1
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López ME, Denoyes B, Bucher E. Epigenomic and transcriptomic persistence of heat stress memory in strawberry (Fragaria vesca). BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:405. [PMID: 38750420 PMCID: PMC11096098 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05093-6] [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: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In plants, epigenetic stress memory has so far been found to be largely transient. Here, we wanted to assess the heritability of heat stress-induced epigenetic and transcriptomic changes following woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) reproduction. Strawberry is an ideal model to study epigenetic inheritance because it presents two modes of reproduction: sexual (self-pollinated plants) and asexual (clonally propagated plants named daughter plants). Taking advantage of this model, we investigated whether heat stress-induced DNA methylation changes can be transmitted via asexual reproduction. RESULTS Our genome-wide study provides evidence for stress memory acquisition and maintenance in F. vesca. We found that specific DNA methylation marks or epimutations are stably transmitted over at least three asexual generations. Some of the epimutations were associated with transcriptional changes after heat stress. CONCLUSION Our findings show that the strawberry methylome and transcriptome respond with a high level of flexibility to heat stress. Notably, independent plants acquired the same epimutations and those were inherited by their asexual progenies. Overall, the asexual progenies can retain some information in the genome of past stresses encountered by their progenitors. This molecular memory, also documented at the transcriptional level, might be involved in functional plasticity and stress adaptation. Finally, these findings may contribute to novel breeding approaches for climate-ready plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- María-Estefanía López
- Crop Genome Dynamics Group, Agroscope, Nyon, 1260, Switzerland
- Department of Botany and Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1205, Switzerland
| | - Béatrice Denoyes
- INRAE, Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Univ. Bordeaux, Villenave d'Ornon, F-33140, France
| | - Etienne Bucher
- Crop Genome Dynamics Group, Agroscope, Nyon, 1260, Switzerland.
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2
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Authier A, Cerdán P, Auge G. Non-stressful temperature changes affect transgenerational phenotypic plasticity across the life cycle of Arabidopsis thaliana plants. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:1259-1270. [PMID: 37956109 PMCID: PMC10902895 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plants respond in a plastic manner to seasonal changes, often resulting in adaptation to environmental variation. Although much is known about how seasonality regulates developmental transitions within generations, transgenerational effects of non-stressful environmental changes are only beginning to be unveiled. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ambient temperature changes on the expression of transgenerational plasticity in key developmental traits of Arabidopsis thaliana plants. METHODS We grew Columbia-0 plants in two contrasting temperature environments (18 and 24 °C) during their whole life cycles, or the combination of those temperatures before and after bolting (18-24 and 24-18 °C) across two generations. We recorded seed germination, flowering time and reproductive biomass production for the second generation, and seed size of the third generation. KEY RESULTS The environment during the whole life cycle of the first generation of plants, even that experienced before flowering, influenced the germination response and flowering time of the second generation. These effects showed opposing directions in a pattern dependent on the life stage experiencing the cue in the first generation. In contrast, the production of reproductive biomass depended on the immediate environment of the progeny generation. Finally, the seed area of the third generation was influenced positively by correlated environments across generations. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that non-stressful environmental changes affect the expression of key developmental traits across generations, although those changes can have contrasting effects depending on the parental and grandparental life stage that perceives the cue. Thus, transgenerational effects in response to non-stressful cues might influence the expression of life-history traits and potential adaptation of future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailén Authier
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo Cerdán
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas Buenos Aires - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IIBBA - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Auge
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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3
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Earley TS, Feiner N, Alvarez MF, Coolon JD, Sultan SE. The relative impact of parental and current environment on plant transcriptomes depends on type of stress and genotype. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230824. [PMID: 37752834 PMCID: PMC10523085 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Through developmental plasticity, an individual organism integrates influences from its immediate environment with those due to the environment of its parents. While both effects on phenotypes are well documented, their relative impact has been little studied in natural systems, especially at the level of gene expression. We examined this issue in four genotypes of the annual plant Persicaria maculosa by varying two key resources-light and soil moisture-in both generations. Transcriptomic analyses showed that the relative effects of parent and offspring environment on gene expression (i.e. the number of differentially expressed transcripts, DETs) varied both for the two types of resource stress and among genotypes. For light, immediate environment induced more DETs than parental environment for all genotypes, although the precise proportion of parental versus immediate DETs varied among genotypes. By contrast, the relative effect of soil moisture varied dramatically among genotypes, from 8-fold more DETs due to parental than immediate conditions to 10-fold fewer. These findings provide evidence at the transcriptomic level that the relative impacts of parental and immediate environment on the developing organism may depend on the environmental factor and vary strongly among genotypes, providing potential for the interplay of these developmental influences to evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S. Earley
