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Jiang J, Gwee J, Fang J, Leichter SM, Sanders D, Ji X, Song J, Zhong X. Substrate specificity and protein stability drive the divergence of plant-specific DNA methyltransferases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.11.603080. [PMID: 39071332 PMCID: PMC11275764 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.11.603080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism essential for transposon silencing and genome integrity. Across evolution, the substrates of DNA methylation have diversified between kingdoms to account for genome complexity. In plants, Chromomethylase3 (CMT3) and CMT2 are the major methyltransferases mediating CHG and CHH methylation, respectively. However, how these two enzymes diverge on substrate specificities during evolution remains unknown. Here, we reveal that CMT2 originates from a duplication of the evolutionarily more ancient CMT3 in flowering plants. Lacking a key arginine residue recognizing CHG in CMT2 impairs its CHG methylation activity in most flowering plants. An engineered V1200R mutation empowers CMT2 to restore both CHG and CHH methylation in Arabidopsis cmt2cmt3 mutant, testifying a loss-of-function effect for CMT2 after ∼200 million years of evolution. Interestingly, CMT2 has evolved a long and unstructured N-terminus critical for balancing protein stability, especially under heat stress. Furthermore, CMT2 N-terminus is plastic and can be tolerant to various natural mutations. Together, this study reveals the mechanism of chromomethylase divergence for context-specific DNA methylation in plants and sheds important lights on DNA methylation evolution and function.
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2
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Baduel P, Sammarco I, Barrett R, Coronado‐Zamora M, Crespel A, Díez‐Rodríguez B, Fox J, Galanti D, González J, Jueterbock A, Wootton E, Harney E. The evolutionary consequences of interactions between the epigenome, the genome and the environment. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13730. [PMID: 39050763 PMCID: PMC11266121 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13730] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The epigenome is the suite of interacting chemical marks and molecules that helps to shape patterns of development, phenotypic plasticity and gene regulation, in part due to its responsiveness to environmental stimuli. There is increasing interest in understanding the functional and evolutionary importance of this sensitivity under ecologically realistic conditions. Observations that epigenetic variation abounds in natural populations have prompted speculation that it may facilitate evolutionary responses to rapid environmental perturbations, such as those occurring under climate change. A frequent point of contention is whether epigenetic variants reflect genetic variation or are independent of it. The genome and epigenome often appear tightly linked and interdependent. While many epigenetic changes are genetically determined, the converse is also true, with DNA sequence changes influenced by the presence of epigenetic marks. Understanding how the epigenome, genome and environment interact with one another is therefore an essential step in explaining the broader evolutionary consequences of epigenomic variation. Drawing on results from experimental and comparative studies carried out in diverse plant and animal species, we synthesize our current understanding of how these factors interact to shape phenotypic variation in natural populations, with a focus on identifying similarities and differences between taxonomic groups. We describe the main components of the epigenome and how they vary within and between taxa. We review how variation in the epigenome interacts with genetic features and environmental determinants, with a focus on the role of transposable elements (TEs) in integrating the epigenome, genome and environment. And we look at recent studies investigating the functional and evolutionary consequences of these interactions. Although epigenetic differentiation in nature is likely often a result of drift or selection on stochastic epimutations, there is growing evidence that a significant fraction of it can be stably inherited and could therefore contribute to evolution independently of genetic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Baduel
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale SupérieurePSL University, CNRSParisFrance
| | - Iris Sammarco
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzechia
| | - Rowan Barrett
- Redpath Museum and Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | | | | | | | - Janay Fox
- Redpath Museum and Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Dario Galanti
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology (EvE)University of TuebingenTübingenGermany
| | | | - Alexander Jueterbock
- Algal and Microbial Biotechnology Division, Faculty of Biosciences and AquacultureNord UniversityBodøNorway
| | - Eric Wootton
- Redpath Museum and Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Ewan Harney
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologyCSIC, UPFBarcelonaSpain
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
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3
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Nandety RS, Oh S, Lee HK, Krom N, Gupta R, Mysore KS. Genome-wide methylation landscape during somatic embryogenesis in Medicago truncatula reveals correlation between Tnt1 retrotransposition and hyperactive methylation regions. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 119:557-576. [PMID: 38627952 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16744] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Medicago truncatula is a model legume for fundamental research on legume biology and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Tnt1, a retrotransposon from tobacco, was used to generate insertion mutants in M. truncatula R108. Approximately 21 000 insertion lines have been generated and publicly available. Tnt1 retro-transposition event occurs during somatic embryogenesis (SE), a pivotal process that triggers massive methylation changes. We studied the SE of M. truncatula R108 using leaf explants and explored the dynamic shifts in the methylation landscape from leaf explants to callus formation and finally embryogenesis. Higher cytosine methylation in all three contexts of CG, CHG, and CHH patterns was observed during SE compared to the controls. Higher methylation patterns were observed in assumed promoter regions (~2-kb upstream regions of transcription start site) of the genes, while lowest was recorded in the untranslated regions. Differentially methylated promoter region analysis showed a higher CHH methylation in embryogenesis tissue samples when compared to CG and CHG methylation. Strong correlation (89.71%) was identified between the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and the site of Tnt1 insertions in M. truncatula R108 and stronger hypermethylation of genes correlated with higher number of Tnt1 insertions in all contexts of CG, CHG, and CHH methylation. Gene ontology enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified genes and pathways enriched in the signal peptide processing, ATP hydrolysis, RNA polymerase activity, transport, secondary metabolites, and nitrogen metabolism pathways. Combined gene expression analysis and methylation profiling showed an inverse relationship between methylation in the DMRs (regions spanning genes) and the expression of genes. Our results show that a dynamic shift in methylation happens during the SE process in the context of CG, CHH and CHG methylation, and the Tnt1 retrotransposition correlates with the hyperactive methylation regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Sekhar Nandety
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, USA
- Cereal Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, USA
| | - Sunhee Oh
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
| | - Hee-Kyung Lee
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
| | - Nick Krom
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
| | - Rajeev Gupta
- Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, USA
- Cereal Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Fargo, North Dakota, 58102, USA
| | - Kirankumar S Mysore
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
- Institute for Agricultural Biosciences, Oklahoma State University, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73401, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA
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4
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Wang Z, Xia A, Wang Q, Cui Z, Lu M, Ye Y, Wang Y, He Y. Natural polymorphisms in ZMET2 encoding a DNA methyltransferase modulate the number of husk layers in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:2129-2142. [PMID: 38431291 PMCID: PMC11213254 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation affects agronomic traits and the environmental adaptability of crops, but the natural polymorphisms in DNA methylation-related genes and their contributions to phenotypic variation in maize (Zea mays) remain elusive. Here, we show that a polymorphic 10-bp insertion/deletion variant in the 3'UTR of Zea methyltransferase2 (ZMET2) alters its transcript level and accounts for variation in the number of maize husk layers. ZMET2 encodes a chromomethylase and is required for maintaining genome-wide DNA methylation in the CHG sequence context. Disruption of ZMET2 increased the number of husk layers and resulted in thousands of differentially methylated regions, a proportion of which were also distinguishable in natural ZMET2 alleles. Population genetic analyses indicated that ZMET2 was a target of selection and might play a role in the spread of maize from tropical to temperate regions. Our results provide important insights into the natural variation of ZMET2 that confers both global and locus-specific effects on DNA methylation, which contribute to phenotypic diversity in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Aiai Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Zhenhai Cui
- Shenyang Key Laboratory of Maize Genomic Selection Breeding, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Ming Lu
- Maize Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling 136100, China
| | - Yusheng Ye
- Maize Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110065, China
| | - Yanbo Wang
- Maize Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110065, China
| | - Yan He
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
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5
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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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6
