus). MOLECULAR BREEDING : NEW STRATEGIES IN PLANT IMPROVEMENT 2023; 43:50. [PMID: 37313221 PMCID: PMC10248655 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-023-01394-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tocopherols (Tocs) are a kind of lipid-soluble substance required for the normal physiological function of mammals, particularly their antioxidant capacity. Rapeseed (Brassica napus) oil is an important source of exogenous Tocs. However, the genotypic differences in the total Toc contents, the Toc composition in the seeds, and the molecular markers associated with the seed Toc remain largely unknown. Here, we selected 290 rapeseed accessions based on the resequencing of 991 genomes in a worldwide collection of rapeseed germplasm. The contents of the four Toc isoforms, namely, α-, β-, γ-, and δ-Tocs, were also measured. Results show that the total Toc content and the γ-/α-Toc ratio varied greatly across the accessions from 85.34 to 387.00 mg/mg and 0.65 to 5.03, respectively. Furthermore, we conducted genome-wide association studies on the Tocs, which identified 28 and 73 single nucleotide polymorphisms significantly associated with the variation of total Toc content and γ-/α-Toc ratio, respectively. Bna.C02.VTE4, a putative orthologue of Arabidopsis VITAMIN E DEFICIENT 4, was tightly associated with the γ-/α-Toc ratio. This study recommends specific genetic materials with particularly high total Toc and/or low γ-/α-Toc ratio and the molecular markers and haplotypes associated with these quality traits for rapeseed breeding. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01394-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Huang
- Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Yu-Hang-Tang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058 China
| | - Lingzhi Lu
- Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Yu-Hang-Tang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058 China
| | - Ying Xu
- Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Yu-Hang-Tang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058 China
| | - Mengxin Tu
- Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Yu-Hang-Tang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058 China
| | - Xiaoyang Chen
- Institute of Crop Science, Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shuang-Long Street 828, Jinhua, 321017 China
| | - Lixi Jiang
- Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Yu-Hang-Tang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058 China
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16
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Gao G, Abubakar AS, Chen J, Chen P, Chen K, Yu C, Wang X, Qiu X, Huang X, Shao D, Wang Y, Chen Y, Zhu A. Comparative genome and metabolome analyses uncover the evolution and flavonoid biosynthesis between Apocynum venetum and Apocynum hendersonii. iScience 2023; 26:106772. [PMID: 37250304 PMCID: PMC10214733 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Apocynum species have great application prospects in textile and phytoremediation of saline soil, are rich in flavonoids, and possess medicinal significance. Here, we report the draft genomes of Apocynum venetum and Apocynum hendersonii, and elucidate their evolutionary relationship. The high synteny and collinearity between the two suggested that they have experienced the same WGD event. Comparative analysis revealed that flavone 3-hydroxylase (ApF3H) and differentially evolved flavonoid 3-O-glucosyl transferase (ApUFGT) genes are critical for determining natural variation in flavonoid biosynthesis between the species. Overexpression of ApF3H-1 enhanced the total flavonoid content and promoted the antioxidant capacity of transformed plants compared to the wild-type. ApUFGT5 and 6 explained the diversification of flavonoids or their derivatives. These data provide biochemical insight and knowledge on the genetic regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis, supporting the adoption of these genes in breeding programs aimed at the multipurpose utilization of the plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Gao
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Aminu Shehu Abubakar
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Agronomy, Bayero University Kano, PMB 3011, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Jikang Chen
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ping Chen
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kunmei Chen
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chunming Yu
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaojun Qiu
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyu Huang
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Deyi Shao
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue Wang
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu Chen
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
| | - Aiguo Zhu
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biological and Processing for Bast Fiber Crops, MARA, Changsha 410221, People’s Republic of China
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17
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Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi M, Hesami M, Rajcan I. Unveiling the Mysteries of Non-Mendelian Heredity in Plant Breeding. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1956. [PMID: 37653871 PMCID: PMC10221147 DOI: 10.3390/plants12101956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Mendelian heredity is the cornerstone of plant breeding and has been used to develop new varieties of plants since the 19th century. However, there are several breeding cases, such as cytoplasmic inheritance, methylation, epigenetics, hybrid vigor, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH), where Mendelian heredity is not applicable, known as non-Mendelian heredity. This type of inheritance can be influenced by several factors besides the genetic architecture of the plant and its breeding potential. Therefore, exploring various non-Mendelian heredity mechanisms, their prevalence in plants, and the implications for plant breeding is of paramount importance to accelerate the pace of crop improvement. In this review, we examine the current understanding of non-Mendelian heredity in plants, including the mechanisms, inheritance patterns, and applications in plant breeding, provide an overview of the various forms of non-Mendelian inheritance (including epigenetic inheritance, cytoplasmic inheritance, hybrid vigor, and LOH), explore insight into the implications of non-Mendelian heredity in plant breeding, and the potential it holds for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Istvan Rajcan
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (M.Y.N.); (M.H.)
