1
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Balao F, Medrano M, Bazaga P, Paun O, Alonso C. Long-term methylome changes after experimental seed demethylation and their interaction with recurrent water stress in Erodium cicutarium (Geraniaceae). PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024. [PMID: 39250311 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
The frequencies and lengths of drought periods are increasing in subtropical and temperate regions worldwide. Epigenetic responses to water stress could be key for plant resilience to these largely unpredictable challenges. Experimental DNA demethylation, together with application of a stress factor is an appropriate strategy to reveal the contribution of epigenetics to plant responses to stress. We analysed leaf cytosine methylation changes in adult plants of the annual Mediterranean herb, Erodium cicutarium, in a greenhouse, after seed demethylation with 5-Azacytidine and/or recurrent water stress. We used bisulfite RADseq (BsRADseq) and a newly reported reference genome for E. cicutarium to characterize methylation changes in a 2 × 2 factorial design, controlling for plant relatedness. In the long term, 5-Azacytidine treatment alone caused both hypo- and hyper-methylation at individual cytosines, with substantial hypomethylation in CG contexts. In control conditions, drought resulted in a decrease in methylation in all but CHH contexts. In contrast, the genome of plants that experienced recurrent water stress and had been treated with 5-Azacytidine increased DNA methylation level by ca. 5%. Seed demethylation and recurrent drought produced a highly significant interaction in terms of global and context-specific cytosine methylation. Most methylation changes occurred around genic regions and within Transposable Elements. The annotation of these Differentially Methylated Regions associated with genes included several with a potential role in stress responses (e.g., PAL, CDKC, and ABCF), confirming an epigenetic contribution in response to stress at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Balao
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - M Medrano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - P Bazaga
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - O Paun
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Alonso
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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2
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Yadav S, Yadava YK, Meena S, Kalwan G, Bharadwaj C, Paul V, Kansal R, Gaikwad K, Jain PK. Novel insights into drought-induced regulation of ribosomal genes through DNA methylation in chickpea. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 266:131380. [PMID: 38580022 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131380] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Modifications within the epigenome of an organism in response to external environmental conditions allow it to withstand the hostile stress factors. Drought in chickpea is a severely limiting abiotic stress factor which is known to cause huge yield loss. To analyse the methylome of chickpea in response to drought stress conditions and how it affects gene expression, we performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA-seq of two chickpea genotypes which contrast for drought tolerance. It was observed that the mCHH was most variable under drought stress and the drought tolerant (DT) genotype exhibited substantial genome-wide hypomethylation as compared to the drought sensitive (DS) genotype. Specifically, there was substantial difference in gene expression and methylation for the ribosomal genes for the tolerant and sensitive genotypes. The differential expression of these genes was in complete agreement with earlier reported transcriptomes in chickpea. Many of these genes were hypomethylated (q < 0.01) and downregulated under drought stress (p < 0.01) in the sensitive genotype. The gene RPS6 (ribosomal protein small subunit) was found to be downregulated and hypomethylated in the drought sensitive genotype which could possibly lead to reduced ribosomal biosynthesis. This study provides novel insights into regulation of drought-responsive genes in chickpea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheel Yadav
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India; PG School, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Yashwant K Yadava
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Shashi Meena
- PG School, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India; Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Gopal Kalwan
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India; PG School, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - C Bharadwaj
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Vijay Paul
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Rekha Kansal
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Kishor Gaikwad
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - P K Jain
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India.