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Liu J, Zhong X. Population epigenetics: DNA methylation in the plant omics era. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:2039-2048. [PMID: 38366882 PMCID: PMC10980424 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation plays an important role in many biological processes. The mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of DNA methylation are well understood thanks to decades of research using DNA methylation mutants, primarily in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accession Col-0. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) using the methylomes of natural accessions have uncovered a complex and distinct genetic basis of variation in DNA methylation at the population level. Sequencing following bisulfite treatment has served as an excellent method for quantifying DNA methylation. Unlike studies focusing on specific accessions with reference genomes, population-scale methylome research often requires an additional round of sequencing beyond obtaining genome assemblies or genetic variations from whole-genome sequencing data, which can be cost prohibitive. Here, we provide an overview of recently developed bisulfite-free methods for quantifying methylation and cost-effective approaches for the simultaneous detection of genetic and epigenetic information. We also discuss the plasticity of DNA methylation in a specific Arabidopsis accession, the contribution of DNA methylation to plant adaptation, and the genetic determinants of variation in DNA methylation in natural populations. The recently developed technology and knowledge will greatly benefit future studies in population epigenomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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7
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Jiang J, Xu YC, Zhang ZQ, Chen JF, Niu XM, Hou XH, Li XT, Wang L, Zhang YE, Ge S, Guo YL. Forces driving transposable element load variation during Arabidopsis range expansion. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:840-862. [PMID: 38036296 PMCID: PMC10980350 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Genetic load refers to the accumulated and potentially life-threatening deleterious mutations in populations. Understanding the mechanisms underlying genetic load variation of transposable element (TE) insertion, a major large-effect mutation, during range expansion is an intriguing question in biology. Here, we used 1,115 global natural accessions of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) to study the driving forces of TE load variation during its range expansion. TE load increased with range expansion, especially in the recently established Yangtze River basin population. Effective population size, which explains 62.0% of the variance in TE load, high transposition rate, and selective sweeps contributed to TE accumulation in the expanded populations. We genetically mapped and identified multiple candidate causal genes and TEs, and revealed the genetic architecture of TE load variation. Overall, this study reveals the variation in TE genetic load during Arabidopsis expansion and highlights the causes of TE load variation from the perspectives of both population genetics and quantitative genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yong-Chao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Zhi-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jia-Fu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Min Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Xing-Hui Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Xin-Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li Wang
- Agricultural Synthetic Biology Center, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Yong E Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents & Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Song Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ya-Long Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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8
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Liu J, Zhong X. Epiallelic variation of non-coding RNA genes and their phenotypic consequences. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1375. [PMID: 38355746 PMCID: PMC10867003 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45771-5] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic variations contribute greatly to the phenotypic plasticity and diversity. Current functional studies on epialleles have predominantly focused on protein-coding genes, leaving the epialleles of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) genes largely understudied. Here, we uncover abundant DNA methylation variations of ncRNA genes and their significant correlations with plant adaptation among 1001 natural Arabidopsis accessions. Through genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identify large numbers of methylation QTL (methylQTL) that are independent of known DNA methyltransferases and enriched in specific chromatin states. Proximal methylQTL closely located to ncRNA genes have a larger effect on DNA methylation than distal methylQTL. We ectopically tether a DNA methyltransferase MQ1v to miR157a by CRISPR-dCas9 and show de novo establishment of DNA methylation accompanied with decreased miR157a abundance and early flowering. These findings provide important insights into the genetic basis of epigenetic variations and highlight the contribution of epigenetic variations of ncRNA genes to plant phenotypes and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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9
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Contreras-Garrido A, Galanti D, Movilli A, Becker C, Bossdorf O, Drost HG, Weigel D. Transposon dynamics in the emerging oilseed crop Thlaspi arvense. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011141. [PMID: 38295109 PMCID: PMC10881000 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011141] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome evolution is partly driven by the mobility of transposable elements (TEs) which often leads to deleterious effects, but their activity can also facilitate genetic novelty and catalyze local adaptation. We explored how the intraspecific diversity of TE polymorphisms might contribute to the broad geographic success and adaptive capacity of the emerging oil crop Thlaspi arvense (field pennycress). We classified the TE inventory based on a high-quality genome assembly, estimated the age of retrotransposon TE families and comprehensively assessed their mobilization potential. A survey of 280 accessions from 12 regions across the Northern hemisphere allowed us to quantify over 90,000 TE insertion polymorphisms (TIPs). Their distribution mirrored the genetic differentiation as measured by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The number and types of mobile TE families vary substantially across populations, but there are also shared patterns common to all accessions. Ty3/Athila elements are the main drivers of TE diversity in T. arvense populations, while a single Ty1/Alesia lineage might be particularly important for transcriptome divergence. The number of retrotransposon TIPs is associated with variation at genes related to epigenetic regulation, including an apparent knockout mutation in BROMODOMAIN AND ATPase DOMAIN-CONTAINING PROTEIN 1 (BRAT1), while DNA transposons are associated with variation at the HSP19 heat shock protein gene. We propose that the high rate of mobilization activity can be harnessed for targeted gene expression diversification, which may ultimately present a toolbox for the potential use of transposition in breeding and domestication of T. arvense.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dario Galanti
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Movilli
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claude Becker
- LMU Biocenter, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hajk-Georg Drost
- Computational Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen,Tübingen, Germany
| | - Detlef Weigel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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10
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Kornienko AE, Nizhynska V, Molla Morales A, Pisupati R, Nordborg M. Population-level annotation of lncRNAs in Arabidopsis reveals extensive expression variation associated with transposable element-like silencing. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 36:85-111. [PMID: 37683092 PMCID: PMC10734619 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are understudied and underannotated in plants. In mammals, lncRNA loci are nearly as ubiquitous as protein-coding genes, and their expression is highly variable between individuals of the same species. Using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model, we aimed to elucidate the true scope of lncRNA transcription across plants from different regions and study its natural variation. We used transcriptome deep sequencing data sets spanning hundreds of natural accessions and several developmental stages to create a population-wide annotation of lncRNAs, revealing thousands of previously unannotated lncRNA loci. While lncRNA transcription is ubiquitous in the genome, most loci appear to be actively silenced and their expression is extremely variable between natural accessions. This high expression variability is largely caused by the high variability of repressive chromatin levels at lncRNA loci. High variability was particularly common for intergenic lncRNAs (lincRNAs), where pieces of transposable elements (TEs) present in 50% of these lincRNA loci are associated with increased silencing and variation, and such lncRNAs tend to be targeted by the TE silencing machinery. We created a population-wide lncRNA annotation in Arabidopsis and improve our understanding of plant lncRNA genome biology, raising fundamental questions about what causes transcription and silencing across the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra E Kornienko
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Viktoria Nizhynska
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Almudena Molla Morales
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Rahul Pisupati
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Magnus Nordborg
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
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11
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Baduel P, Sasaki E. The genetic basis of epigenetic variation and its consequences for adaptation. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 75:102409. [PMID: 37451221 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102409] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Recent population genomic studies in plants have shed new light on natural epigenetic variation by identifying key genetic determinants, "trans modifiers," that influence epigenetic states genome-wide and their interplay with environmental factors. Here, we review this progress by focusing on the epigenetic control of transposition and life-cycle transitions to highlight the ecological consequences of this genetic architecture and its evolutionary significance. This knowledge provides new opportunities to address long-standing questions about the establishment of environment-associated epigenetic variation and its relevance in adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Baduel
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), ENS, PSL University, CNRS, 46 rue d'Ulm, Paris 75005, France
| | - Eriko Sasaki
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
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12
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Martins LM, Law JA. Moving targets: Mechanisms regulating siRNA production and DNA methylation during plant development. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 75:102435. [PMID: 37598540 PMCID: PMC10581331 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a conserved modification that must be precisely regulated during development to facilitate its roles in silencing transposable elements and regulating gene expression. In plants, DNA methylation changes during reproduction are widely documented and, in many cases, the underlying mechanisms are well understood. In somatic tissues, the diversity of methylation patterns are only recently emerging but they are often associated with the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway. Here, we discuss advances in our understanding of how the locus-specific targeting and tissue-specific expression of RdDM proteins regulate methylation patterns, how the targeting of methylation at loci with imperfect homology expands the purview of RdDM, and how natural variation within RdDM factors impacts DNA methylation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Martins