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18
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Fang W, Fasano C, Perrella G. Unlocking the Secret to Higher Crop Yield: The Potential for Histone Modifications. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1712. [PMID: 37111933 PMCID: PMC10144255 DOI: 10.3390/plants12081712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Histone modifications are epigenetic mechanisms, termed relative to genetics, and they refer to the induction of heritable changes without altering the DNA sequence. It is widely known that DNA sequences precisely modulate plant phenotypes to adapt them to the changing environment; however, epigenetic mechanisms also greatly contribute to plant growth and development by altering chromatin status. An increasing number of recent studies have elucidated epigenetic regulations on improving plant growth and adaptation, thus making contributions to the final yield. In this review, we summarize the recent advances of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying crop flowering efficiency, fruit quality, and adaptation to environmental stimuli, especially to abiotic stress, to ensure crop improvement. In particular, we highlight the major discoveries in rice and tomato, which are two of the most globally consumed crops. We also describe and discuss the applications of epigenetic approaches in crop breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Fang
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Giovanni Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, MI, Italy;
| | - Carlo Fasano
- Trisaia Research Center, Italian National Agency for New Technologies Energy and Sustainable Economic Develoment, (ENEA), 75026 Rotondella, MT, Italy;
| | - Giorgio Perrella
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Giovanni Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, MI, Italy;
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19
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Hayashi K, Alseekh S, Fernie AR. Genetic and epigenetic control of the plant metabolome. Proteomics 2023:e2200104. [PMID: 36781168 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202200104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant metabolites are mainly produced through chemical reactions catalysed by enzymes encoded in the genome. Mutations in enzyme-encoding or transcription factor-encoding genes can alter the metabolome by changing the enzyme's catalytic activity or abundance, respectively. Insertion of transposable elements into non-coding regions has also been reported to affect transcription and ultimately metabolite content. In addition to genetic mutations, transgenerational epigenetic variations have also been found to affect metabolic content by controlling the transcription of metabolism-related genes. However, the majority of cases reported so far, in which epigenetic mechanisms are associated with metabolism, are non-transgenerational, and are triggered by developmental signals or environmental stress. Although, accumulating research has provided evidence of strong genetic control of the metabolome, epigenetic control has been largely untouched. Here, we provide a review of the genetic and epigenetic control of metabolism with a focus on epigenetics. We discuss both transgenerational and non-transgenerational epigenetic marks regulating metabolism as well as prospects of the field of metabolic control where intricate interactions between genetics and epigenetics are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koki Hayashi
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Saleh Alseekh
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.,Center for Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.,Center for Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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20
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Verma V, Kumar A, Partap M, Thakur M, Bhargava B. CRISPR-Cas: A robust technology for enhancing consumer-preferred commercial traits in crops. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1122940. [PMID: 36824195 PMCID: PMC9941649 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1122940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The acceptance of new crop varieties by consumers is contingent on the presence of consumer-preferred traits, which include sensory attributes, nutritional value, industrial products and bioactive compounds production. Recent developments in genome editing technologies provide novel insight to identify gene functions and improve the various qualitative and quantitative traits of commercial importance in plants. Various conventional as well as advanced gene-mutagenesis techniques such as physical and chemical mutagenesis, CRISPR-Cas9, Cas12 and base editors are used for the trait improvement in crops. To meet consumer demand, breakthrough biotechnologies, especially CRISPR-Cas have received a fair share of scientific and industrial interest, particularly in plant genome editing. CRISPR-Cas is a versatile tool that can be used to knock out, replace and knock-in the desired gene fragments at targeted locations in the genome, resulting in heritable mutations of interest. This review highlights the existing literature and recent developments in CRISPR-Cas technologies (base editing, prime editing, multiplex gene editing, epigenome editing, gene delivery methods) for reliable and precise gene editing in plants. This review also discusses the potential of gene editing exhibited in crops for the improvement of consumer-demanded traits such as higher nutritional value, colour, texture, aroma/flavour, and production of industrial products such as biofuel, fibre, rubber and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the bottlenecks and challenges associated with gene editing system, such as off targeting, ploidy level and the ability to edit organelle genome have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipasha Verma
- Floriculture Laboratory, Agrotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) –Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
| | - Akhil Kumar
- Floriculture Laboratory, Agrotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) –Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
| | - Mahinder Partap
- Floriculture Laboratory, Agrotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) –Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Meenakshi Thakur
- Floriculture Laboratory, Agrotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) –Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
| | - Bhavya Bhargava
- Floriculture Laboratory, Agrotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) –Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
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21
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Naik B, Kumar V, Rizwanuddin S, Chauhan M, Choudhary M, Gupta AK, Kumar P, Kumar V, Saris PEJ, Rather MA, Bhuyan S, Neog PR, Mishra S, Rustagi S. Genomics, Proteomics, and Metabolomics Approaches to Improve Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato Plant. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:3025. [PMID: 36769343 PMCID: PMC9918255 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24033025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
To explore changes in proteins and metabolites under stress circumstances, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics methods are used. In-depth research over the previous ten years has gradually revealed the fundamental processes of plants' responses to environmental stress. Abiotic stresses, which include temperature extremes, water scarcity, and metal toxicity brought on by human activity and urbanization, are a major cause for concern, since they can result in unsustainable warming trends and drastically lower crop yields. Furthermore, there is an emerging reliance on agrochemicals. Stress is responsible for physiological transformations such as the formation of reactive oxygen, stomatal opening and closure, cytosolic calcium ion concentrations, metabolite profiles and their dynamic changes, expression of stress-responsive genes, activation of potassium channels, etc. Research regarding abiotic stresses is lacking because defense feedbacks to abiotic factors necessitate regulating the changes that activate multiple genes and pathways that are not properly explored. It is clear from the involvement of these genes that plant stress response and adaptation are complicated processes. Targeting the multigenicity of plant abiotic stress responses caused by genomic sequences, transcripts, protein organization and interactions, stress-specific and cellular transcriptome collections, and mutant screens can be the first step in an integrative approach. Therefore, in this review, we focused on the genomes, proteomics, and metabolomics of tomatoes under abiotic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bindu Naik
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Graphic Era (Deemed to Be) University, Bell Road, Clement Town, Dehradun 248002, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Himalayan School of Biosciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Swami Rama Nagar, Jolly Grant, Dehradun 248014, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sheikh Rizwanuddin
- Department of Life Sciences, Graphic Era (Deemed to Be) University, Bell Road, Clement Town, Dehradun 248002, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Mansi Chauhan
- Department of Life Sciences, Graphic Era (Deemed to Be) University, Bell Road, Clement Town, Dehradun 248002, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Megha Choudhary
- Himalayan School of Biosciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Swami Rama Nagar, Jolly Grant, Dehradun 248014, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Arun Kumar Gupta
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Graphic Era (Deemed to Be) University, Bell Road, Clement Town, Dehradun 248002, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Dolphin (PG) Institute of Biomedical and Natural Sciences, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Himalayan School of Biosciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Swami Rama Nagar, Jolly Grant, Dehradun 248014, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Per Erik Joakim Saris
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Muzamil Ahmad Rather
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784028, Assam, India
| | - Shuvam Bhuyan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784028, Assam, India
| | - Panchi Rani Neog
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784028, Assam, India
| | - Sadhna Mishra
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, GLA University, Mathura 281406, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sarvesh Rustagi
- Department of Food Technology, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
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22
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Wang W, Flury AG, Rodriguez AT, Garrison JL, Brem RB. A role for worm cutl-24 in background- and parent-of-origin-dependent ER stress resistance. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:842. [PMID: 36539699 PMCID: PMC9764823 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-09063-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Organisms in the wild can acquire disease- and stress-resistance traits that outstrip the programs endogenous to humans. Finding the molecular basis of such natural resistance characters is a key goal of evolutionary genetics. Standard statistical-genetic methods toward this end can perform poorly in organismal systems that lack high rates of meiotic recombination, like Caenorhabditis worms. RESULTS Here we discovered unique ER stress resistance in a wild Kenyan C. elegans isolate, which in inter-strain crosses was passed by hermaphrodite mothers to hybrid offspring. We developed an unbiased version of the reciprocal hemizygosity test, RH-seq, to explore the genetics of this parent-of-origin-dependent phenotype. Among top-scoring gene candidates from a partial-coverage RH-seq screen, we focused on the neuronally-expressed, cuticlin-like gene cutl-24 for validation. In gene-disruption and controlled crossing experiments, we found that cutl-24 was required in Kenyan hermaphrodite mothers for ER stress tolerance in their inter-strain hybrid offspring; cutl-24 was also a contributor to the trait in purebred backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS These data establish the Kenyan strain allele of cutl-24 as a determinant of a natural stress-resistant state, and they set a precedent for the dissection of natural trait diversity in invertebrate animals without the need for a panel of meiotic recombinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenke Wang
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, United States
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Anna G Flury
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, United States
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Andrew T Rodriguez
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, United States
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer L Garrison
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, United States.