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3
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McEvoy SL, Grady PGS, Pauloski N, O'Neill RJ, Wegrzyn JL. Profiling genome-wide methylation in two maples: Fine-scale approaches to detection with nanopore technology. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13669. [PMID: 38633133 PMCID: PMC11022628 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is critical to the regulation of transposable elements and gene expression and can play an important role in the adaptation of stress response mechanisms in plants. Traditional methods of methylation quantification rely on bisulfite conversion that can compromise accuracy. Recent advances in long-read sequencing technologies allow for methylation detection in real time. The associated algorithms that interpret these modifications have evolved from strictly statistical approaches to Hidden Markov Models and, recently, deep learning approaches. Much of the existing software focuses on methylation in the CG context, but methylation in other contexts is important to quantify, as it is extensively leveraged in plants. Here, we present methylation profiles for two maple species across the full range of 5mC sequence contexts using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-reads. Hybrid and reference-guided assemblies were generated for two new Acer accessions: Acer negundo (box elder; 65x ONT and 111X Illumina) and Acer saccharum (sugar maple; 93x ONT and 148X Illumina). The ONT reads generated for these assemblies were re-basecalled, and methylation detection was conducted in a custom pipeline with the published Acer references (PacBio assemblies) and hybrid assemblies reported herein to generate four epigenomes. Examination of the transposable element landscape revealed the dominance of LTR Copia elements and patterns of methylation associated with different classes of TEs. Methylation distributions were examined at high resolution across gene and repeat density and described within the broader angiosperm context, and more narrowly in the context of gene family dynamics and candidate nutrient stress genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan L. McEvoy
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
- Department of Forest SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Patrick G. S. Grady
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | - Nicole Pauloski
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
- Institute for Systems GenomicsUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | - Rachel J. O'Neill
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
- Institute for Systems GenomicsUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | - Jill L. Wegrzyn
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
- Institute for Systems GenomicsUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
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4
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Liu B, Yang D, Wang D, Liang C, Wang J, Lisch D, Zhao M. Heritable changes of epialleles near genes in maize can be triggered in the absence of CHH methylation. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:2511-2532. [PMID: 38109503 PMCID: PMC10980416 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Trans-chromosomal interactions resulting in changes in DNA methylation during hybridization have been observed in several plant species. However, little is known about the causes or consequences of these interactions. Here, we compared DNA methylomes of F1 hybrids that are mutant for a small RNA biogenesis gene, Mop1 (Mediator of paramutation1), with that of their parents, wild-type siblings, and backcrossed progeny in maize (Zea mays). Our data show that hybridization triggers global changes in both trans-chromosomal methylation (TCM) and trans-chromosomal demethylation (TCdM), most of which involved changes in CHH methylation. In more than 60% of these TCM differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in which small RNAs are available, no significant changes in the quantity of small RNAs were observed. Methylation at the CHH TCM DMRs was largely lost in the mop1 mutant, although the effects of this mutant varied depending on the location of these DMRs. Interestingly, an increase in CHH at TCM DMRs was associated with enhanced expression of a subset of highly expressed genes and suppressed expression of a small number of lowly expressed genes. Examination of the methylation levels in backcrossed plants demonstrates that both TCM and TCdM can be maintained in the subsequent generation, but that TCdM is more stable than TCM. Surprisingly, although increased CHH methylation in most TCM DMRs in F1 plants required Mop1, initiation of a new epigenetic state of these DMRs did not require a functional copy of this gene, suggesting that initiation of these changes is independent of RNA-directed DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Liu
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Diya Yang
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Dafang Wang
- Biology Department, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Chun Liang
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Jianping Wang
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Damon Lisch
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Meixia Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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5
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Runemark A, Moore EC, Larson EL. Hybridization and gene expression: Beyond differentially expressed genes. Mol Ecol 2024:e17303. [PMID: 38411307 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Gene expression has a key role in reproductive isolation, and studies of hybrid gene expression have identified mechanisms causing hybrid sterility. Here, we review the evidence for altered gene expression following hybridization and outline the mechanisms shown to contribute to altered gene expression in hybrids. Transgressive gene expression, transcending that of both parental species, is pervasive in early generation sterile hybrids, but also frequently observed in viable, fertile hybrids. We highlight studies showing that hybridization can result in transgressive gene expression, also in established hybrid lineages or species. Such extreme patterns of gene expression in stabilized hybrid taxa suggest that altered hybrid gene expression may result in hybridization-derived evolutionary novelty. We also conclude that while patterns of misexpression in hybrids are well documented, the understanding of the mechanisms causing misexpression is lagging. We argue that jointly assessing differences in cell composition and cell-specific changes in gene expression in hybrids, in addition to assessing changes in chromatin and methylation, will significantly advance our understanding of the basis of altered gene expression. Moreover, uncovering to what extent evolution of gene expression results in altered expression for individual genes, or entire networks of genes, will advance our understanding of how selection moulds gene expression. Finally, we argue that jointly studying the dual roles of altered hybrid gene expression, serving both as a mechanism for reproductive isolation and as a substrate for hybrid ecological adaptation, will lead to significant advances in our understanding of the evolution of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Runemark