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Julie A Law
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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13
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Hollwey E, Briffa A, Howard M, Zilberman D. Concepts, mechanisms and implications of long-term epigenetic inheritance. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 81:102087. [PMID: 37441873 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Many modes and mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance have been elucidated in eukaryotes. Most of them are relatively short-term, generally not exceeding one or a few organismal generations. However, emerging evidence indicates that one mechanism, cytosine DNA methylation, can mediate epigenetic inheritance over much longer timescales, which are mostly or completely inaccessible in the laboratory. Here we discuss the evidence for, and mechanisms and implications of, such long-term epigenetic inheritance. We argue that compelling evidence supports the long-term epigenetic inheritance of gene body methylation, at least in the model angiosperm Arabidopsis thaliana, and that variation in such methylation can therefore serve as an epigenetic basis for phenotypic variation in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy Briffa
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Martin Howard
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Daniel Zilberman
- Institute of Science and Technology, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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14
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Apodiakou A, Hoefgen R. New insights into the regulation of plant metabolism by O-acetylserine: sulfate and beyond. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:3361-3378. [PMID: 37025061 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Under conditions of sulfur deprivation, O-acetylserine (OAS) accumulates, which leads to the induction of a common set of six genes, called OAS cluster genes. These genes are induced not only under sulfur deprivation, but also under other conditions where OAS accumulates, such as shift to darkness and stress conditions leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) or methyl-jasmonate accumulation. Using the OAS cluster genes as a query in ATTED-II, a co-expression network is derived stably spanning several hundred conditions. This allowed us not only to describe the downstream function of the OAS cluster genes but also to score for functions of the members of the co-regulated co-expression network and hence the effects of the OAS signal on the sulfate assimilation pathway and co-regulated pathways. Further, we summarized existing knowledge on the regulation of the OAS cluster and the co-expressed genes. We revealed that the known sulfate deprivation-related transcription factor EIL3/SLIM1 exhibits a prominent role, as most genes are subject to regulation by this transcription factor. The role of other transcription factors in response to OAS awaits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Apodiakou
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Rainer Hoefgen
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
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15
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Xiao Y, Chen X, Yin Y, Zheng J, Yi H, Song L. Comparative genetic and epigenetic of the Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski from different regions in China. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:289. [PMID: 37254044 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04277-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski is a prevalent and widely distributed invasive plant in South China. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying its rapid adaptation, we employed DNA methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis to study 60 S. trilobata individuals collected from Fuzhou (FZ), Haikou (HK), Jinghong (JH) and Guangzhou (GZ). RESULTS In this study, we computed the Shannon diversity index (I) of SSR and MSAP as 0.354 and 0.303, respectively. The UPGMA phylogenetic tree and PCoA analyses showed that MSAP had a better discriminatory power to distinguish populations from different regions. Notably, the GZ population was found to be the most distinct from the other three populations. Moreover, Mantel analysis revealed a significantly higher correlation between epigenetic distance and geographic distance as compared to genetic distance and geographic distance. Consequently, the correlation between epigenetic distance and geographic distance observed to be markedly stronger than that between genetic distance and geographical distance on Mantel analysis. CONCLUSIONS The S. trilobata populations in various regions displayed a high of complementary genetic and epigenetic diversity, which was a key feature contributing to their rapid invasion. Interestingly, the correlation between epigenetics and geographical distance was significantly stronger than that observed for genetics and geographical distance. These findings indicated that the epigenetic mechanism of S. trilobar exhibited high plasticity, leading to significant differences in methylation pattern across different populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusha Xiao
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Xiuqing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yuhan Yin
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jiening Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Huixian Yi
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Liying Song
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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16
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Pisupati R, Nizhynska V, Mollá Morales A, Nordborg M. On the causes of gene-body methylation variation in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010728. [PMID: 37141384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene-body methylation (gbM) refers to sparse CG methylation of coding regions, which is especially prominent in evolutionarily conserved house-keeping genes. It is found in both plants and animals, but is directly and stably (epigenetically) inherited over multiple generations in the former. Studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have demonstrated that plants originating from different parts of the world exhibit genome-wide differences in gbM, which could reflect direct selection on gbM, but which could also reflect an epigenetic memory of ancestral genetic and/or environmental factors. Here we look for evidence of such factors in F2 plants resulting from a cross between a southern Swedish line with low gbM and a northern Swedish line with high gbM, grown at two different temperatures. Using bisulfite-sequencing data with nucleotide-level resolution on hundreds of individuals, we confirm that CG sites are either methylated (nearly 100% methylation across sampled cells) or unmethylated (approximately 0% methylation across sampled cells), and show that the higher level of gbM in the northern line is due to more sites being methylated. Furthermore, methylation variants almost always show Mendelian segregation, consistent with their being directly and stably inherited through meiosis. To explore how the differences between the parental lines could have arisen, we focused on somatic deviations from the inherited state, distinguishing between gains (relative to the inherited 0% methylation) and losses (relative to the inherited 100% methylation) at each site in the F2 generation. We demonstrate that deviations predominantly affect sites that differ between the parental lines, consistent with these sites being more mutable. Gains and losses behave very differently in terms of the genomic distribution, and are influenced by the local chromatin state. We find clear evidence for different trans-acting genetic polymorphism affecting gains and losses, with those affecting gains showing strong environmental interactions (G×E). Direct effects of the environment were minimal. In conclusion, we show that genetic and environmental factors can change gbM at a cellular level, and hypothesize that these factors can also lead to transgenerational differences between individuals via the inclusion of such changes in the zygote. If true, this could explain genographic pattern of gbM with selection, and would cast doubt on estimates of epimutation rates from inbred lines in constant environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Pisupati
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni, Vienna, Austria
| | - Viktoria Nizhynska
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Almudena Mollá Morales
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Magnus Nordborg
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
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17
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Srikant T, Yuan W, Berendzen KW, Contreras-Garrido A, Drost HG, Schwab R, Weigel D. Canalization of genome-wide transcriptional activity in Arabidopsis thaliana accessions by MET1-dependent CG methylation. Genome Biol 2022; 23:263. [PMID: 36539836 PMCID: PMC9768921 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02833-5] [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: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite its conserved role on gene expression and transposable element (TE) silencing, genome-wide CG methylation differs substantially between wild Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. RESULTS To test our hypothesis that global reduction of CG methylation would reduce epigenomic, transcriptomic, and phenotypic diversity in A. thaliana accessions, we knock out MET1, which is required for CG methylation, in 18 early-flowering accessions. Homozygous met1 mutants in all accessions suffer from common developmental defects such as dwarfism and delayed flowering, in addition to accession-specific abnormalities in rosette leaf architecture, silique morphology, and fertility. Integrated analysis of genome-wide methylation, chromatin accessibility, and transcriptomes confirms that MET1 inactivation greatly reduces CG methylation and alters chromatin accessibility at thousands of loci. While the effects on TE activation are similarly drastic in all accessions, the quantitative effects on non-TE genes vary greatly. The global expression profiles of accessions become considerably more divergent from each other after genome-wide removal of CG methylation, although a few genes with diverse expression profiles across wild-type accessions tend to become more similar in mutants. Most differentially expressed genes do not exhibit altered chromatin accessibility or CG methylation in cis, suggesting that absence of MET1 can have profound indirect effects on gene expression and that these effects vary substantially between accessions. CONCLUSIONS Systematic analysis of MET1 requirement in different A. thaliana accessions reveals a dual role for CG methylation: for many genes, CG methylation appears to canalize expression levels, with methylation masking regulatory divergence. However, for a smaller subset of genes, CG methylation increases expression diversity beyond genetically encoded differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanvi Srikant