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
- Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity & Equality, Novato, CA, United States.
| | - Rachel B Brem
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, United States.
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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23
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Zhan C, Lei L, Guo H, Zhou S, Xu C, Liu Z, Wu Z, Deng Y, Miao Y, Han Y, Zhang M, Li H, Huang S, Yang C, Zhang F, Li Y, Liu L, Liu X, Abbas HMK, Fernie AR, Yuan M, Luo J. Disease resistance conferred by components of essential chrysanthemum oil and the epigenetic regulation of OsTPS1. SCIENCE CHINA LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 66:1108-1118. [PMID: 36462108 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2241-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The sesquiterpene alpha-bisabolol is the predominant active ingredient in essential oils that are highly valued in the cosmetics industry due to its wound healing, anti-inflammatory, and skin-soothing properties. Alpha-bisabolol was thought to be restricted to Compositae plants. Here we reveal that alpha-bisabolol is also synthesized in rice, a non-Compositae plant, where it acts as a novel sesquiterpene phytoalexin. Overexpressing the gene responsible for the biosynthesis of alpha-bisabolol, OsTPS1, conferred bacterial blight resistance in rice. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that alpha-bisabolol-synthesizing enzymes in rice and Compositae evolved independently. Further experiments demonstrated that the natural variation in the disease resistance level was associated with differential transcription of OsTPS1 due to polymorphisms in its promoter. We demonstrated that OsTPS1 was regulated at the epigenetic level by JMJ705 through the methyl jasmonate pathway. These data reveal the cross-family accumulation and regulatory mechanisms of alpha-bisabolol production.
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24
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Lieberman-Lazarovich M, Kaiserli E, Bucher E, Mladenov V. Natural and induced epigenetic variation for crop improvement. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 70:102297. [PMID: 36108411 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Maintaining global food security is a major challenge that requires novel strategies for crop improvement. Epigenetic regulation of plant responses to adverse environmental conditions provides a tunable mechanism to optimize plant growth, adaptation and ultimately yield. Epibreeding employs agricultural practices that rely on key epigenetic features as a means of engineering favorable phenotypic traits in target crops. This review summarizes recent findings on the role of epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, in controlling phenotypic variation in crop species in response to environmental factors. The potential use of natural and induced epigenetic features as platforms for crop improvement via epibreeding, is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Lieberman-Lazarovich
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel.
| | - Eirini Kaiserli
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Etienne Bucher
- Crop Genome Dynamics Group, Agroscope Changins, 1260, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Velimir Mladenov
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Sq. Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
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25
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Kumar K, Mandal SN, Pradhan B, Kaur P, Kaur K, Neelam K. From Evolution to Revolution: Accelerating Crop Domestication through Genome Editing. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 63:1607-1623. [PMID: 36018059 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcac124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Crop domestication has a tremendous impact on socioeconomic conditions and human civilization. Modern cultivars were domesticated from their wild progenitors thousands of years ago by the selection of natural variation by humans. New cultivars are being developed by crossing two or more compatible individuals. But the limited genetic diversity in the cultivars severely affects the yield and renders the crop susceptible to many biotic and abiotic stresses. Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are the rich reservoir for many valuable agronomic traits. The incorporation of useful genes from CWR is one of the sustainable approaches for enriching the gene pool of cultivated crops. However, CWRs are not suited for urban and intensive cultivation because of several undesirable traits. Researchers have begun to study the domestication traits in the CWRs and modify them using genome-editing tools to make them suitable for extensive cultivation. Growing evidence has shown that modification in these genes is not sufficient to bring the desired change in the neodomesticated crop. However, the other dynamic genetic factors such as microRNAs (miRNAs), transposable elements, cis-regulatory elements and epigenetic changes have reshaped the domesticated crops. The creation of allelic series for many valuable domestication traits through genome editing holds great potential for the accelerated development of neodomesticated crops. The present review describes the current understanding of the genetics of domestication traits that are responsible for the agricultural revolution. The targeted mutagenesis in these domestication genes via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 could be used for the rapid domestication of CWRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kishor Kumar
- Faculty Centre for Integrated Rural Development and Management, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, Narendrapur, Kolkata 700103, India
| | - Swarupa Nanda Mandal
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Extended Campus, Burdwan, West Bengal 713101, India
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79415, USA
| | - Bhubaneswar Pradhan
- Faculty Centre for Integrated Rural Development and Management, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, Narendrapur, Kolkata 700103, India
| | - Pavneet Kaur
- School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141004, India
| | - Karminderbir Kaur
- School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141004, India
| | - Kumari Neelam
- School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141004, India
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26
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Varotto S, Krugman T, Aiese Cigliano R, Kashkush K, Kondić-Špika A, Aravanopoulos FA, Pradillo M, Consiglio F, Aversano R, Pecinka A, Miladinović D. Exploitation of epigenetic variation of crop wild relatives for crop improvement and agrobiodiversity preservation. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2022; 135:3987-4003. [PMID: 35678824 PMCID: PMC9729329 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-022-04122-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are recognized as the best potential source of traits for crop improvement. However, successful crop improvement using CWR relies on identifying variation in genes controlling desired traits in plant germplasms and subsequently incorporating them into cultivars. Epigenetic diversity may provide an additional layer of variation within CWR and can contribute novel epialleles for key traits for crop improvement. There is emerging evidence that epigenetic variants of functional and/or agronomic importance exist in CWR gene pools. This provides a rationale for the conservation of epigenotypes of interest, thus contributing to agrobiodiversity preservation through conservation and (epi)genetic monitoring. Concepts and techniques of classical and modern breeding should consider integrating recent progress in epigenetics, initially by identifying their association with phenotypic variations and then by assessing their heritability and stability in subsequent generations. New tools available for epigenomic analysis offer the opportunity to capture epigenetic variation and integrate it into advanced (epi)breeding programmes. Advances in -omics have provided new insights into the sources and inheritance of epigenetic variation and enabled the efficient introduction of epi-traits from CWR into crops using epigenetic molecular markers, such as epiQTLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Varotto
- Department of Agronomy Animal Food Natural Resources and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università, 16 35020, Legnaro, Italy.