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, 52 Lawn Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | | | - Mariano F. Alvarez
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, 52 Lawn Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Joseph D. Coolon
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, 52 Lawn Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Sonia E. Sultan
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, 52 Lawn Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
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4
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Kambona CM, Koua PA, Léon J, Ballvora A. Intergenerational and transgenerational effects of drought stress on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2023; 175:e13951. [PMID: 37310785 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The environments where the progenitors are grown have the potential to affect the expression of traits in their offspring. Currently, there are various hypotheses regarding the evolutionary and ecological importance of stress memory effects. There is uncertainty regarding its occurrence, persistence, predictability, and adaptive value. In this study, 15 winter wheat cultivars were grown under drought and well-watered (control) treatments for two seasons to produce seeds with all possible combinations of drought exposure histories. A comprehensive analysis to estimate transgenerational (grandparental effects), intergenerational (parental effects), and their combined memory effects on offspring traits under both control and drought moisture treatments, was performed. There were significant memory effects in most of the evaluated traits ranging from +787% to -39.0% changes in both seed quality and plant traits. The expression of stress memory was highly dependent on the generation and number of exposures, traits, and seasons. Under drought treatment, the combination of grandparental and parental stress memories was additive in all traits, but their strengths were variable when considered separately. Stress memory enhanced the performance of offspring under similar stressful conditions: increased plant height, above-ground biomass, number of grains per plant, grain weight per plant and water potential. This study offers valuable new insights into the occurrence of drought stress memory, the complexities of the effects, possible physiological and metabolic alterations explaining the detected differences, and impacts toward a clearer understanding of their generation and context-dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Mukiri Kambona
- Department of Plant Breeding, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), RheinischeFriedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Patrice Ahossi Koua
- Department of Plant Breeding, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), RheinischeFriedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
- Deutsche Saatveredelung AG, Salzkotten-Thüle, Germany
| | - Jens Léon
- Department of Plant Breeding, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), RheinischeFriedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
- Field Lab Campus Klein-Altendorf, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Agim Ballvora
- Department of Plant Breeding, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), RheinischeFriedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
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5
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Adel S, Carels N. Plant Tolerance to Drought Stress with Emphasis on Wheat. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12112170. [PMID: 37299149 DOI: 10.3390/plants12112170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stresses, such as drought, have negative effects on crop yield. Drought is a stress whose impact tends to increase in some critical regions. However, the worldwide population is continuously increasing and climate change may affect its food supply in the upcoming years. Therefore, there is an ongoing effort to understand the molecular processes that may contribute to improving drought tolerance of strategic crops. These investigations should contribute to delivering drought-tolerant cultivars by selective breeding. For this reason, it is worthwhile to review regularly the literature concerning the molecular mechanisms and technologies that could facilitate gene pyramiding for drought tolerance. This review summarizes achievements obtained using QTL mapping, genomics, synteny, epigenetics, and transgenics for the selective breeding of drought-tolerant wheat cultivars. Synthetic apomixis combined with the msh1 mutation opens the way to induce and stabilize epigenomes in crops, which offers the potential of accelerating selective breeding for drought tolerance in arid and semi-arid regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Adel
- Genetic Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11241, Egypt
| | - Nicolas Carels
- Laboratory of Biological System Modeling, Center of Technological Development for Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-361, Brazil
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6
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Georgieva M, Vassileva V. Stress Management in Plants: Examining Provisional and Unique Dose-Dependent Responses. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065105. [PMID: 36982199 PMCID: PMC10049000 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to critically evaluate the effects of different stress factors on higher plants, with particular attention given to the typical and unique dose-dependent responses that are essential for plant growth and development. Specifically, this review highlights the impact of stress on genome instability, including DNA damage and the molecular, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms that generate these effects. We provide an overview of the current understanding of predictable and unique dose-dependent trends in plant survival when exposed to low or high doses of stress. Understanding both the negative and positive impacts of stress responses, including genome instability, can provide insights into how plants react to different levels of stress, yielding more accurate predictions of their behavior in the natural environment. Applying the acquired knowledge can lead to improved crop productivity and potential development of more resilient plant varieties, ensuring a sustainable food source for the rapidly growing global population.