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Present address: Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Wei Yuan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kenneth Wayne Berendzen
- Plant Transformation and Flow Cytometry Facility, ZMBP, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Hajk-Georg Drost
- Computational Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rebecca Schwab
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Detlef Weigel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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18
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Galanti D, Ramos-Cruz D, Nunn A, Rodríguez-Arévalo I, Scheepens JF, Becker C, Bossdorf O. Genetic and environmental drivers of large-scale epigenetic variation in Thlaspi arvense. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010452. [PMID: 36223399 PMCID: PMC9591053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural plant populations often harbour substantial heritable variation in DNA methylation. However, a thorough understanding of the genetic and environmental drivers of this epigenetic variation requires large-scale and high-resolution data, which currently exist only for a few model species. Here, we studied 207 lines of the annual weed Thlaspi arvense (field pennycress), collected across a large latitudinal gradient in Europe and propagated in a common environment. By screening for variation in DNA sequence and DNA methylation using whole-genome (bisulfite) sequencing, we found significant epigenetic population structure across Europe. Average levels of DNA methylation were strongly context-dependent, with highest DNA methylation in CG context, particularly in transposable elements and in intergenic regions. Residual DNA methylation variation within all contexts was associated with genetic variants, which often co-localized with annotated methylation machinery genes but also with new candidates. Variation in DNA methylation was also significantly associated with climate of origin, with methylation levels being lower in colder regions and in more variable climates. Finally, we used variance decomposition to assess genetic versus environmental associations with differentially methylated regions (DMRs). We found that while genetic variation was generally the strongest predictor of DMRs, the strength of environmental associations increased from CG to CHG and CHH, with climate-of-origin as the strongest predictor in about one third of the CHH DMRs. In summary, our data show that natural epigenetic variation in Thlaspi arvense is significantly associated with both DNA sequence and environment of origin, and that the relative importance of the two factors strongly depends on the sequence context of DNA methylation. T. arvense is an emerging biofuel and winter cover crop; our results may hence be relevant for breeding efforts and agricultural practices in the context of rapidly changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Galanti
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Daniela Ramos-Cruz
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- LMU Biocenter, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Adam Nunn
- ecSeq Bioinformatics GmbH, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Computer Science, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Isaac Rodríguez-Arévalo
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- LMU Biocenter, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - J. F. Scheepens
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Claude Becker
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- LMU Biocenter, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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19
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Chakraborty T, Payne H, Mosher RA. Expansion and contraction of small RNA and methylation machinery throughout plant evolution. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 69:102260. [PMID: 35849937 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The revolution in sequencing has created a wealth of plant genomes that can be mined to understand the evolution of biological complexity. Complexity is often driven by gene duplication, which allows paralogs to specialize in an activity of the ancestral gene or acquire novel functions. Angiosperms encode a variety of gene silencing pathways that share related machinery for small RNA biosynthesis and function. Recent phylogenetic analysis of these gene families plots the expansion, specialization, and occasional contraction of this core machinery. This analysis reveals the ancient origin of RNA-directed DNA Methylation in early land plants, or possibly their algal ancestors, as well as ongoing duplications that evolve novel small RNA pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Chakraborty
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0036, USA
| | - Hayden Payne
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0036, USA
| | - Rebecca A Mosher
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0036, USA.
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20
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Sasaki E, Gunis J, Reichardt-Gomez I, Nizhynska V, Nordborg M. Conditional GWAS of non-CG transposon methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana reveals major polymorphisms in five genes. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010345. [PMID: 36084135 PMCID: PMC9491579 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed that the striking natural variation for DNA CHH-methylation (mCHH; H is A, T, or C) of transposons has oligogenic architecture involving major alleles at a handful of known methylation regulators. Here we use a conditional GWAS approach to show that CHG-methylation (mCHG) has a similar genetic architecture-once mCHH is statistically controlled for. We identify five key trans-regulators that appear to modulate mCHG levels, and show that they interact with a previously identified modifier of mCHH in regulating natural transposon mobilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriko Sasaki
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Joanna Gunis
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Ilka Reichardt-Gomez
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Viktoria Nizhynska
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Magnus Nordborg
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
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21
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Huang Y, Shukla H, Lee YCG. Species-specific chromatin landscape determines how transposable elements shape genome evolution. eLife 2022; 11:81567. [PMID: 35997258 PMCID: PMC9398452 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are selfish genetic parasites that increase their copy number at the expense of host fitness. The ‘success’, or genome-wide abundance, of TEs differs widely between species. Deciphering the causes for this large variety in TE abundance has remained a central question in evolutionary genomics. We previously proposed that species-specific TE abundance could be driven by the inadvertent consequences of host-direct epigenetic silencing of TEs—the spreading of repressive epigenetic marks from silenced TEs into adjacent sequences. Here, we compared this TE-mediated local enrichment of repressive marks, or ‘the epigenetic effect of TEs’, in six species in the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup to dissect step-by-step the role of such effect in determining genomic TE abundance. We found that TE-mediated local enrichment of repressive marks is prevalent and substantially varies across and even within species. While this TE-mediated effect alters the epigenetic states of adjacent genes, we surprisingly discovered that the transcription of neighboring genes could reciprocally impact this spreading. Importantly, our multi-species analysis provides the power and appropriate phylogenetic resolution to connect species-specific host chromatin regulation, TE-mediated epigenetic effects, the strength of natural selection against TEs, and genomic TE abundance unique to individual species. Our findings point toward the importance of host chromatin landscapes in shaping genome evolution through the epigenetic effects of a selfish genetic parasite. All the instructions required for life are encoded in the set of DNA present in a cell. It therefore seems natural to think that every bit of this genetic information should serve the organism. And yet most species carry parasitic ‘transposable’ sequences, or transposons, whose only purpose is to multiply and insert themselves at other positions in the genome. It is possible for cells to suppress these selfish elements. Chemical marks can be deposited onto the DNA to temporarily ‘silence’ transposons and prevent them from being able to move and replicate. However, this sometimes comes at a cost: the repressive chemical modifications can spread to nearby genes that are essential for the organism and perturb their function. Strangely, the prevalence of transposons varies widely across the tree of life. These sequences form the majority of the genome of certain species – in fact, they represent about half of the human genetic information. But their abundance is much lower in other organisms, forming a measly 6% of the genome of puffer fish for instance. Even amongst fruit fly species, the prevalence of transposable elements can range between 2% and 25%. What explains such differences? Huang et al. set out to examine this question through the lens of transposon silencing, systematically comparing how this process impacts nearby regions in six species of fruit flies. This revealed variations in the strength of the side effects associated with transposon silencing, resulting in different levels of perturbation on neighbouring genes. A stronger impact was associated with the species having fewer transposons in its genome, suggesting that an evolutionary pressure is at work to keep the abundance of transposons at a low level in these species. Further analyses showed that the genes which determine how silencing marks are distributed may also be responsible for the variations in the impact of transposon silencing. They could therefore be the ones driving differences in the abundance of transposons between species. Overall, this work sheds light on the complex mechanisms shaping the evolution of genomes, and it may help to better understand how transposons are linked to processes such as aging and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuheng Huang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, United States
| | - Harsh Shukla
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, United States
| | - Yuh Chwen G Lee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, United States
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22
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Nozawa K, Masuda S, Saze H, Ikeda Y, Suzuki T, Takagi H, Tanaka K, Ohama N, Niu X, Kato A, Ito H. Epigenetic regulation of ecotype-specific expression of the heat-activated transposon ONSEN. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:899105. [PMID: 35923888 PMCID: PMC9340270 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.899105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements are present in a wide variety of organisms; however, our understanding of the diversity of mechanisms involved in their activation is incomplete. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptional activation of the ONSEN retrotransposon, which is activated by high-temperature stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that its transcription is significantly higher in the Japanese ecotype Kyoto. Considering that transposons are epigenetically regulated, DNA methylation levels were analyzed, revealing that CHH methylation was reduced in Kyoto compared to the standard ecotype, Col-0. A mutation was also detected in the Kyoto CMT2 gene, encoding a CHH methyltransferase, suggesting that it may be responsible for increased expression of ONSEN. CHH methylation is controlled by histone modifications through a self-reinforcing loop between DNA methyltransferase and histone methyltransferase. Analysis of these modifications revealed that the level of H3K9me2, a repressive histone marker for gene expression, was lower in Kyoto than in Col-0. The level of another repressive histone marker, H3K27me1, was decreased in Kyoto; however, it was not impacted in a Col-0 cmt2 mutant. Therefore, in addition to the CMT2 mutation, other factors may reduce repressive histone modifications in Kyoto.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Nozawa