| | - Tamar Krugman
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Khalil Kashkush
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beersheba, 84105, Israel
| | - Ankica Kondić-Špika
- Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Maksima Gorkog 30, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Fillipos A Aravanopoulos
- Faculty of Agriculture, Forest Science & Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR54006, Greece
| | - Monica Pradillo
- Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Federica Consiglio
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council (CNR), Via Università 133, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Riccardo Aversano
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Ales Pecinka
- Institute of Experimental Botany, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Acad Sci, Šlechtitelů 31, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Dragana Miladinović
- Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Maksima Gorkog 30, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
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Rajpal VR, Rathore P, Mehta S, Wadhwa N, Yadav P, Berry E, Goel S, Bhat V, Raina SN. Epigenetic variation: A major player in facilitating plant fitness under changing environmental conditions. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1020958. [PMID: 36340045 PMCID: PMC9628676 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1020958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research in plant epigenetics has increased our understanding of how epigenetic variability can contribute to adaptive phenotypic plasticity in natural populations. Studies show that environmental changes induce epigenetic switches either independently or in complementation with the genetic variation. Although most of the induced epigenetic variability gets reset between generations and is short-lived, some variation becomes transgenerational and results in heritable phenotypic traits. The short-term epigenetic responses provide the first tier of transient plasticity required for local adaptations while transgenerational epigenetic changes contribute to stress memory and help the plants respond better to recurring or long-term stresses. These transgenerational epigenetic variations translate into an additional tier of diversity which results in stable epialleles. In recent years, studies have been conducted on epigenetic variation in natural populations related to various biological processes, ecological factors, communities, and habitats. With the advent of advanced NGS-based technologies, epigenetic studies targeting plants in diverse environments have increased manifold to enhance our understanding of epigenetic responses to environmental stimuli in facilitating plant fitness. Taking all points together in a frame, the present review is a compilation of present-day knowledge and understanding of the role of epigenetics and its fitness benefits in diverse ecological systems in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Rani Rajpal
- Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Vijay Rani Rajpal, , ; Shailendra Goel, ; Vishnu Bhat, ; Soom Nath Raina,
| | | | - Sahil Mehta
- School of Agricultural Sciences, K.R. Mangalam University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Nikita Wadhwa
- University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Eapsa Berry
- Maharishi Kanad Bhawan, Delhi School of Climate Change and Sustainability, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Shailendra Goel
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Vijay Rani Rajpal, , ; Shailendra Goel, ; Vishnu Bhat, ; Soom Nath Raina,
| | - Vishnu Bhat
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Vijay Rani Rajpal, , ; Shailendra Goel, ; Vishnu Bhat, ; Soom Nath Raina,
| | - Soom Nath Raina
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
- *Correspondence: Vijay Rani Rajpal, , ; Shailendra Goel, ; Vishnu Bhat, ; Soom Nath Raina,
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28
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Tonosaki K, Fujimoto R, Dennis ES, Raboy V, Osabe K. Will epigenetics be a key player in crop breeding? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:958350. [PMID: 36247549 PMCID: PMC9562705 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.958350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
If food and feed production are to keep up with world demand in the face of climate change, continued progress in understanding and utilizing both genetic and epigenetic sources of crop variation is necessary. Progress in plant breeding has traditionally been thought to be due to selection for spontaneous DNA sequence mutations that impart desirable phenotypes. These spontaneous mutations can expand phenotypic diversity, from which breeders can select agronomically useful traits. However, it has become clear that phenotypic diversity can be generated even when the genome sequence is unaltered. Epigenetic gene regulation is a mechanism by which genome expression is regulated without altering the DNA sequence. With the development of high throughput DNA sequencers, it has become possible to analyze the epigenetic state of the whole genome, which is termed the epigenome. These techniques enable us to identify spontaneous epigenetic mutations (epimutations) with high throughput and identify the epimutations that lead to increased phenotypic diversity. These epimutations can create new phenotypes and the causative epimutations can be inherited over generations. There is evidence of selected agronomic traits being conditioned by heritable epimutations, and breeders may have historically selected for epiallele-conditioned agronomic traits. These results imply that not only DNA sequence diversity, but the diversity of epigenetic states can contribute to increased phenotypic diversity. However, since the modes of induction and transmission of epialleles and their stability differ from that of genetic alleles, the importance of inheritance as classically defined also differs. For example, there may be a difference between the types of epigenetic inheritance important to crop breeding and crop production. The former may depend more on longer-term inheritance whereas the latter may simply take advantage of shorter-term phenomena. With the advances in our understanding of epigenetics, epigenetics may bring new perspectives for crop improvement, such as the use of epigenetic variation or epigenome editing in breeding. In this review, we will introduce the role of epigenetic variation in plant breeding, largely focusing on DNA methylation, and conclude by asking to what extent new knowledge of epigenetics in crop breeding has led to documented cases of its successful use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Tonosaki
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Ryo Fujimoto
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Elizabeth S. Dennis
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Victor Raboy
- Independent Researcher Portland, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Kenji Osabe
- Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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Wang M, He L, Chen B, Wang Y, Wang L, Zhou W, Zhang T, Cao L, Zhang P, Xie L, Zhang Q. Transgenerationally Transmitted DNA Demethylation of a Spontaneous Epialleles Using CRISPR/dCas9-TET1cd Targeted Epigenetic Editing in Arabidopsis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810492. [PMID: 36142407 PMCID: PMC9504898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/dCas9 is an important DNA modification tool in which a disarmed Cas9 protein with no nuclease activity is fused with a specific DNA modifying enzyme. A previous study reported that overexpression of the TET1 catalytic domain (TET1cd) reduces genome-wide methylation in Arabidopsis. A spontaneous naturally occurring methylation region (NMR19-4) was identified in the promoter region of the PPH (Pheophytin Pheophorbide Hydrolase) gene, which encodes an enzyme that can degrade chlorophyll and accelerate leaf senescence. The methylation status of NMR19-4 is associated with PPH expression and leaf senescence in Arabidopsis natural accessions. In this study, we show that the CRISPR/dCas9-TET1cd system can be used to target the methylation of hypermethylated NMR19-4 region to reduce the level of methylation, thereby increasing the expression of PPH and accelerating leaf senescence. Furthermore, hybridization between transgenic demethylated plants and hypermethylated ecotypes showed that the demethylation status of edited NMR19-4, along with the enhanced PPH expression and accelerated leaf senescence, showed Mendelian inheritance in F1 and F2 progeny, indicating that spontaneous epialleles are stably transmitted trans-generationally after demethylation editing. Our results provide a rational approach for future editing of spontaneously mutated epialleles and provide insights into the epigenetic mechanisms that control plant leaf senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetative Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Li He
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Bowei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetative Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Yanwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetative Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lishan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetative Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetative Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Tianxu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lesheng Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetative Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetative Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Linan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetative Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qingzhu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Correspondence:
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Dhakate P, Sehgal D, Vaishnavi S, Chandra A, Singh A, Raina SN, Rajpal VR. Comprehending the evolution of gene editing platforms for crop trait improvement. Front Genet 2022; 13:876987. [PMID: 36082000 PMCID: PMC9445674 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.876987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas (CRISPR-associated) system was initially discovered as an underlying mechanism for conferring adaptive immunity to bacteria and archaea against viruses. Over the past decade, this has been repurposed as a genome-editing tool. Numerous gene editing-based crop improvement technologies involving CRISPR/Cas platforms individually or in combination with next-generation sequencing methods have been developed that have revolutionized plant genome-editing methodologies. Initially, CRISPR/Cas nucleases replaced the earlier used sequence-specific nucleases (SSNs), such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), to address the problem of associated off-targets. The adaptation of this platform led to the development of concepts such as epigenome editing, base editing, and prime editing. Epigenome editing employed epi-effectors to manipulate chromatin structure, while base editing uses base editors to engineer precise changes for trait improvement. Newer technologies such as prime editing have now been developed as a "search-and-replace" tool to engineer all possible single-base changes. Owing to the availability of these, the field of genome editing has evolved rapidly to develop crop plants with improved traits. In this review, we present the evolution of the CRISPR/Cas system into new-age methods of genome engineering across various plant species and the impact they have had on tweaking plant genomes and associated outcomes on crop improvement initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Dhakate