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7
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Ibañez VN, van Antro M, Peña-Ponton C, Milanovic-Ivanovic S, Wagemaker CAM, Gawehns F, Verhoeven KJF. Environmental and genealogical effects on DNA methylation in a widespread apomictic dandelion lineage. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:663-674. [PMID: 36810811 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14162] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation in plant genomes occurs in different sequences and genomic contexts that have very different properties. DNA methylation that occurs in CG (mCG) sequence context shows transgenerational stability and high epimutation rate, and can thus provide genealogical information at short time scales. However, due to meta-stability and because mCG variants may arise due to other factors than epimutation, such as environmental stress exposure, it is not clear how well mCG captures genealogical information at micro-evolutionary time scales. Here, we analysed DNA methylation variation between accessions from a geographically widespread, apomictic common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) lineage when grown experimentally under different light conditions. Using a reduced-representation bisulphite sequencing approach, we show that the light treatment induced differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) in all sequence contexts, with a bias towards transposable elements. Accession differences were associated mainly with DMCs in CG context. Hierarchical clustering of samples based on total mCG profiles revealed a perfect clustering of samples by accession identity, irrespective of light conditions. Using microsatellite information as a benchmark of genetic divergence within the clonal lineage, we show that genetic divergence between accessions correlates strongly with overall mCG profiles. However, our results suggest that environmental effects that do occur in CG context may produce a heritable signal that partly dilutes the genealogical signal. Our study shows that methylation information in plants can be used to reconstruct micro-evolutionary genealogy, providing a useful tool in systems that lack genetic variation such as clonal and vegetatively propagated plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Noé Ibañez
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Université Paris Diderot, Gif sur Yvette, France.,Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Morgane van Antro
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Cristian Peña-Ponton
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Slavica Milanovic-Ivanovic
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Fleur Gawehns
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
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8
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Latzel V, Fischer M, Groot M, Gutzat R, Lampei C, Ouborg J, Parepa M, Schmid K, Vergeer P, Zhang Y, Bossdorf O. Parental environmental effects are common and strong, but unpredictable, in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:1014-1023. [PMID: 36319609 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The phenotypes of plants can be influenced by the environmental conditions experienced by their parents. However, there is still much uncertainty about how common and how predictable such parental environmental effects really are. We carried out a comprehensive experimental test for parental effects, subjecting plants of multiple Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes to 24 different biotic or abiotic stresses, or combinations thereof, and comparing their offspring phenotypes in a common environment. The majority of environmental stresses caused significant parental effects, with -35% to +38% changes in offspring fitness. The expression of parental effects was strongly genotype-dependent, and multiple environmental stresses often acted nonadditively when combined. The direction and magnitude of parental effects were unrelated to the direct effects on the parents: Some environmental stresses did not affect the parents but caused substantial effects on offspring, while for others, the situation was reversed. Our study demonstrates that parental environmental effects are common and often strong in A. thaliana, but they are genotype-dependent, act nonadditively, and are difficult to predict. We should thus be cautious with generalizing from simple studies with single plant genotypes and/or only few individual environmental stresses. A thorough and general understanding of parental effects requires large multifactorial experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vít Latzel
- Institute of Botany of the CAS, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maartje Groot
- Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, PO Box 9100, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ruben Gutzat
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Lampei
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Biology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Joop Ouborg
- Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, PO Box 9100, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Madalin Parepa
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Karl Schmid
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Philippine Vergeer
- Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, PO Box 9100, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Yuanye Zhang