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Seiji Masuda
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Saze
- Plant Epigenetics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Japan
| | - Yoko Ikeda
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Takamasa Suzuki
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, Kasugai, Japan
| | - Hiroki Takagi
- Faculty of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Nonoichi, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tanaka
- NODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya-ku, Japan
| | - Naohiko Ohama
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Xiaoying Niu
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kato
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Ito
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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23
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Berger F. Which field of research would Gregor Mendel choose in the 21st century? THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:2462-2465. [PMID: 35238371 PMCID: PMC9252487 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Gregor Mendel's work on segregation of traits in plants established the basic methodology and rules of genetics. The interruption of Mendel's research activities in 1870 impeded the immediate recognition of the value of his work until the dawn of the 20th century. Only then were his founding laws of genetics validated, propelling the development of biological research toward the birth of molecular biology in the second half of the 20th century. While molecular plant genetics can be viewed as the spiritual heir of Mendel's research, one might wonder whether in the 21st century Gregor Mendel would prefer to practice scientific approaches other than molecular genetics such as population genetics, comparative genomics, or the emerging field of evo-chromo. In this perspective, I review aspects of these fields that might have attracted or perplexed a 21st century Mendel.
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24
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Doody E, Zha Y, He J, Poethig RS. The genetic basis of natural variation in the timing of vegetative phase change in Arabidopsis thaliana. Development 2022; 149:275256. [PMID: 35502761 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The juvenile-to-adult transition in plants is known as vegetative phase change and is marked by changes in the expression of leaf traits in response to a decrease in the level of miR156 and miR157. To determine whether this is the only mechanism of vegetative phase change, we measured the appearance of phase-specific leaf traits in 70 natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that leaf shape was poorly correlated with abaxial trichome production (two adult traits), that variation in these traits was not necessarily correlated with the level of miR156, and that there was little to no correlation between the appearance of adult-specific vegetative traits and flowering time. We identified eight quantitative trait loci controlling phase-specific vegetative traits from a cross between the Columbia (Col-0) and Shakdara (Sha) accessions. Only one of these quantitative trait loci includes genes known to regulate vegetative phase change (MIR156A and TOE1), which were expressed at levels consistent with the precocious phenotype of Sha. Our results suggest that vegetative phase change is regulated both by the miR156/SPL module and by genes specific to different vegetative traits, and that natural variation in vegetative phase change can arise from either source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Doody
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yuqi Zha
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jia He
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - R Scott Poethig
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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25
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Mounger JM, van Riemsdijk I, Boquete MT, Wagemaker CAM, Fatma S, Robertson MH, Voors SA, Oberstaller J, Gawehns F, Hanley TC, Grosse I, Verhoeven KJF, Sotka EE, Gehring CA, Hughes AR, Lewis DB, Schmid MW, Richards CL. Genetic and Epigenetic Differentiation Across Intertidal Gradients in the Foundation Plant Spartina alterniflora. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.868826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological genomics approaches have informed us about the structure of genetic diversity in natural populations that might underlie patterns in trait variation. However, we still know surprisingly little about the mechanisms that permit organisms to adapt to variable environmental conditions. The salt marsh foundation plant Spartina alterniflora exhibits a dramatic range in phenotype that is associated with a pronounced intertidal environmental gradient across a narrow spatial scale. Both genetic and non-genetic molecular mechanisms might underlie this phenotypic variation. To investigate both, we used epigenotyping-by-sequencing (epiGBS) to evaluate the make-up of natural populations across the intertidal environmental gradient. Based on recent findings, we expected that both DNA sequence and DNA methylation diversity would be explained by source population and habitat within populations. However, we predicted that epigenetic variation might be more strongly associated with habitat since similar epigenetic modifications could be rapidly elicited across different genetic backgrounds by similar environmental conditions. Overall, with PERMANOVA we found that population of origin explained a significant amount of the genetic (8.6%) and epigenetic (3.2%) variance. In addition, we found that a small but significant amount of genetic and epigenetic variance (<1%) was explained by habitat within populations. The interaction of population and habitat explained an additional 2.9% of the genetic variance and 1.4% of the epigenetic variance. By examining genetic and epigenetic variation within the same fragments (variation in close-cis), we found that population explained epigenetic variation in 9.2% of 8,960 tested loci, even after accounting for differences in the DNA sequence of the fragment. Habitat alone explained very little (<0.1%) of the variation in these close-cis comparisons, but the interaction of population and habitat explained 2.1% of the epigenetic variation in these loci. Using multiple matrix regression with randomization (MMRR) we found that phenotypic differences in natural populations were correlated with epigenetic and environmental differences even when accounting for genetic differences. Our results support the contention that sequence variation explains most of the variation in DNA methylation, but we have provided evidence that DNA methylation distinctly contributes to plant responses in natural populations.
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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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27
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Sasaki T, Ro K, Caillieux E, Manabe R, Bohl-Viallefond G, Baduel P, Colot V, Kakutani T, Quadrana L. Fast co-evolution of anti-silencing systems shapes the invasiveness of Mu-like DNA transposons in eudicots. EMBO J 2022; 41:e110070. [PMID: 35285528 PMCID: PMC9016345 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021110070] [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: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) constitute a major threat to genome stability and are therefore typically silenced by epigenetic mechanisms. In response, some TEs have evolved counteracting systems to suppress epigenetic silencing. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, two such anti-silencing systems have been identified and found to be mediated by the VANC DNA-binding proteins encoded by VANDAL transposons. Here, we show that anti-silencing systems have rapidly diversified since their origin in eudicots by gaining and losing VANC-containing domains, such as DUF1985, DUF287, and Ulp1, as well as target sequence motifs. We further demonstrate that these motifs determine anti-silencing specificity by sequence, density, and helical periodicity. Moreover, such rapid diversification yielded at least 10 distinct VANC-induced anti-silencing systems in Arabidopsis. Strikingly, anti-silencing of non-autonomous VANDALs, which can act as reservoirs of 24-nt small RNAs, is critical to prevent the demise of cognate autonomous TEs and to ensure their propagation. Our findings illustrate how complex co-evolutionary dynamics between TEs and host suppression pathways have shaped the emergence of new epigenetic control mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taku Sasaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kyudo Ro
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Erwann Caillieux
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Riku Manabe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Grégoire Bohl-Viallefond
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Baduel
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Colot
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Tetsuji Kakutani
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Leandro Quadrana
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
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28
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Hüther P, Hagmann J, Nunn A, Kakoulidou I, Pisupati R, Langenberger D, Weigel D, Johannes F, Schultheiss SJ, Becker C. MethylScore, a pipeline for accurate and context-aware identification of differentially methylated regions from population-scale plant whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data. QUANTITATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 3:e19. [PMID: 37077980 PMCID: PMC10095865 DOI: 10.1017/qpb.2022.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) is the standard method for profiling DNA methylation at single-nucleotide resolution. Different tools have been developed to extract differentially methylated regions (DMRs), often built upon assumptions from mammalian data. Here, we present MethylScore, a pipeline to analyse WGBS data and to account for the substantially more complex and variable nature of plant DNA methylation. MethylScore uses an unsupervised machine learning approach to segment the genome by classification into states of high and low methylation. It processes data from genomic alignments to DMR output and is designed to be usable by novice and expert users alike. We show how MethylScore can identify DMRs from hundreds of samples and how its data-driven approach can stratify associated samples without prior information. We identify DMRs in the A. thaliana 1,001 Genomes dataset to unveil known and unknown genotype-epigenotype associations .