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Emily C Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Erica L Larson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
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6
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Sammarco I, Díez Rodríguez B, Galanti D, Nunn A, Becker C, Bossdorf O, Münzbergová Z, Latzel V. DNA methylation in the wild: epigenetic transgenerational inheritance can mediate adaptation in clones of wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1621-1635. [PMID: 38058250 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Due to the accelerating climate change, it is crucial to understand how plants adapt to rapid environmental changes. Such adaptation may be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms like DNA methylation, which could heritably alter phenotypes without changing the DNA sequence, especially across clonal generations. However, we are still missing robust evidence of the adaptive potential of DNA methylation in wild clonal populations. Here, we studied genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic variation of Fragaria vesca, a predominantly clonally reproducing herb. We examined samples from 21 natural populations across three climatically distinct geographic regions, as well as clones of the same individuals grown in a common garden. We found that epigenetic variation was partly associated with climate of origin, particularly in non-CG contexts. Importantly, a large proportion of this variation was heritable across clonal generations. Additionally, a subset of these epigenetic changes affected the expression of genes mainly involved in plant growth and responses to pathogen and abiotic stress. These findings highlight the potential influence of epigenetic changes on phenotypic traits. Our findings indicate that variation in DNA methylation, which can be environmentally inducible and heritable, may enable clonal plant populations to adjust to their environmental conditions even in the absence of genetic adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Sammarco
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czechia
| | - Bárbara Díez Rodríguez
- Natural Resources and Climate Area, CARTIF Technology Centre, Parque Tecnológico de Boecillo, parc. 205, 47151, Boecillo, Valladolid, Spain
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 8, D-35043, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Forest Genetics, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Bertoldstraße 17, 79098, Freiburg i. Br., Germany
| | - Dario Galanti
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Adam Nunn
- ecSeq Bioinformatics GmbH, Sternwartenstraße 29, 04103, Saxony, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, University of Leipzig, Härtelstraße 16-18, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Claude Becker
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Dr Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- LMU Biocenter, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Zuzana Münzbergová
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czechia
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 01, Prague, Czechia
| | - Vít Latzel
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czechia
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7
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Salcedo-Sánchez R, Cruz-Zamora Y, Cruz-García F. The S C10-RNase promoter displays changes in DNA methylation patterns through pistil development in self-incompatible Nicotiana alata. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 205:108161. [PMID: 37956612 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108161] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
In Solanaceae, self-incompatibility is a genetic mechanism that prevents endogamy in plant populations. Expression of the S-determinants, S-RNase, and SLF, is tightly regulated during pistil and pollen development. However, the molecular mechanism of gene expression regulation in S-RNase-based self-incompatibility systems must be better understood. Here, we identified a 1.3 Kbp sequence upstream to the coding region of the functional SC10-RNase allele from the self-incompatible Nicotiana alata, which directs SC10-RNase expression in mature pistils. This SC10-RNase promoter includes a 300 bp region with minimal elements that sustain the SC10-RNase expression. Likewise, a fragment of a transposable element from the Gypsy family of retrotransposons is also present at the -320 bp position. Nevertheless, its presence does not affect the expression of the SC10-RNase in mature pistils. Additionally, we determined that the SC10-RNase promoter undergoes different DNA methylation states during pistil development, being the mCHH methylation context the most frequent close to the transcription start site at pistil maturity. We hypothesized that the Gypsy element at the SC10-RNase promoter might contribute to the DNA methylation remodeling on the three sequence contexts analyzed here. We propose that mCHH methylation enrichment and other regulatory elements in the S-RNase coding region regulate the specific and abundant SC10-RNase expression in mature pistils in N. alata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Salcedo-Sánchez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Mx, 04510, México
| | - Yuridia Cruz-Zamora
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Mx, 04510, México
| | - Felipe Cruz-García
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Mx, 04510, México.
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8
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Martin GT, Solares E, Guadardo-Mendez J, Muyle A, Bousios A, Gaut BS. miRNA-like secondary structures in maize ( Zea mays) genes and transposable elements correlate with small RNAs, methylation, and expression. Genome Res 2023; 33:1932-1946. [PMID: 37918960 PMCID: PMC10760457 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277459.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