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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Morgan BL, Donohue K. Parental methylation mediates how progeny respond to environments of parents and of progeny themselves. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:883-899. [PMID: 36201313 PMCID: PMC9758305 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac125] [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: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Environments experienced by both parents and offspring influence progeny traits, but the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the balance of parental vs. progeny control of progeny phenotypes are not known. We tested whether DNA methylation in parents and/or progeny mediates responses to environmental cues experienced in both generations. METHODS Using Arabidopsis thaliana, we manipulated parental and progeny DNA methylation both chemically, via 5-azacytidine, and genetically, via mutants of methyltransferase genes, then measured progeny germination responses to simulated canopy shade in parental and progeny generations. KEY RESULTS We first found that germination of offspring responded to parental but not seed demethylation. We further found that parental demethylation reversed the parental effect of canopy in seeds with low (Cvi-1) to intermediate (Col) dormancy, but it obliterated the parental effect in seeds with high dormancy (Cvi-0). Demethylation did so by either suppressing germination of seeds matured under white-light (Cvi-1) or under canopy (Cvi-0), or by increasing the germination of seeds matured under canopy (Col). Disruption of parental methylation also prevented seeds from responding to their own light environment in one genotype (Cvi-0, most dormant), but it enabled seeds to respond to their own environment in another genotype (Cvi-1, least dormant). Using mutant genotypes, we found that both CG and non-CG DNA methylation were involved in parental effects on seed germination. CONCLUSIONS Parental methylation state influences seed germination more strongly than does the progeny's own methylation state, and it influences how seeds respond to environments of parents and progeny in a genotype-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britany L Morgan
- University Program in Ecology Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Kathleen Donohue
- University Program in Ecology Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
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10
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Morgan BL, Donohue K. Parental
DNA
methylation influences plasticity of early offspring traits, but offspring
DNA
methylation influences trait plasticity throughout life. Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Britany L. Morgan
- University Program in Ecology Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - Kathleen Donohue
- University Program in Ecology Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
- Biology Department Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
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11
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Khan A, Khan V, Pandey K, Sopory SK, Sanan-Mishra N. Thermo-Priming Mediated Cellular Networks for Abiotic Stress Management in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:866409. [PMID: 35646001 PMCID: PMC9136941 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.866409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Plants can adapt to different environmental conditions and can survive even under very harsh conditions. They have developed elaborate networks of receptors and signaling components, which modulate their biochemistry and physiology by regulating the genetic information. Plants also have the abilities to transmit information between their different parts to ensure a holistic response to any adverse environmental challenge. One such phenomenon that has received greater attention in recent years is called stress priming. Any milder exposure to stress is used by plants to prime themselves by modifying various cellular and molecular parameters. These changes seem to stay as memory and prepare the plants to better tolerate subsequent exposure to severe stress. In this review, we have discussed the various ways in which plants can be primed and illustrate the biochemical and molecular changes, including chromatin modification leading to stress memory, with major focus on thermo-priming. Alteration in various hormones and their subsequent role during and after priming under various stress conditions imposed by changing climate conditions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Neeti Sanan-Mishra
- Plant RNAi Biology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
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12
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Yadav NS, Titov V, Ayemere I, Byeon B, Ilnytskyy Y, Kovalchuk I. Multigenerational Exposure to Heat Stress Induces Phenotypic Resilience, and Genetic and Epigenetic Variations in Arabidopsis thaliana Offspring. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:728167. [PMID: 35419019 PMCID: PMC8996174 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.728167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plants are sedentary organisms that constantly sense changes in their environment and react to various environmental cues. On a short-time scale, plants respond through alterations in their physiology, and on a long-time scale, plants alter their development and pass on the memory of stress to the progeny. The latter is controlled genetically and epigenetically and allows the progeny to be primed for future stress encounters, thus increasing the likelihood of survival. The current study intended to explore the effects of multigenerational heat stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Twenty-five generations of Arabidopsis thaliana were propagated in the presence of heat stress. The multigenerational stressed lineage F25H exhibited a higher tolerance to heat stress and elevated frequency of homologous recombination, as compared to the parallel control progeny F25C. A comparison of genomic sequences revealed that the F25H lineage had a three-fold higher number of mutations [single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions and deletions (INDELs)] as compared control lineages, suggesting that heat stress induced genetic variations in the heat-stressed progeny. The F25H stressed progeny showed a 7-fold higher number of non-synonymous mutations than the F25C line. Methylome analysis revealed that the F25H stressed progeny showed a lower global methylation level in the CHH context than the control progeny. The F25H and F25C lineages were different from the parental control lineage F2C by 66,491 and 80,464 differentially methylated positions (DMPs), respectively. F25H stressed progeny displayed higher frequency of methylation changes in the gene body and lower in the body of transposable elements (TEs). Gene Ontology analysis revealed that CG-DMRs were enriched in processes such as response to abiotic and biotic stimulus, cell organizations and biogenesis, and DNA or RNA metabolism. Hierarchical clustering of these epimutations separated the heat stressed and control parental progenies into distinct groups which revealed the non-random nature of epimutations. We observed an overall higher number of epigenetic variations than genetic variations in all comparison groups, indicating that epigenetic variations are more prevalent than genetic variations. The largest difference in epigenetic and genetic variations was observed between control plants comparison (F25C vs. F2C), which clearly indicated that the spontaneous nature of epigenetic variations and heat-inducible nature of genetic variations. Overall, our study showed that progenies derived from multigenerational heat stress displayed a notable adaption in context of phenotypic, genotypic and epigenotypic resilience.
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Deng Y, Bossdorf O, Scheepens JF. Transgenerational effects of temperature fluctuations in Arabidopsis thaliana. AOB PLANTS 2021; 13:plab064. [PMID: 34950444 PMCID: PMC8691168 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant stress responses can extend into the following generations, a phenomenon called transgenerational effects. Heat stress, in particular, is known to affect plant offspring, but we do not know to what extent these effects depend on the temporal patterns of the stress, and whether transgenerational responses are adaptive and genetically variable within species. To address these questions, we carried out a two-generation experiment with nine Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes. We subjected the plants to heat stress regimes that varied in timing and frequency, but not in mean temperature, and we then grew the offspring of these plants under controlled conditions as well as under renewed heat stress. The stress treatments significantly carried over to the offspring generation, with timing having stronger effects on plant phenotypes than stress frequency. However, there was no evidence that transgenerational effects were adaptive. The magnitudes of transgenerational effects differed substantially among genotypes, and for some traits the strength of plant responses was significantly associated with the climatic variability at the sites of origin. In summary, timing of heat stress not only directly affects plants, but it can also cause transgenerational effects on offspring phenotypes. Genetic variation in transgenerational effects, as well as correlations between transgenerational effects and climatic variability, indicates that transgenerational effects can evolve, and have probably already done so in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Deng
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Natural History Research Center, Shanghai Natural History Museum, Shanghai 200041, China
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - J F Scheepens
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
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Waterman R, Sultan SE. Transgenerational effects of parent plant competition on offspring development in contrasting conditions. Ecology 2021; 102:e03531. [PMID: 34496058 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Conditions during a parent's lifetime can induce phenotypic changes in offspring, providing a potentially important source of variation in natural populations. Yet, to date, biotic factors have seldom been tested as sources of transgenerational effects in plants. In a greenhouse experiment with the generalist annual Polygonum persicaria, we tested for effects of parental competition on offspring by growing isogenic parent plants either individually or in competitive arrays and comparing their seedling progeny in contrasting growth environments. Offspring of competing vs. non-competing parents showed significantly altered development, resulting in greater biomass and total leaf area, but only when growing in neighbor or simulated canopy shade, rather than sunny dry conditions. A follow-up experiment in which parent plants instead competed in dry soil found that offspring in dry soil had slightly reduced growth, both with and without competitors. In neither experiment were effects of parental competition explained by changes in seed provisioning, suggesting a more complex mode of regulatory inheritance. We hypothesize that parental competition in moist soil (i.e., primarily for light) confers specific developmental effects that are beneficial for light-limited offspring, while parental competition in dry soil (i.e., primarily for belowground resources) produces offspring of slightly lower overall quality. Together, these results indicate that competitive conditions during the parental generation can contribute significantly to offspring variation, but these transgenerational effects will depend on the abiotic resources available to both parents and progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Waterman