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Hüther
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology GmbH, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
- LMU Biocenter, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Adam Nunn
- ecSeq Bioinformatics GmbH, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ioanna Kakoulidou
- Department of Plant Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Rahul Pisupati
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology GmbH, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Detlef Weigel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Frank Johannes
- Department of Plant Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | | | - Claude Becker
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology GmbH, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
- LMU Biocenter, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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29
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Regulation of retrotransposition in Arabidopsis. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2241-2251. [PMID: 34495315 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210337] [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: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Plant genomes are largely comprised of retrotransposons which can replicate through 'copy and paste' mechanisms. Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are the major class of retrotransposons in plant species, and importantly they broadly affect the expression of nearby genes. Although most LTR retrotransposons are non-functional, active retrotranspositions have been reported in plant species or mutants under normal growth condition and environmental stresses. With the well-defined reference genome and numerous mutant alleles, Arabidopsis studies have significantly expanded our understanding of retrotransposon regulation. Active LTR retrotransposon loci produce virus-like particles to perform reverse transcription, and their complementary DNA can be inserted into new genomic loci. Due to the detrimental consequences of retrotransposition, plants like animals, have developed transcriptional and post-transcriptional silencing mechanisms. Recently several different genome-wide techniques have been developed to understand LTR retrotransposition in Arabidopsis and different plant species. Transposome, methylome, transcriptome, translatome and small RNA sequencing data have revealed how host silencing mechanisms can affect multiple steps of retrotransposition. These recent advances shed light on future mechanistic studies of retrotransposition as well as retrotransposon diversity.
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30
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Neinavaie F, Ibrahim-Hashim A, Kramer AM, Brown JS, Richards CL. The Genomic Processes of Biological Invasions: From Invasive Species to Cancer Metastases and Back Again. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.681100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of invasion is useful across a broad range of contexts, spanning from the fine scale landscape of cancer tumors up to the broader landscape of ecosystems. Invasion biology provides extraordinary opportunities for studying the mechanistic basis of contemporary evolution at the molecular level. Although the field of invasion genetics was established in ecology and evolution more than 50 years ago, there is still a limited understanding of how genomic level processes translate into invasive phenotypes across different taxa in response to complex environmental conditions. This is largely because the study of most invasive species is limited by information about complex genome level processes. We lack good reference genomes for most species. Rigorous studies to examine genomic processes are generally too costly. On the contrary, cancer studies are fortified with extensive resources for studying genome level dynamics and the interactions among genetic and non-genetic mechanisms. Extensive analysis of primary tumors and metastatic samples have revealed the importance of several genomic mechanisms including higher mutation rates, specific types of mutations, aneuploidy or whole genome doubling and non-genetic effects. Metastatic sites can be directly compared to primary tumor cell counterparts. At the same time, clonal dynamics shape the genomics and evolution of metastatic cancers. Clonal diversity varies by cancer type, and the tumors’ donor and recipient tissues. Still, the cancer research community has been unable to identify any common events that provide a universal predictor of “metastatic potential” which parallels findings in evolutionary ecology. Instead, invasion in cancer studies depends strongly on context, including order of events and clonal composition. The detailed studies of the behavior of a variety of human cancers promises to inform our understanding of genome level dynamics in the diversity of invasive species and provide novel insights for management.
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31
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Mounger J, Boquete MT, Schmid MW, Granado R, Robertson MH, Voors SA, Langanke KL, Alvarez M, Wagemaker CAM, Schrey AW, Fox GA, Lewis DB, Lira CF, Richards CL. Inheritance of DNA methylation differences in the mangrove Rhizophora mangle. Evol Dev 2021; 23:351-374. [PMID: 34382741 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The capacity to respond to environmental challenges ultimately relies on phenotypic variation which manifests from complex interactions of genetic and nongenetic mechanisms through development. While we know something about genetic variation and structure of many species of conservation importance, we know very little about the nongenetic contributions to variation. Rhizophora mangle is a foundation species that occurs in coastal estuarine habitats throughout the neotropics where it provides critical ecosystem functions and is potentially threatened by anthropogenic environmental changes. Several studies have documented landscape-level patterns of genetic variation in this species, but we know virtually nothing about the inheritance of nongenetic variation. To assess one type of nongenetic variation, we examined the patterns of DNA sequence and DNA methylation in maternal plants and offspring from natural populations of R. mangle from the Gulf Coast of Florida. We used a reduced representation bisulfite sequencing approach (epi-genotyping by sequencing; epiGBS) to address the following questions: (a) What are the levels of genetic and epigenetic diversity in natural populations of R. mangle? (b) How are genetic and epigenetic variation structured within and among populations? (c) How faithfully is epigenetic variation inherited? We found low genetic diversity but high epigenetic diversity from natural populations of maternal plants in the field. In addition, a large portion (up to ~25%) of epigenetic differences among offspring grown in common garden was explained by maternal family. Therefore, epigenetic variation could be an important source of response to challenging environments in the genetically depauperate populations of this foundation species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannie Mounger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - M Teresa Boquete
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CSIC, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Renan Granado
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Diretoria de Pesquisas, Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil
| | - Marta H Robertson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Sandy A Voors
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Kristen L Langanke
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Mariano Alvarez
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Avalo, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Aaron W Schrey
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Armstrong Campus, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Gordon A Fox
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - David B Lewis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Catarina Fonseca Lira
- Diretoria de Pesquisas, Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil
| | - Christina L Richards
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Institute of Evolution & Ecology, Tübingen, Germany
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32
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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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33
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Gao Z, Guo L, Chen M, Yu F, Wei Q. Characterization of the development dynamics within the linear growth bamboo leaf. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 172:1518-1534. [PMID: 33502764 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The leaf is the main photosynthetic organ in plants, such as bamboo. Leaves from bamboo are used as a food additive. However, according to our investigation, to date there have been no reports concerning the leaf development of bamboo. By measuring over 7500 parenchymal cells, we discovered that the linear leaf growth of Pseudosasa japonica could be divided into three growth sections. The first one is a roughly 1-cm long division zone (DZ), containing about 1580 cells, located at the bottom of the leaf; the second one is an about 3-cm long elongation zone (EZ), with ~1905 cells, located above the DZ; and the last is a mature zone (MZ) in which cell elongation is completed. The cell production rate of the DZ was 25.33-35.81 cells per hour, with an average of 29.73; and the cell division rate was ~0.45 cells per cell every 24 h. PacBio and Illumina transcriptome sequencing found 21 933 unigenes expressed in these zones. Further analysis revealed a dynamic transcriptome, with transcripts for cell division in the DZ changing to transcripts for cell elongation, photosynthetic development, secondary metabolism, stress resistance, and nutrition transport toward the leaf distal. Those transcriptome transformations correlated well with the changes of relative water content, biomass accumulation, and cellulose crystal degree and were supported by quantitative polymerase chain reaction data. These results revealed a developmental gradient of the bamboo linear growth leaf, which offers a foundation to elucidate and engineer leaf development in bamboo, an economically valuable plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Gao
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Guo
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fen Yu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agriculture University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agriculture University, Nanchang, China
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34