RNA molecules carry information in their primary sequence and also their secondary structure. Secondary structure can confer important functional information, but it is also a signal for an RNAi-like host epigenetic response mediated by small RNAs (smRNAs). In this study, we used two bioinformatic methods to predict local secondary structures across features of the maize genome, focusing on small regions that had similar folding properties to pre-miRNA loci. We found miRNA-like secondary structures to be common in genes and most, but not all, superfamilies of RNA and DNA transposable elements (TEs). The miRNA-like regions map to a higher diversity of smRNAs than regions without miRNA-like structure, explaining up to 27% of variation in smRNA mapping for some TE superfamilies. This mapping bias is more pronounced among putatively autonomous TEs relative to nonautonomous TEs. Genome-wide, miRNA-like regions are also associated with elevated methylation levels, particularly in the CHH context. Among genes, those with miRNA-like secondary structure are 1.5-fold more highly expressed, on average, than other genes. However, these genes are also more variably expressed across the 26 nested association mapping founder lines, and this variability positively correlates with the number of mapping smRNAs. We conclude that local miRNA-like structures are a nearly ubiquitous feature of expressed regions of the maize genome, that they correlate with higher smRNA mapping and methylation, and that they may represent a trade-off between functional requirements and the potentially negative consequences of smRNA production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen T Martin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, USA
| | - Edwin Solares
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Jeanelle Guadardo-Mendez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, USA
| | - Aline Muyle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, USA
- CEFE, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandros Bousios
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Brandon S Gaut
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, USA;
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9
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Kumar S, Seem K, Kumar S, Singh A, Krishnan SG, Mohapatra T. DNA methylome analysis provides insights into gene regulatory mechanism for better performance of rice under fluctuating environmental conditions: epigenomics of adaptive plasticity. PLANTA 2023; 259:4. [PMID: 37993704 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04272-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION Roots play an important role in adaptive plasticity of rice under dry/direct-sown conditions. However, hypomethylation of genes in leaves (resulting in up-regulated expression) complements the adaptive plasticity of Nagina-22 under DSR conditions. Rice is generally cultivated by transplanting which requires plenty of water for irrigation. Such a practice makes rice cultivation a challenging task under global climate change and reducing water availability. However, dry-seeded/direct-sown rice (DSR) has emerged as a resource-saving alternative to transplanted rice (TPR). Though some of the well-adapted local cultivars are used for DSR, only limited success has been achieved in developing DSR varieties mainly because of a limited knowledge of adaptability of rice under fluctuating environmental conditions. Based on better morpho-physiological and agronomic performance of Nagina-22 (N-22) under DSR conditions, N-22 and IR-64 were grown by transplanting and direct-sowing and used for whole genome methylome analysis to unravel the epigenetic basis of adaptive plasticity of rice. Comparative methylome and transcriptome analyses indicated a large number (4078) of genes regulated through DNA methylation/demethylation in N-22 under DSR conditions. Gene × environment interactions play important roles in adaptive plasticity of rice under direct-sown conditions. While genes for pectinesterase, LRK10, C2H2 zinc-finger protein, splicing factor, transposable elements, and some of the unannotated proteins were hypermethylated, the genes for regulation of transcription, protein phosphorylation, etc. were hypomethylated in CG context in the root of N-22, which played important roles in providing adaptive plasticity to N-22 under DSR conditions. Hypomethylation leading to up-regulation of gene expression in the leaf complements the adaptive plasticity of N-22 under DSR conditions. Moreover, differential post-translational modification of proteins and chromatin assembly/disassembly through DNA methylation in CHG context modulate adaptive plasticity of N-22. These findings would help developing DSR cultivars for increased water-productivity and ecological efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suresh Kumar
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
| | - Karishma Seem
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Archana Singh
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - S Gopala Krishnan
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
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10
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Zeng Y, Dawe RK, Gent JI. Natural methylation epialleles correlate with gene expression in maize. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad146. [PMID: 37556604 PMCID: PMC10550312 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation in plants is depleted from cis-regulatory elements in and near genes but is present in some gene bodies, including exons. Methylation in exons solely in the CG context is called gene body methylation (gbM). Methylation in exons in both CG and non-CG contexts is called TE-like methylation (teM). Assigning functions to both forms of methylation in genes has proven to be challenging. Toward that end, we utilized recent genome assemblies, gene annotations, transcription data, and methylome data to quantify common patterns of gene methylation and their relations to gene expression in maize. We found that gbM genes exist in a continuum of CG methylation levels without a clear demarcation between unmethylated genes and gbM genes. Analysis of expression levels across diverse maize stocks and tissues revealed a weak but highly significant positive correlation between gbM and gene expression except in endosperm. gbM epialleles were associated with an approximately 3% increase in steady-state expression level relative to unmethylated epialleles. In contrast to gbM genes, which were conserved and were broadly expressed across tissues, we found that teM genes, which make up about 12% of genes, are mainly silent, are poorly conserved, and exhibit evidence of annotation errors. We used these data to flag teM genes in the 26 NAM founder genome assemblies. While some teM genes are likely functional, these data suggest that the majority are not, and their inclusion can confound the interpretation of whole-genome studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibing Zeng
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - R Kelly Dawe
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jonathan I Gent
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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11