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Deepmala Sehgal
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), México-Veracruz, Mexico
| | | | - Atika Chandra
- Department of Botany, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Apekshita Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, India
| | - Soom Nath Raina
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, India
| | - Vijay Rani Rajpal
- Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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Suguiyama VF, Rodriguez JDP, Dos Santos TCN, Lira BS, de Haro LA, Silva JPN, Borba EL, Purgatto E, da Silva EA, Bellora N, Carrari F, Centeno DDC, Bermúdez LF, Rossi M, de Setta N. Regulatory mechanisms behind the phenotypic plasticity associated with Setaria italica water deficit tolerance. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:761-780. [PMID: 35524936 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-022-01273-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Drought is one of the main environmental stresses that negatively impacts vegetative and reproductive yield. Water deficit responses are determined by the duration and intensity of the stress, which, together with plant genotype, will define the chances of plant survival. The metabolic adjustments in response to water deficit are complex and involve gene expression modulation regulated by DNA-binding proteins and epigenetic modifications. This last mechanism may also regulate the activity of transposable elements, which in turn impact the expression of nearby loci. Setaria italica plants submitted to five water deficit regimes were analyzed through a phenotypical approach, including growth, physiological, RNA-seq and sRNA-seq analyses. The results showed a progressive reduction in yield as a function of water deficit intensity associated with signaling pathway modulation and metabolic adjustments. We identified a group of loci that were consistently associated with drought responses, some of which were related to water deficit perception, signaling and regulation. Finally, an analysis of the transcriptome and sRNAome allowed us to identify genes putatively regulated by TE- and sRNA-related mechanisms and an intriguing positive correlation between transcript levels and sRNA accumulation in gene body regions. These findings shed light on the processes that allow S. italica to overcome drought and survive under water restrictive conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Fuentes Suguiyama
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Bruno Silvestre Lira
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luis Alejandro de Haro
- Departament of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - João Paulo Naldi Silva
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Leite Borba
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Purgatto
- Departamento de Alimentos e Nutrição Experimental, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Emerson Alves da Silva
- Instituto de Botânica da Secretaria do Meio Ambiente do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Bellora
- Institute of Nuclear Technologies for Health (Intecnus), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), 8400, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Fernando Carrari
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), CICVYA, INTA-CONICET, Hurlingham, Argentina
- Cátedra de Genética, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Danilo da Cruz Centeno
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luisa Fernanda Bermúdez
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), CICVYA, INTA-CONICET, Hurlingham, Argentina
- Cátedra de Genética, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Magdalena Rossi
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nathalia de Setta
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil.
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Zhang Y, Yang L, Yang J, Hu H, Wei G, Cui J, Xu J. Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Reveal Differences in Terpenoid and Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Cryptomeria fortunei Needles Across Different Seasons. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:862746. [PMID: 35937363 PMCID: PMC9355645 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.862746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cryptomeria fortunei (Chinese cedar) has outstanding medicinal value due to its abundant flavonoid and terpenoid contents. The metabolite contents of C. fortunei needles differ across different seasons. However, the biosynthetic mechanism of these differentially synthesized metabolites (DSMs) is poorly understood. To improve our understanding of this process, we performed integrated non-targeted metabolomic liquid chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS and GC-MS), and transcriptomic analyses of summer and winter needles. In winter, the C. fortunei needle ultrastructure was damaged, and the chlorophyll content and F v/F m were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced. Based on GC-MS and LC-MS, we obtained 106 and 413 DSMs, respectively; based on transcriptome analysis, we obtained a total of 41.17 Gb of clean data and assembled 33,063 unigenes, including 14,057 differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that these DSMs/DEGs were significantly (p < 0.05) enriched in many biosynthesis pathways, such as terpenoids, photosynthates, and flavonoids. Integrated transcriptomic and metabonomic analyses showed that seasonal changes have the greatest impact on photosynthesis pathways, followed by terpenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. In summer Chinese cedar (SCC) needles, DXS, DXR, and ispH in the 2-methyl-pentaerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway and GGPS were highly expressed and promoted the accumulation of terpenoids, especially diterpenoids. In winter Chinese cedar (WCC) needles, 9 genes (HCT, CHS, CHI, F3H, F3'H, F3'5'H, FLS, DFR, and LAR) involved in flavonoid biosynthesis were highly expressed and promoted flavonoid accumulation. This study broadens our understanding of the metabolic and transcriptomic changes in C. fortunei needles caused by seasonal changes and provides a reference regarding the adaptive mechanisms of C. fortunei and the extraction of its metabolites.
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Zheng B, Liu J, Gao A, Chen X, Gao L, Liao L, Luo B, Ogutu CO, Han Y. Epigenetic reprogramming of H3K27me3 and DNA methylation during leaf-to-callus transition in peach. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac132. [PMID: 35937864 PMCID: PMC9350832 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Plant tissues are capable of developing unorganized cell masses termed calluses in response to the appropriate combination of auxin and cytokinin. Revealing the potential epigenetic mechanisms involved in callus development can improve our understanding of the regeneration process of plant cells, which will be beneficial for overcoming regeneration recalcitrance in peach. In this study, we report on single-base resolution mapping of DNA methylation and reprogramming of the pattern of trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) at the genome-wide level during the leaf-to-callus transition in peach. Overall, mCG and mCHH were predominant at the genome-wide level and mCG was predominant in genic regions. H3K27me3 deposition was mainly detected in the gene body and at the TSS site, and GAGA repetitive sequences were prone to recruit H3K27me3 modification. H3K27me3 methylation was negatively correlated with gene expression. In vitro culture of leaf explants was accompanied by DNA hypomethylation and H3K27me3 demethylation, which could activate auxin- and cytokinin-related regulators to induce callus development. The DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine could significantly increase callus development, while the H3K27me3 demethylase inhibitor GSK-J4 dramatically reduced callus development. These results demonstrate the roles of DNA methylation and H3K27me3 modification in mediating chromatin status during callus development. Our study provides new insights into the epigenetic mechanisms through which differentiated cells acquire proliferative competence to induce callus development in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Anqi Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaomei Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lingling Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liao Liao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Binwen Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Collins Otieno Ogutu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuepeng Han
- Corresponding author. E-mail:
Equal contribution
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Wang S, Li Y, He L, Yang J, Fernie AR, Luo J. Natural variance at the interface of plant primary and specialized metabolism. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 67:102201. [PMID: 35349968 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce a large number of diverse metabolites when they grow and develop as well as when they respond to the changing external environment. These are an important source of human nutrition and medicine. In this review we emphasized the major issues of the primary-specialized metabolic interface in plant metabolism, described the metabolic flow from primary to specialized metabolism, and the conservation and diversity of primary and specialized metabolites. At the same time, we summarized the regulatory mechanisms underpinning the dynamic balance primary and specialized metabolism based on multi-omics integration analysis, as well as the natural variation of primary and specialized metabolic pathways and genes during the plant evolution. Moreover, the discovery and optimization of the synthesis and regulation elements of various primary to specialized metabolic flows provide the possibility for precise modification and personalized customization of metabolic pathways, which will greatly promote the development of synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yan Li
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Liqiang He
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Jun Yang
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm 14476, Germany.