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Mounger J, Ainouche ML, Bossdorf O, Cavé-Radet A, Li B, Parepa M, Salmon A, Yang J, Richards CL. Epigenetics and the success of invasive plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200117. [PMID: 33866809 PMCID: PMC8059582 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions impose ecological and economic problems on a global scale, but also provide extraordinary opportunities for studying contemporary evolution. It is critical to understand the evolutionary processes that underly invasion success in order to successfully manage existing invaders, and to prevent future invasions. As successful invasive species sometimes are suspected to rapidly adjust to their new environments in spite of very low genetic diversity, we are obliged to re-evaluate genomic-level processes that translate into phenotypic diversity. In this paper, we review work that supports the idea that trait variation, within and among invasive populations, can be created through epigenetic or other non-genetic processes, particularly in clonal invaders where somatic changes can persist indefinitely. We consider several processes that have been implicated as adaptive in invasion success, focusing on various forms of 'genomic shock' resulting from exposure to environmental stress, hybridization and whole-genome duplication (polyploidy), and leading to various patterns of gene expression re-programming and epigenetic changes that contribute to phenotypic variation or even novelty. These mechanisms can contribute to transgressive phenotypes, including hybrid vigour and novel traits, and may thus help to understand the huge successes of some plant invaders, especially those that are genetically impoverished. This article is part of the theme issue 'How does epigenetics influence the course of evolution?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannie Mounger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33617, USA
| | - Malika L. Ainouche
- UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, OSUR, Université de Rennes 1, Campus Scientifique de Beaulieu, Rennes, France
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Armand Cavé-Radet
- UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, OSUR, Université de Rennes 1, Campus Scientifique de Beaulieu, Rennes, France
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bo Li
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Madalin Parepa
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Armel Salmon
- UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, OSUR, Université de Rennes 1, Campus Scientifique de Beaulieu, Rennes, France
| | - Ji Yang
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Christina L. Richards
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33617, USA
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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35
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Ritter EJ, Niederhuth CE. Intertwined evolution of plant epigenomes and genomes. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 61:101990. [PMID: 33445143 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2020.101990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is found across eukaryotes; however, plants have evolved patterns and pathways of DNA methylation that are distinct from animals and fungi. DNA methylation shapes the evolution of genomes through its direct roles in transposon silencing, gene expression, genome stability, and its impact on mutation rates. In return the diversity of DNA methylation across species is shaped by genome sequence evolution. Extensive diversification of key DNA methylation pathways has continued in plants through gene duplication and loss. Meanwhile, frequent movement of transposons has altered local DNA methylation patterns and the genes affected. Only recently has the diversity and evolutionary history of plant DNA methylation become evident with the availability of increasing genomic and epigenomic data. However, much remains unresolved regarding the evolutionary forces that have shaped the dynamics of the complex and intertwined history of plant genome and epigenome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanore J Ritter
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Chad E Niederhuth
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; AgBioResearch, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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36
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Baduel P, Quadrana L. Jumpstarting evolution: How transposition can facilitate adaptation to rapid environmental changes. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 61:102043. [PMID: 33932785 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Because of their ability to replicate across genomes, transposable elements (TEs) represent major generators of large-effect mutations. As a result, chromatin-based mechanisms have evolved to control the mutational potential of TEs at multiple levels, from the epigenetic silencing of TE sequences, through the modulation of their integration space, up to the alleviation of the impact of new insertions. Although most TE insertions are highly deleterious, some can provide key adaptive variation. Together with their remarkable sensitivity to the environment and precise integration preferences, the unique characteristics of TEs place them as potent genomic engines of adaptive innovation. Herein, we review recent works exploring the regulation and impact of transposition in nature and discuss their implications for the evolutionary response of species to drastic environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Baduel
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, ENS, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Leandro Quadrana
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, ENS, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France.
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Baduel P, Leduque B, Ignace A, Gy I, Gil J, Loudet O, Colot V, Quadrana L. Genetic and environmental modulation of transposition shapes the evolutionary potential of Arabidopsis thaliana. Genome Biol 2021; 22:138. [PMID: 33957946 PMCID: PMC8101250 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02348-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND How species can adapt to abrupt environmental changes, particularly in the absence of standing genetic variation, is poorly understood and a pressing question in the face of ongoing climate change. Here we leverage publicly available multi-omic and bio-climatic data for more than 1000 wild Arabidopsis thaliana accessions to determine the rate of transposable element (TE) mobilization and its potential to create adaptive variation in natural settings. RESULTS We demonstrate that TE insertions arise at almost the same rate as base substitutions. Mobilization activity of individual TE families varies greatly between accessions, in association with genetic and environmental factors as well as through complex gene-environment interactions. Although the distribution of TE insertions across the genome is ultimately shaped by purifying selection, reflecting their typically strong deleterious effects when located near or within genes, numerous recent TE-containing alleles show signatures of positive selection. Moreover, high rates of transposition appear positively selected at the edge of the species' ecological niche. Based on these findings, we predict through mathematical modeling higher transposition activity in Mediterranean regions within the next decades in response to global warming, which in turn should accelerate the creation of large-effect alleles. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that TE mobilization is a major generator of genetic variation in A. thaliana that is finely modulated by genetic and environmental factors. These findings and modeling indicate that TEs may be essential genomic players in the demise or rescue of native populations in times of climate crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Baduel
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, ENS, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Basile Leduque
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, ENS, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Amandine Ignace
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
| | - Isabelle Gy
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
| | - José Gil
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, ENS, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France
- Present Address: Institut Curie, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Loudet
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
| | - Vincent Colot
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, ENS, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Leandro Quadrana
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, ENS, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France.
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Li D, Feng BE, Liu YJ, Gong J, Tang YM, Zhang LP, Pang BS, Sun RW, Zhang FT, Chen ZB, Wang YB, Chen XC, Wang AP, Zhao CP, Gao SQ. Genome-wide identification and transcriptional characterization of DNA methyltransferases conferring temperature-sensitive male sterility in wheat. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:310. [PMID: 33926387 PMCID: PMC8082647 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07600-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background DNA methyltransferase (DMT) genes contribute to plant stress responses and development by de novo establishment and subsequent maintenance of DNA methylation during replication. The photoperiod and/or temperature-sensitive genic male sterile (P/TGMS) lines play an important role in hybrid seed production of wheat. However, only a few studies have reported on the effect of DMT genes on temperature-sensitive male sterility of wheat. Although DMT genes have been investigated in some plant species, the identification and analysis of DMT genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) based on genome-wide levels have not been reported. Results In this study, a detailed overview of phylogeny of 52 wheat DMT (TaDMT) genes was presented. Homoeolog retention for TaDMT genes was significantly above the average retention rate for whole-wheat genes, indicating the functional importance of many DMT homoeologs. We found that the strikingly high number of TaDMT genes resulted mainly from the significant expansion of the TaDRM subfamily. Intriguingly, all 5 paralogs belonged to the wheat DRM subfamily, and we speculated that tandem duplications might play a crucial role in the TaDRM subfamily expansion. Through the transcriptional analysis of TaDMT genes in a TGMS line BS366 and its hybrids with the other six fertile lines under sterile and fertile conditions, we concluded that TaCMT-D2, TaMET1-B1, and TaDRM-U6 might be involved in male sterility in BS366. Furthermore, a correlation analysis showed that TaMET1-B1 might negatively regulate the expression of TaRAFTIN1A, an important gene for pollen development, so we speculated regarding an epigenetic regulatory mechanism underlying the male sterility of BS366 via the interaction between TaMET1-B1 and TaRAFTIN1A. Conclusions Our findings presented a detailed phylogenic overview of the DMT genes and could provide novel insights into the effects of DMT genes on TGMS wheat. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07600-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Bian-E Feng
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China.,Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030800, China
| | - Yong-Jie Liu
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Jie Gong
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Yi-Miao Tang
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Li-Ping Zhang
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Bin-Shuang Pang
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Ren-Wei Sun
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Feng-Ting Zhang
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Zhao-Bo Chen
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Yong-Bo Wang
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Xian-Chao Chen
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Ai-Ping Wang
- Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030800, China.
| | - Chang-Ping Zhao
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China.
| | - Shi-Qing Gao
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China.