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Liu B, Yang D, Wang D, Liang C, Wang J, Lisch D, Zhao M. Heritable changes of epialleles in maize can be triggered in the absence of DNA methylation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.15.537008. [PMID: 37131670 PMCID: PMC10153178 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.15.537008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Trans-chromosomal interactions resulting in changes in DNA methylation during hybridization have been observed in several plant species. However, very little is known about the causes or consequences of these interactions. Here, we compared DNA methylomes of F1 hybrids that are mutant for a small RNA biogenesis gene, Mop1 (mediator of paramutation1) with that of their parents, wild type siblings, and backcrossed progeny in maize. Our data show that hybridization triggers global changes in both trans-chromosomal methylation (TCM) and trans-chromosomal demethylation (TCdM), most of which involved changes in CHH methylation. In more than 60% of these TCM differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in which small RNAs are available, no significant changes in the quantity of small RNAs were observed. Methylation at the CHH TCM DMRs was largely lost in the mop1 mutant, although the effects of this mutant varied depending on the location of the CHH DMRs. Interestingly, an increase in CHH at TCM DMRs was associated with enhanced expression of a subset of highly expressed genes and suppressed expression of a small number of lowly expressed genes. Examination of the methylation levels in backcrossed plants demonstrates that TCM and TCdM can be maintained in the subsequent generation, but that TCdM is more stable than TCM. Surprisingly, although increased CHH methylation in F1 plants did require Mop1, initiation of the changes in the epigenetic state of TCM DMRs did not require a functional copy of this gene, suggesting that initiation of these changes is not dependent on RNA-directed DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Liu
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056
| | - Diya Yang
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056
| | - Dafang Wang
- Biology Department, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549
| | - Chun Liang
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056
| | - Jianping Wang
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Damon Lisch
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Meixia Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
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12
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Zhang J, Xie Y, Zhang H, He C, Wang X, Cui Y, Heng Y, Lin Y, Gu R, Wang J, Fu J. Integrated Multi-Omics Reveals Significant Roles of Non-Additively Expressed Small RNAs in Heterosis for Maize Plant Height. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119150. [PMID: 37298102 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterosis is a complex biological phenomenon regulated by genetic variations and epigenetic changes. However, the roles of small RNAs (sRNAs), an important epigenetic regulatory element, on plant heterosis are still poorly understood. Here, an integrative analysis was performed with sequencing data from multi-omics layers of maize hybrids and their two homologous parental lines to explore the potential underlying mechanisms of sRNAs in plant height (PH) heterosis. sRNAome analysis revealed that 59 (18.61%) microRNAs (miRNAs) and 64,534 (54.00%) 24-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) clusters were non-additively expressed in hybrids. Transcriptome profiles showed that these non-additively expressed miRNAs regulated PH heterosis through activating genes involved in vegetative growth-related pathways while suppressing those related to reproductive and stress response pathways. DNA methylome profiles showed that non-additive methylation events were more likely to be induced by non-additively expressed siRNA clusters. Genes associated with low-parental expression (LPE) siRNAs and trans-chromosomal demethylation (TCdM) events were enriched in developmental processes as well as nutrients and energy metabolism, whereas genes associated with high-parental expression (HPE) siRNAs and trans-chromosomal methylation (TCM) events were gathered in stress response and organelle organization pathways. Our results provide insights into the expression and regulation patterns of sRNAs in hybrids and help to elucidate their potential targeting pathways contributing to PH heterosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- Center of Seed Science and Technology, Beijing Innovation Center for Seed Technology (MOA), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Guizhou Institute of Tobacco Science, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Yuxin Xie
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hongwei Zhang
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Cheng He
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yu Cui
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yanfang Heng
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yingchao Lin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Guizhou Institute of Tobacco Science, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Riliang Gu
- Center of Seed Science and Technology, Beijing Innovation Center for Seed Technology (MOA), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jianhua Wang
- Center of Seed Science and Technology, Beijing Innovation Center for Seed Technology (MOA), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Junjie Fu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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13
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Weng X, Song H, Sreedasyam A, Haque T, Zhang L, Chen C, Yoshinaga Y, Williams M, O'Malley RC, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Juenger TE. Transcriptome and DNA methylome divergence of inflorescence development between two ecotypes in Panicum hallii. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023:kiad209. [PMID: 37018475 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The morphological diversity of the inflorescence determines flower and seed production, which is critical for plant adaptation. Hall's panicgrass (Panicum hallii, P. hallii) is a wild perennial grass that has been developed as a model to study perennial grass biology and adaptive evolution. Highly divergent inflorescences have evolved between the two major ecotypes in P. hallii, the upland ecotype (P. hallii var hallii, HAL2 genotype) with compact inflorescence and large seed and the lowland ecotype (P. hallii var filipes, FIL2 genotype) with an open inflorescence and small seed. Here we conducted a comparative analysis of the transcriptome and DNA methylome, an epigenetic mark that influences gene expression regulation, across different stages of inflorescence development using genomic references for each ecotype. Global transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and co-expression modules underlying the inflorescence divergence revealed the potential role of cytokinin signaling in heterochronic changes. Comparing DNA methylome profiles revealed a remarkable level of differential DNA methylation associated with the evolution of P. hallii inflorescence. We found that a large proportion of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were located in the flanking regulatory regions of genes. Intriguingly, we observed a substantial bias of CHH hypermethylation in the promoters of FIL2 genes. The integration of DEGs, DMRs, and Ka/Ks ratio results characterized the evolutionary features of DMRs-associated DEGs that contribute to the divergence of the P. hallii inflorescence. This study provides insights into the transcriptome and epigenetic landscape of inflorescence divergence in P. hallii and a genomic resource for perennial grass biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Weng