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459, USA.,Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA
| | - Sonia E Sultan
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459, USA
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15
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Thind AS, Vitali V, Guarracino MR, Catania F. What's Genetic Variation Got to Do with It? Starvation-Induced Self-Fertilization Enhances Survival in Paramecium. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:626-638. [PMID: 32163147 PMCID: PMC7239694 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pervasiveness of sex despite its well-known costs is a long-standing puzzle in evolutionary biology. Current explanations for the success of sex in nature largely rely on the adaptive significance of the new or rare genotypes that sex may generate. Less explored is the possibility that sex-underlying molecular mechanisms can enhance fitness and convey benefits to the individuals that bear the immediate costs of sex. Here, we show that the molecular environment associated with self-fertilization can increase stress resistance in the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia. This advantage is independent of new genetic variation, coupled with a reduced nutritional input, and offers fresh insights into the mechanistic origin of sex. In addition to providing evidence that the molecular underpinnings of sexual reproduction and the stress response are linked in P. tetraurelia, these findings supply an integrative explanation for the persistence of self-fertilization in this ciliate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amarinder Singh Thind
- Institute for High Performance Computing and Networking (ICAR), National Research Council (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Valerio Vitali
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Mario Rosario Guarracino
- Institute for High Performance Computing and Networking (ICAR), National Research Council (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Catania
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, University of Münster, Germany
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16
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Benincasa P, Bravi E, Marconi O, Lutts S, Tosti G, Falcinelli B. Transgenerational Effects of Salt Stress Imposed to Rapeseed ( Brassica napus var. oleifera Del.) Plants Involve Greater Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity in the Edible Sprouts Obtained from Offspring Seeds. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:plants10050932. [PMID: 34066989 PMCID: PMC8151563 DOI: 10.3390/plants10050932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that rapeseed sprouts obtained under salinity demonstrate greater phenolic content and antioxidant activity compared to those sprouted with distilled water. This work aimed to test the hypothesis that these effects of salinity may persist into the next generation, so that offspring seeds of plants grown under salt stress may give edible sprouts with increased phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Plants of one rapeseed cultivar were grown in pots with 0, 100 and 200 mM NaCl, isolated from each other at flowering to prevent cross-pollination. Offspring seeds harvested from each salinity treatment were then sprouted with distilled water. We performed the extraction of free and bound phenolic fractions of sprouts and, in each fraction (methanolic extract), we determined the total polyphenols (P), flavonoids, (F), and tannins (T) with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, the phenolic acids (PAs) by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographs (UHPLC) analysis, and the antioxidant activity with three tests (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-hydrate, DPPH; ferric reducing antioxidant power, FRAP; 2,2'-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid] diammonium salt, ABTS). Individual seed weight was slightly decreased by salinity, whereas germination performance was improved, with a lower mean germination time for salted treatments. No significant differences were observed among treatments for P, F and T, except for bound P, while, in most cases, single PAs (as free, bound and total fractions) and antioxidant activity were significantly increased in salted treatments. Our results open new perspectives for the elicitation of secondary metabolites in the offspring seeds by growing parental plants under stressing conditions, imposed on purpose or naturally occurring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Benincasa
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06124 Perugia, Italy; (E.B.); (O.M.); (G.T.); (B.F.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Elisabetta Bravi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06124 Perugia, Italy; (E.B.); (O.M.); (G.T.); (B.F.)