| | - Jie Luo
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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35
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Kumari P, Khan S, Wani IA, Gupta R, Verma S, Alam P, Alaklabi A. Unravelling the Role of Epigenetic Modifications in Development and Reproduction of Angiosperms: A Critical Appraisal. Front Genet 2022; 13:819941. [PMID: 35664328 PMCID: PMC9157814 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.819941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics are the heritable changes in gene expression patterns which occur without altering DNA sequence. These changes are reversible and do not change the sequence of the DNA but can alter the way in which the DNA sequences are read. Epigenetic modifications are induced by DNA methylation, histone modification, and RNA-mediated mechanisms which alter the gene expression, primarily at the transcriptional level. Such alterations do control genome activity through transcriptional silencing of transposable elements thereby contributing toward genome stability. Plants being sessile in nature are highly susceptible to the extremes of changing environmental conditions. This increases the likelihood of epigenetic modifications within the composite network of genes that affect the developmental changes of a plant species. Genetic and epigenetic reprogramming enhances the growth and development, imparts phenotypic plasticity, and also ensures flowering under stress conditions without changing the genotype for several generations. Epigenetic modifications hold an immense significance during the development of male and female gametophytes, fertilization, embryogenesis, fruit formation, and seed germination. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of epigenetic modifications and their dynamic role in maintaining the genomic integrity during plant development and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Kumari
- Conservation and Molecular Biology Lab., Department of Botany, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, India
| | - Sajid Khan
- Conservation and Molecular Biology Lab., Department of Botany, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, India
| | - Ishfaq Ahmad Wani
- Conservation and Molecular Biology Lab., Department of Botany, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, India
| | - Renu Gupta
- Division of Soil Sciences & Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture Sher e Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Chatha, India
| | - Susheel Verma
- Department of Botany, University of Jammu, Jammu, India
- *Correspondence: Susheel Verma,
| | - Pravej Alam
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Humanities, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU), Alkharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Alaklabi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia
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36
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Li X, Wang X, Zhang Y, Zhang A, You CX. Regulation of fleshy fruit ripening: From transcription factors to epigenetic modifications. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac013. [PMID: 35147185 PMCID: PMC9035223 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Fleshy fruits undergo a complex ripening process, developing organoleptic fruit traits that attract herbivores and maximize seed dispersal. Ripening is the terminal stage of fruit development and involves a series of physiological and biochemical changes. In fleshy fruits, ripening always involves a drastic color change triggered by the accumulation of pigments and degradation of chlorophyll, softening caused by cell wall remodeling, and flavor formation as acids and sugars accumulate alongside volatile compounds. The mechanisms underlying fruit ripening rely on the orchestration of ripening-related transcription factors, plant hormones, and epigenetic modifications. In this review, we discuss current knowledge of the transcription factors that regulate ripening in conjunction with ethylene and environmental signals (light and temperature) in the model plant tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and other fleshy fruits. We emphasize the critical roles of epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation and histone modification as well as RNA m6A modification, which has been studied intensively. This detailed review was compiled to provide a comprehensive description of the regulatory mechanisms of fruit ripening and guide new strategies for its effective manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuming Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit & Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Xuemei Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, 271018, China
| | - Aihong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, 271018, China
| | - Chun-Xiang You
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit & Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, Shandong 271018, China
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37
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Zhu F, Wen W, Cheng Y, Fernie AR. The metabolic changes that effect fruit quality during tomato fruit ripening. MOLECULAR HORTICULTURE 2022; 2:2. [PMID: 37789428 PMCID: PMC10515270 DOI: 10.1186/s43897-022-00024-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
As the most valuable organ of tomato plants, fruit has attracted considerable attention which most focus on its quality formation during the ripening process. A considerable amount of research has reported that fruit quality is affected by metabolic shifts which are under the coordinated regulation of both structural genes and transcriptional regulators. In recent years, with the development of the next generation sequencing, molecular and genetic analysis methods, lots of genes which are involved in the chlorophyll, carotenoid, cell wall, central and secondary metabolism have been identified and confirmed to regulate pigment contents, fruit softening and other aspects of fruit flavor quality. Here, both research concerning the dissection of fruit quality related metabolic changes, the transcriptional and post-translational regulation of these metabolic pathways are reviewed. Furthermore, a weighted gene correlation network analysis of representative genes of fruit quality has been carried out and the potential of the combined application of the gene correlation network analysis, fine-mapping strategies and next generation sequencing to identify novel candidate genes determinants of fruit quality is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhu
- National R&D Center for Citrus Preservation, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Golm, Germany
| | - Weiwei Wen
- National R&D Center for Citrus Preservation, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yunjiang Cheng
- National R&D Center for Citrus Preservation, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Golm, Germany.
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38
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Shin H, Choi WL, Lim JY, Huh JH. Epigenome editing: targeted manipulation of epigenetic modifications in plants. Genes Genomics 2022; 44:307-315. [PMID: 35000141 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-021-01199-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic modifications play important roles in diverse cellular processes such as X chromosome inactivation, cell differentiation, development and senescence. DNA methylation and histone modifications are major epigenetic modifications that regulate chromatin structure and gene expression without DNA sequence changes. Epigenetic alterations may induce phenotypic changes stable enough for mitotic or meiotic inheritance. Moreover, the reversibility of epigenetic marks makes the manipulation of chromatin and epigenetic signature an attractive strategy for therapeutic and breeding purposes. Targeted epigenetic manipulation, or epigenome editing, at the gene of interest commonly utilizes specific epigenetic modifiers fused with a targeting module of the conventional genome editing system. OBJECTIVE This review aims to summarize essential epigenetic components and introduce currently available epigenetic mutants and the corresponding epialleles in plants. Furthermore, advances in epigenome editing technology are discussed while proposing its potential application to plant breeding. CONCLUSIONS Epimutations associated with useful traits may provide a valuable resource for crop development. It is important to explore epimutations in a variety of crop species while understanding the fundamental aspects of epigenetic regulation of agronomically important traits such as yield, quality, disease resistance and stress tolerance. In the end, plant breeding programs through epigenome editing may help not only to expand the use of limited genetic resources but also to alleviate consumers' concerns about genetically manipulated crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hosub Shin
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, South Korea.,Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Woo Lee Choi
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, South Korea.,Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Joo Young Lim
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin Hoe Huh
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, South Korea. .,Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, South Korea. .,Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, South Korea.