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Haili Song
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Taslima Haque
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Cindy Chen
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yuko Yoshinaga
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Ronan C O'Malley
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jane Grimwood
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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14
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Methylation in the CHH Context Allows to Predict Recombination in Rice. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012505. [PMID: 36293364 PMCID: PMC9604423 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is the most studied epigenetic trait. It is considered a key factor in regulating plant development and physiology, and has been associated with the regulation of several genomic features, including transposon silencing, regulation of gene expression, and recombination rates. Nonetheless, understanding the relation between DNA methylation and recombination rates remains a challenge. This work explores the association between recombination rates and DNA methylation for two commercial rice varieties. The results show negative correlations between recombination rates and methylated cytosine counts for all contexts tested at the same time, and for CG and CHG contexts independently. In contrast, a positive correlation between recombination rates and methylated cytosine count is reported in CHH contexts. Similar behavior is observed when considering only methylated cytosines within genes, transposons, and retrotransposons. Moreover, it is shown that the centromere region strongly affects the relationship between recombination rates and methylation. Finally, machine learning regression models are applied to predict recombination using the count of methylated cytosines in the CHH context as the entrance feature. These findings shed light on the understanding of the recombination landscape of rice and represent a reference framework for future studies in rice breeding, genetics, and epigenetics.
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15
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Velay F, Méteignier LV, Laloi C. You shall not pass! A Chromatin barrier story in plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:888102. [PMID: 36212303 PMCID: PMC9540200 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.888102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
As in other eukaryotes, the plant genome is functionally organized in two mutually exclusive chromatin fractions, a gene-rich and transcriptionally active euchromatin, and a gene-poor, repeat-rich, and transcriptionally silent heterochromatin. In Drosophila and humans, the molecular mechanisms by which euchromatin is preserved from heterochromatin spreading have been extensively studied, leading to the identification of insulator DNA elements and associated chromatin factors (insulator proteins), which form boundaries between chromatin domains with antagonistic features. In contrast, the identity of factors assuring such a barrier function remains largely elusive in plants. Nevertheless, several genomic elements and associated protein factors have recently been shown to regulate the spreading of chromatin marks across their natural boundaries in plants. In this minireview, we focus on recent findings that describe the spreading of chromatin and propose avenues to improve the understanding of how plant chromatin architecture and transitions between different chromatin domains are defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Velay
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, Biosciences and Biotechnologies Institute of Aix-Marseille (BIAM), Equipe de Luminy de Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, Marseille, F-13009, France
| | - Louis-Valentin Méteignier
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, Biosciences and Biotechnologies Institute of Aix-Marseille (BIAM), Equipe de Luminy de Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, Marseille, F-13009, France
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Christophe Laloi
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, Biosciences and Biotechnologies Institute of Aix-Marseille (BIAM), Equipe de Luminy de Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, Marseille, F-13009, France
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16
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Su J, Yao Z, Wu Y, Lee J, Jeong J. Minireview: Chromatin-based regulation of iron homeostasis in plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:959840. [PMID: 36186078 PMCID: PMC9523571 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.959840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Plants utilize delicate mechanisms to effectively respond to changes in the availability of nutrients such as iron. The responses to iron status involve controlling gene expression at multiple levels. The regulation of iron deficiency response by a network of transcriptional regulators has been extensively studied and recent research has shed light on post-translational control of iron homeostasis. Although not as considerably investigated, an increasing number of studies suggest that histone modification and DNA methylation play critical roles during iron deficiency and contribute to fine-tuning iron homeostasis in plants. This review will focus on the current understanding of chromatin-based regulation on iron homeostasis in plants highlighting recent studies in Arabidopsis and rice. Understanding iron homeostasis in plants is vital, as it is not only relevant to fundamental biological questions, but also to agriculture, biofortification, and human health. A comprehensive overview of the effect and mechanism of chromatin-based regulation in response to iron status will ultimately provide critical insights in elucidating the complexities of iron homeostasis and contribute to improving iron nutrition in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Su
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Zhujun Yao
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
| | - Yixuan Wu
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
| | - Joohyun Lee