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Baduel P, Colot V. The epiallelic potential of transposable elements and its evolutionary significance in plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200123. [PMID: 33866816 PMCID: PMC8059525 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA provides the fundamental framework for heritability, yet heritable trait variation need not be completely ‘hard-wired’ into the DNA sequence. In plants, the epigenetic machinery that controls transposable element (TE) activity, and which includes DNA methylation, underpins most known cases of inherited trait variants that are independent of DNA sequence changes. Here, we review our current knowledge of the extent, mechanisms and potential adaptive contribution of epiallelic variation at TE-containing alleles in this group of species. For the purpose of this review, we focus mainly on DNA methylation, as it provides an easily quantifiable readout of such variation. The picture that emerges is complex. On the one hand, pronounced differences in DNA methylation at TE sequences can either occur spontaneously or be induced experimentally en masse across the genome through genetic means. Many of these epivariants are stably inherited over multiple sexual generations, thus leading to transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Functional consequences can be significant, yet they are typically of limited magnitude and although the same epivariants can be found in nature, the factors involved in their generation in this setting remain to be determined. On the other hand, moderate DNA methylation variation at TE-containing alleles can be reproducibly induced by the environment, again usually with mild effects, and most of this variation tends to be lost across generations. Based on these considerations, we argue that TE-containing alleles, rather than their inherited epiallelic variants, are the main targets of natural selection. Thus, we propose that the adaptive contribution of TE-associated epivariation, whether stable or not, lies predominantly in its capacity to modulate TE mobilization in response to the environment, hence providing hard-wired opportunities for the flexible exploration of the phenotypic space. This article is part of the theme issue ‘How does epigenetics influence the course of evolution?’
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Baduel
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Vincent Colot
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
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Chen J, Liu J, Jiang J, Qian S, Song J, Kabara R, Delo I, Serino G, Liu F, Hua Z, Zhong X. F-box protein CFK1 interacts with and degrades de novo DNA methyltransferase in Arabidopsis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:3303-3317. [PMID: 33216996 PMCID: PMC7902366 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation plays crucial roles in cellular development and stress responses through gene regulation and genome stability control. Precise regulation of DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE 2 (DRM2), the de novo Arabidopsis DNA methyltransferase, is crucial to maintain DNA methylation homeostasis to ensure genome integrity. Compared with the extensive studies on DRM2 targeting mechanisms, little information is known regarding the quality control of DRM2 itself. Here, we conducted yeast two-hybrid screen assay and identified an E3 ligase, COP9 INTERACTING F-BOX KELCH 1 (CFK1), as a novel DRM2-interacting partner and targets DRM2 for degradation via the ubiquitin-26S proteasome pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. We also performed whole genome bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) to determine the biological significance of CFK1-mediated DRM2 degradation. Loss-of-function CFK1 leads to increased DRM2 protein abundance and overexpression of CFK1 showed reduced DRM2 protein levels. Consistently, CFK1 overexpression induces genome-wide CHH hypomethylation and transcriptional de-repression at specific DRM2 target loci. This study uncovered a distinct mechanism regulating de novo DNA methyltransferase by CFK1 to control DNA methylation level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Chen
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, USA
| | - Jianjun Jiang
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210014, China
| | - Shuiming Qian
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, USA
| | - Jingwen Song
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology & Interdisciplinary Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Rachel Kabara
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Isabel Delo
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Giovanna Serino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Fengquan Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210014, China
| | - Zhihua Hua
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology & Interdisciplinary Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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Srikant T, Drost HG. How Stress Facilitates Phenotypic Innovation Through Epigenetic Diversity. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:606800. [PMID: 33519857 PMCID: PMC7843580 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.606800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate adaptation through phenotypic innovation will become the main challenge for plants during global warming. Plants exhibit a plethora of mechanisms to achieve environmental and developmental plasticity by inducing dynamic alterations of gene regulation and by maximizing natural variation through large population sizes. While successful over long evolutionary time scales, most of these mechanisms lack the short-term adaptive responsiveness that global warming will require. Here, we review our current understanding of the epigenetic regulation of plant genomes, with a focus on stress-response mechanisms and transgenerational inheritance. Field and laboratory-scale experiments on plants exposed to stress have revealed a multitude of temporally controlled, mechanistic strategies integrating both genetic and epigenetic changes on the genome level. We analyze inter- and intra-species population diversity to discuss how methylome differences and transposon activation can be harnessed for short-term adaptive efforts to shape co-evolving traits in response to qualitatively new climate conditions and environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hajk-Georg Drost
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
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Bhadouriya SL, Mehrotra S, Basantani MK, Loake GJ, Mehrotra R. Role of Chromatin Architecture in Plant Stress Responses: An Update. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:603380. [PMID: 33510748 PMCID: PMC7835326 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.603380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Sessile plants possess an assembly of signaling pathways that perceive and transmit environmental signals, ultimately resulting in transcriptional reprogramming. Histone is a key feature of chromatin structure. Numerous histone-modifying proteins act under different environmental stress conditions to help modulate gene expression. DNA methylation and histone modification are crucial for genome reprogramming for tissue-specific gene expression and global gene silencing. Different classes of chromatin remodelers including SWI/SNF, ISWI, INO80, and CHD are reported to act upon chromatin in different organisms, under diverse stresses, to convert chromatin from a transcriptionally inactive to a transcriptionally active state. The architecture of chromatin at a given promoter is crucial for determining the transcriptional readout. Further, the connection between somatic memory and chromatin modifications may suggest a mechanistic basis for a stress memory. Studies have suggested that there is a functional connection between changes in nuclear organization and stress conditions. In this review, we discuss the role of chromatin architecture in different stress responses and the current evidence on somatic, intergenerational, and transgenerational stress memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Lata Bhadouriya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Sancoale, India
| | - Sandhya Mehrotra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Sancoale, India
| | - Mahesh K. Basantani
- Institute of Bioscience and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow, India
| | - Gary J. Loake
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburg, Edinburg, United Kingdom
| | - Rajesh Mehrotra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Sancoale, India
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Kartal Ö, Schmid MW, Grossniklaus U. Cell type-specific genome scans of DNA methylation divergence indicate an important role for transposable elements. Genome Biol 2020; 21:172. [PMID: 32660534 PMCID: PMC7359245 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02068-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In population genomics, genetic diversity measures play an important role in genome scans for divergent sites. In population epigenomics, comparable tools are rare although the epigenome can vary at several levels of organization. We propose a model-free, information-theoretic approach, the Jensen-Shannon divergence (JSD), as a flexible diversity index for epigenomic diversity. Here, we demonstrate how JSD uncovers the relationship between genomic features and cell type-specific methylome diversity in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, JSD is applicable to any epigenetic mark and any collection of individuals, tissues, or cells, for example to assess the heterogeneity in healthy organs and tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Önder Kartal
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, 8008 Switzerland
- Creoptix AG, Zugerstrasse 76, Wädenswil, 8820 Switzerland
| | - Marc W. Schmid
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, 8008 Switzerland
- MWSchmid GmbH, Möhrlistrasse 25, Zurich, 8006 Switzerland
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, 8008 Switzerland
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