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39
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Gupta C, Salgotra RK. Epigenetics and its role in effecting agronomical traits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:925688. [PMID: 36046583 PMCID: PMC9421166 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.925688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Climate-resilient crops with improved adaptation to the changing climate are urgently needed to feed the growing population. Hence, developing high-yielding crop varieties with better agronomic traits is one of the most critical issues in agricultural research. These are vital to enhancing yield as well as resistance to harsh conditions, both of which help farmers over time. The majority of agronomic traits are quantitative and are subject to intricate genetic control, thereby obstructing crop improvement. Plant epibreeding is the utilisation of epigenetic variation for crop development, and has a wide range of applications in the field of crop improvement. Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression that are heritable and induced by methylation of DNA, post-translational modifications of histones or RNA interference rather than an alteration in the underlying sequence of DNA. The epigenetic modifications influence gene expression by changing the state of chromatin, which underpins plant growth and dictates phenotypic responsiveness for extrinsic and intrinsic inputs. Epigenetic modifications, in addition to DNA sequence variation, improve breeding by giving useful markers. Also, it takes epigenome diversity into account to predict plant performance and increase crop production. In this review, emphasis has been given for summarising the role of epigenetic changes in epibreeding for crop improvement.
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40
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Liu Z, Wu X, Liu H, Zhang M, Liao W. DNA methylation in tomato fruit ripening. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022; 174:e13627. [PMID: 35040145 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fleshy fruit, the most economical and nutritional value unique to flowering plants, is an important part of our daily diet. Previous studies have shown that fruit ripening is regulated by transcription factors and the plant hormone ethylene, but recent research has also shown that epigenetics also plays an essential role, especially DNA methylation. DNA methylation is the process of transferring -CH3 to the fifth carbon of cytosine residues under the action of methyltransferase to form 5-methylcytosine (5-mC). So far, most works have been focused on tomato. Tomato ripening is dynamically regulated by DNA methylation and demethylation, but the understanding of this mechanism is still in its infancy. The dysfunction of a DNA demethylase, DEMETER-like DNA demethylases 2 (DML2), prevents the ripening of tomato fruits, but immature fruits ripen prematurely under the action of DNA methylation inhibitors. Additionally, studies have shown that the relationship between fruit quality and DNA methylation is not linear, but the specific molecular mechanism is still unclear. Here, we review the recent advances in the role of DNA methylation in tomato fruit ripening, the interaction of ripening transcription factors and DNA methylation, and its effects on quality. Then, a number of questions for future research of DNA methylation regulation in tomato fruit ripening is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiya Liu
- College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xuetong Wu
- College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huwei Liu
- College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Weibiao Liao
- College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
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41
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Ajaykumar H, Ramesh S, Sunitha NC, Anilkumar C. Assessment of natural DNA methylation variation and its association with economically important traits in dolichos bean (Lablab purpureus L. Var. Lignosus) using AMP-PCR assay. J Appl Genet 2021; 62:571-583. [PMID: 34247322 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-021-00648-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
As a prelude to exploit DNA methylation-induced variation, we hypothesized the existence of substantial natural DNA methylation variation and its association with economically important traits in dolichos bean, and tested it using amplified methylation polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (AMP-PCR) assay. DNA methylation patterns such as internal, external, full and non-methylation were amplified in a set of 64 genotypes using 26 customized randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers containing 5'CCGG3' sequence. The 64 genotypes included 60 germplasm accessions (GA), two advanced breeding lines (ABLs) and two released varieties. The ABLs and released varieties are referred to as improved germplasm accessions (IGA) in this study. The association of DNA methylation patterns with economically important traits such as days to 50% flowering, raceme length, fresh pods plant-1, fresh pod yield plant-1 and 100-fresh seed weight was explored. At least 50 genotypes were polymorphic for DNA methylation patterns at 10 loci generated by seven of the 26 RAPD primers. The GA and IGA differed significantly for total, full and external methylation and the frequency of methylation was higher in GA compared to that in IGA. The genotypes with external methylation produced longer racemes than those with full, internal and non-methylation in that order at polymorphic RAPD-11-242 locus. High pod yielding genotypes had significantly lower frequency of full methylation than low yielding ones. On the contrary, the genotypes that produced heavier fresh seeds harboured higher frequencies of total and externally methylated loci than those that produced lighter fresh seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Ajaykumar
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - S Ramesh
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India.
| | - N C Sunitha
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - C Anilkumar
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India.,ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, India
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Yang J, Gu D, Wu S, Zhou X, Chen J, Liao Y, Zeng L, Yang Z. Feasible strategies for studying the involvement of DNA methylation and histone acetylation in the stress-induced formation of quality-related metabolites in tea (Camellia sinensis). HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:253. [PMID: 34848699 PMCID: PMC8632975 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00679-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Tea plants are subjected to multiple stresses during growth, development, and postharvest processing, which affects levels of secondary metabolites in leaves and influences tea functional properties and quality. Most studies on secondary metabolism in tea have focused on gene, protein, and metabolite levels, whereas upstream regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this review, we exemplify DNA methylation and histone acetylation, summarize the important regulatory effects that epigenetic modifications have on plant secondary metabolism, and discuss feasible research strategies to elucidate the underlying specific epigenetic mechanisms of secondary metabolism regulation in tea. This information will help researchers investigate the epigenetic regulation of secondary metabolism in tea, providing key epigenetic data that can be used for future tea genetic breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Dachuan Gu
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Shuhua Wu
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaochen Zhou
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jiaming Chen
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yinyin Liao
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Lanting Zeng
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Ziyin Yang
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
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Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Provide Insights into the Stomium Degeneration Mechanism in Lily. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212124. [PMID: 34830002 PMCID: PMC8619306 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lily (Lilium spp.) is a widely cultivated horticultural crop that has high ornamental and commercial value but also the serious problem of pollen pollution. However, mechanisms of anther dehiscence in lily remain largely unknown. In this study, the morphological characteristics of the stomium zone (SZ) from different developmental stages of ‘Siberia’ lily anthers were investigated. In addition, transcriptomic and metabolomic data were analyzed to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and secondary metabolites involved in stomium degeneration. According to morphological observations, SZ lysis occurred when flower buds were 6–8 cm in length and was completed in 9 cm. Transcriptomic analysis identified the genes involved in SZ degeneration, including those associated with hormone signal transduction, cell structure, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and transcription factors. A weighted co-expression network showed strong correlations between transcription factors. In addition, TUNEL (TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling) assays showed that programmed cell death was important during anther SZ degeneration. Jasmonates might also have key roles in anther dehiscence by affecting the expression of the genes involved in pectin lysis, water transport, and cysteine protease. Collectively, the results of this study improve our understanding of anther dehiscence in lily and provide a data platform from which the molecular mechanisms of SZ degeneration can be revealed.