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
| | - Jeeyon Jeong
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, United States
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17
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Gallo‐Franco JJ, Ghneim‐Herrera T, Tobar‐Tosse F, Romero M, Chaura J, Quimbaya M. Whole-genome DNA methylation patterns of Oryza sativa (L.) and Oryza glumaepatula (Steud) genotypes associated with aluminum response. PLANT DIRECT 2022; 6:e430. [PMID: 36051226 PMCID: PMC9414936 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms in crops have emerged as a fundamental factor in plant adaptation and acclimation to biotic and abiotic stresses. Among described epigenetic mechanisms, DNA methylation has been defined as the most studied epigenetic modification involved in several developmental processes. It has been shown that contrasting methylation marks are associated with gene expression variations between cultivated and wild crop species. In this study, we analyzed single-base resolution methylome maps for Oryza sativa (a cultivated species) and Oryza glumaepatula (a wild species) genotypes grown under control conditions. Our results showed that overall, genome-wide methylation profiles are mainly conserved between both species, nevertheless, there are several differentially methylated regions with species-specific methylation patterns. In addition, we analyzed the association of identified DNA methylation marks in relation with Aluminum-tolerance levels of studied genotypes. We found several differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and DMR-associated genes (DAGs) that are linked with Al tolerance. Some of these DAGs have been previously reported as differentially expressed under Al exposure in O. sativa. Complementarily a Transposable Elements (TE) analysis revealed that specific aluminum related genes have associated-TEs potentially regulated by DNA methylation. Interestingly, the DMRs and DAGs between Al-tolerant and susceptible genotypes were different between O. sativa and O. glumaepatula, suggesting that methylation patterns related to Al responses are unique for each rice species. Our findings provide novel insights into DNA methylation patterns in wild and cultivated rice genotypes and their possible role in the regulation of plant stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fabian Tobar‐Tosse
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas de la SaludPontificia Universidad Javeriana CaliCaliColombia
| | - Miguel Romero
- Departamento de Electrónica y Ciencias de la computaciónPontificia Universidad Javeriana CaliCaliColombia
| | - Juliana Chaura
- Departamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad ICESICaliColombia
| | - Mauricio Quimbaya
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y MatemáticasPontificia Universidad Javeriana CaliCaliColombia
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18
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Saha D, Shaw AK, Datta S, Mitra J, Kar G. DNA hypomethylation is the plausible driver of heat stress adaptation in Linum usitatissimum. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022; 174:e13689. [PMID: 35462427 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Heat stress has a significant impact on the climatic adaptation of flax, a cool-season economic crop. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns are crucial for understanding how flax cultivars respond to heat adversities. It is worth noting that the DNA methylome in flax has yet to be investigated at the nucleotide level. Although heat stress above 40°C caused oxidative damage in flax leaves, 5-azacytidine, a hypomethylating agent, reduced this effect by 15%-24%. Differences in the expression of the LuMET1 (DNA methyltransferase) gene suggested that DNA methylation/demethylation may play a major role in the flax heat stress response. Thus, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing-derived DNA methylation profiles in flax, with or without heat stress and 5-azaC, were developed and analyzed here. In response to heat stress, a high percentage of significant differentially methylated regions (DMRs), particularly hypomethylated DMRs, were identified in the CHH nucleotide sequence context (H = A/T/C). Some of these DMRs overlapped with transposable element insertions. The majority of DMRs were discovered in intergenic regions, but several DMR loci were also found near genes relevant to heat stress response and epigenetic processes. These DMRs, in particular, are linked to CpG islands, implying a possible role in promoter methylation and gene silencing. The DMRs discovered in this study are crucial for understanding and identifying the key players in heat stress response in flax, which will help in developing climate-smart flax varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipnarayan Saha
- ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore, India
| | - Arun Kumar Shaw
- ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore, India
| | - Subhojit Datta
- ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore, India
| | - Jiban Mitra
- ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore, India
| | - Gouranga Kar
- ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore, India
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19
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Sork VL, Cokus SJ, Fitz-Gibbon ST, Zimin AV, Puiu D, Garcia JA, Gugger PF, Henriquez CL, Zhen Y, Lohmueller KE, Pellegrini M, Salzberg SL. High-quality genome and methylomes illustrate features underlying evolutionary success of oaks. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2047. [PMID: 35440538 PMCID: PMC9018854 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29584-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Quercus, which emerged ∼55 million years ago during globally warm temperatures, diversified into ∼450 extant species. We present a high-quality de novo genome assembly of a California endemic oak, Quercus lobata, revealing features consistent with oak evolutionary success. Effective population size remained large throughout history despite declining since early Miocene. Analysis of 39,373 mapped protein-coding genes outlined copious duplications consistent with genetic and phenotypic diversity, both by retention of genes created during the ancient γ whole genome hexaploid duplication event and by tandem duplication within families, including numerous resistance genes and a very large block of duplicated DUF247 genes, which have been found to be associated with self-incompatibility in grasses. An additional surprising finding is that subcontext-specific patterns of DNA methylation associated with transposable elements reveal broadly-distributed heterochromatin in intergenic regions, similar to grasses. Collectively, these features promote genetic and phenotypic variation that would facilitate adaptability to changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Sork
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA.