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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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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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The Underlying Nature of Epigenetic Variation: Origin, Establishment, and Regulatory Function of Plant Epialleles. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168618. [PMID: 34445323 PMCID: PMC8395315 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168618] [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: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In plants, the gene expression and associated phenotypes can be modulated by dynamic changes in DNA methylation, occasionally being fixed in certain genomic loci and inherited stably as epialleles. Epiallelic variations in a population can occur as methylation changes at an individual cytosine position, methylation changes within a stretch of genomic regions, and chromatin changes in certain loci. Here, we focus on methylated regions, since it is unclear whether variations at individual methylated cytosines can serve any regulatory function, and the evidence for heritable chromatin changes independent of genetic changes is limited. While DNA methylation is known to affect and regulate wide arrays of plant phenotypes, most epialleles in the form of methylated regions have not been assigned any biological function. Here, we review how epialleles can be established in plants, serve a regulatory function, and are involved in adaptive processes. Recent studies suggest that most epialleles occur as byproducts of genetic variations, mainly from structural variants and Transposable Element (TE) activation. Nevertheless, epialleles that occur spontaneously independent of any genetic variations have also been described across different plant species. Here, we discuss how epialleles that are dependent and independent of genetic architecture are stabilized in the plant genome and how methylation can regulate a transcription relative to its genomic location.
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Dalakouras A, Vlachostergios D. Epigenetic approaches to crop breeding: current status and perspectives. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:5356-5371. [PMID: 34017985 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
In order to tackle the cumulative adverse effects of global climate change, reduced farmland, and heightened needs of an ever-increasing world population, modern agriculture is in urgent search of solutions that can ensure world food security and sustainable development. Classical crop breeding is still a powerful method to obtain crops with valued agronomical traits, but its potential is gradually being compromised by the menacing decline of genetic variation. Resorting to the epigenome as a source of variation could serve as a promising alternative. Here, we discuss current status of epigenetics-mediated crop breeding (epibreeding), highlight its advances and limitations, outline currently available methodologies, and propose novel RNA-based strategies to modify the epigenome in a gene-specific and transgene-free manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Dalakouras
- Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, HAO-DEMETER, 41335 Larissa, Greece
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, HAO-DEMETER, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Chen J, Xue M, Liu H, Fernie AR, Chen W. Exploring the genic resources underlying metabolites through mGWAS and mQTL in wheat: From large-scale gene identification and pathway elucidation to crop improvement. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 2:100216. [PMID: 34327326 PMCID: PMC8299079 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2021.100216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a leading cereal crop, but has lagged behind with respect to the interpretation of the molecular mechanisms of phenotypes compared with other major cereal crops such as rice and maize. The recently available genome sequence of wheat affords the pre-requisite information for efficiently exploiting the potential molecular resources for decoding the genetic architecture of complex traits and identifying valuable breeding targets. Meanwhile, the successful application of metabolomics as an emergent large-scale profiling methodology in several species has demonstrated this approach to be accessible for reaching the above goals. One such productive avenue is combining metabolomics approaches with genetic designs. However, this trial is not as widespread as that for sequencing technologies, especially when the acquisition, understanding, and application of metabolic approaches in wheat populations remain more difficult and even arguably underutilized. In this review, we briefly introduce the techniques used in the acquisition of metabolomics data and their utility in large-scale identification of functional candidate genes. Considerable progress has been made in delivering improved varieties, suggesting that the inclusion of information concerning these metabolites and genes and metabolic pathways enables a more explicit understanding of phenotypic traits and, as such, this procedure could serve as an -omics-informed roadmap for executing similar improvement strategies in wheat and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Mingyun Xue
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hongbo Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Alisdair R. Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm 14476, Germany
| | - Wei Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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Epimutations and mutations, nurturing phenotypic diversity. Genetica 2021; 150:171-181. [PMID: 34114171 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-021-00124-8] [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: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Epimutations and mutations are two dissimilar mechanisms that have contributed to the phenotypic diversities in organisms. Though dissimilar, many previous studies have revealed that the consequences of epimutations and mutations are not mutually exclusive. DNA rich in epigenetic modifications can be prone to mutations and vice versa. In order to get a better insight into the molecular evolution in organisms, it is important to consider the information of both genetic and epigenetic changes in their genomes. Understanding the similarities and differences between the consequences of epimutations and mutations is required for a better interpretation of phenotypic diversities in organisms. Factors contributing to epigenetic changes such as paramutations and mutation hotspots and, the correlation of the interdependence of mutations and epigenetic changes in DNA are important aspects that need to be considered for molecular evolutionary studies. Thus, this review explains what epimutations are, their causes, how they are similar/different from mutations, and the influence of epigenetic changes and mutations on each other, further emphasizing how molecular evolution involving both mutations and epimutations can lead to speciation. Considering this approach will aid in reorganizing taxonomic classifications, importantly, solving disparities in species identification.
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50
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DNA methylation: from model plants to vegetable crops. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1479-1487. [PMID: 34060587 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
As a subgroup of horticultural crops, vegetable food is a kind of indispensable energy source for human beings, providing necessary nutritional components including vitamins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and active substances such as carotenoids and flavonoids. The developmental process of vegetable crops is not only regulated by environmental stimulations, but also manipulated by both genetic and epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic modifications are composed by several regulatory mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs. Among these modifications, DNA methylation functions in multiple biological pathways ranging from fundamental development to environmental stimulations by mediating transcriptomic alterations, resulting in the activation or silencing of target genes. In recent years, intensive studies have revealed that DNA methylation is essential to fruit development and ripening, indicating that the epigenome of fruit crops could be dynamically modified according to the specific requirements in the commercial production. Firstly, this review will present the mechanisms of DNA methylation, and update the understanding on active DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Secondly, this review will summarize the recent progress on the function of DNA methylation in regulating fruit ripening. Moreover, the possible functions of DNA methylation on controlling the expansion of edible organs, senescence of leafy vegetables, and anthocyanin pigmentation in several important vegetable crops will be discussed. Finally, this review will highlight the intractable issues that need to be resolved in the application of epigenome in vegetable crops, and provide perspectives for the potential challenges in the further studies.
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