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Shawn J Cokus
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Sorel T Fitz-Gibbon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
| | - Aleksey V Zimin
- Center for Computational Biology, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Daniela Puiu
- Center for Computational Biology, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jesse A Garcia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
| | - Paul F Gugger
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, 21532, USA
| | - Claudia L Henriquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
| | - Ying Zhen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
| | - Kirk E Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1438, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Steven L Salzberg
- Center for Computational Biology, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
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20
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Muyle AM, Seymour DK, Lv Y, Huettel B, Gaut BS. Gene-body methylation in plants: mechanisms, functions and important implications for understanding evolutionary processes. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6550137. [PMID: 35298639 PMCID: PMC8995044 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene body methylation (gbM) is an epigenetic mark where gene exons are methylated in the CG context only, as opposed to CHG and CHH contexts (where H stands for A, C, or T). CG methylation is transmitted transgenerationally in plants, opening the possibility that gbM may be shaped by adaptation. This presupposes, however, that gbM has a function that affects phenotype, which has been a topic of debate in the literature. Here, we review our current knowledge of gbM in plants. We start by presenting the well-elucidated mechanisms of plant gbM establishment and maintenance. We then review more controversial topics: the evolution of gbM and the potential selective pressures that act on it. Finally, we discuss the potential functions of gbM that may affect organismal phenotypes: gene expression stabilization and upregulation, inhibition of aberrant transcription (reverse and internal), prevention of aberrant intron retention, and protection against TE insertions. To bolster the review of these topics, we include novel analyses to assess the effect of gbM on transcripts. Overall, a growing body of literature finds that gbM correlates with levels and patterns of gene expression. It is not clear, however, if this is a causal relationship. Altogether, functional work suggests that the effects of gbM, if any, must be relatively small, but there is nonetheless evidence that it is shaped by natural selection. We conclude by discussing the potential adaptive character of gbM and its implications for an updated view of the mechanisms of adaptation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yuanda Lv
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, Institute of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Bruno Huettel
- Max Planck Genome Centre Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding, Cologne, Germany
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21
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D’Amico-Willman KM, Sideli GM, Allen BJ, Anderson ES, Gradziel TM, Fresnedo-Ramírez J. Identification of Putative Markers of Non-infectious Bud Failure in Almond [ Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] Through Genome Wide DNA Methylation Profiling and Gene Expression Analysis in an Almond × Peach Hybrid Population. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:804145. [PMID: 35237284 PMCID: PMC8882727 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.804145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] is an economically important nut crop susceptible to the genetic disorder, Non-infectious Bud Failure (NBF). Despite the severity of exhibition in several prominent almond cultivars, no causal mechanism has been identified underlying NBF development. The disorder is hypothesized to be associated with differential DNA methylation patterns based on patterns of inheritance (i.e., via sexual reproduction and clonal propagation) and previous work profiling methylation in affected trees. Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) is a closely related species that readily hybridizes with almond; however, peach is not known to exhibit NBF. A cross between an NBF-exhibiting 'Carmel' cultivar and early flowering peach ('40A17') produced an F1 where ∼50% of progeny showed signs of NBF, including canopy die-back, erratic branching patterns (known as "crazy-top"), and rough bark. In this study, whole-genome DNA methylation profiles were generated for three F1 progenies exhibiting NBF and three progenies considered NBF-free. Subsequent alignment to both the almond and peach reference genomes showed an increase in genome-wide methylation levels in NBF hybrids in CG and CHG contexts compared to no-NBF hybrids when aligned to the almond genome but no difference in methylation levels when aligned to the peach genome. Significantly differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified by comparing methylation levels across the genome between NBF- and no-NBF hybrids in each methylation context. In total, 115,635 DMRs were identified based on alignment to the almond reference genome, and 126,800 DMRs were identified based on alignment to the peach reference genome. Nearby genes were identified as associated with the 39 most significant DMRs occurring either in the almond or peach alignments alone or occurring in both the almond and peach alignments. These DMR-associated genes include several uncharacterized proteins and transposable elements. Quantitative PCR was also performed to analyze the gene expression patterns of these identified gene targets to determine patterns of differential expression associated with differential DNA methylation. These DMR-associated genes, particularly those showing corresponding patterns of differential gene expression, represent key targets for almond breeding for future cultivars and mitigating the effects of NBF-exhibition in currently affected cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gina M. Sideli
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Brian J. Allen
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth S. Anderson
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, United States
| | - Thomas M. Gradziel
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Jonathan Fresnedo-Ramírez
- Center for Applied Plant Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, United States
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, United States
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22
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McGrath C. OUP accepted manuscript. Genome Biol Evol 2022. [PMCID: PMC8931812 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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