| | - Ombretta Marconi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06124 Perugia, Italy; (E.B.); (O.M.); (G.T.); (B.F.)
| | - Stanley Lutts
- Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie végétale, Earth and Life Institute-Agronomy (ELI-A), Université catholique de Louvain, 5 (Bte 7.07.13) Place Croix du Sud, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
| | - Giacomo Tosti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06124 Perugia, Italy; (E.B.); (O.M.); (G.T.); (B.F.)
| | - Beatrice Falcinelli
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06124 Perugia, Italy; (E.B.); (O.M.); (G.T.); (B.F.)
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17
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Kapazoglou A, Tani E, Avramidou EV, Abraham EM, Gerakari M, Megariti S, Doupis G, Doulis AG. Epigenetic Changes and Transcriptional Reprogramming Upon Woody Plant Grafting for Crop Sustainability in a Changing Environment. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:613004. [PMID: 33510757 PMCID: PMC7835530 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.613004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Plant grafting is an ancient agricultural practice widely employed in crops such as woody fruit trees, grapes, and vegetables, in order to improve plant performance. Successful grafting requires the interaction of compatible scion and rootstock genotypes. This involves an intricate network of molecular mechanisms operating at the graft junction and associated with the development and the physiology of the scion, ultimately leading to improved agricultural characteristics such as fruit quality and increased tolerance/resistance to abiotic and biotic factors. Bidirectional transfer of molecular signals such as hormones, nutrients, proteins, and nucleic acids from the rootstock to the scion and vice versa have been well documented. In recent years, studies on rootstock-scion interactions have proposed the existence of an epigenetic component in grafting reactions. Epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and the action of small RNA molecules are known to modulate chromatin architecture, leading to gene expression changes and impacting cellular function. Mobile small RNAs (siRNAs) migrating across the graft union from the rootstock to the scion and vice versa mediate modifications in the DNA methylation pattern of the recipient partner, leading to altered chromatin structure and transcriptional reprogramming. Moreover, graft-induced DNA methylation changes and gene expression shifts in the scion have been associated with variations in graft performance. If these changes are heritable they can lead to stably altered phenotypes and affect important agricultural traits, making grafting an alternative to breeding for the production of superior plants with improved traits. However, most reviews on the molecular mechanisms underlying this process comprise studies related to vegetable grafting. In this review we will provide a comprehensive presentation of the current knowledge on the epigenetic changes and transcriptional reprogramming associated with the rootstock-scion interaction focusing on woody plant species, including the recent findings arising from the employment of advanced-omics technologies as well as transgrafting methodologies and their potential exploitation for generating superior quality grafts in woody species. Furthermore, will discuss graft-induced heritable epigenetic changes leading to novel plant phenotypes and their implication to woody crop improvement for yield, quality, and stress resilience, within the context of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliki Kapazoglou
- Department of Vitis, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture (IOSV), Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter (HAO-Demeter), Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Tani
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia V. Avramidou
- Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Athens, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter (HAO-Demeter), Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni M. Abraham
- Laboratory of Range Science, Faculty of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Gerakari
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Stamatia Megariti
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Doupis
- Department of Viticulture, Vegetable Crops, Floriculture and Plant Protection, Institute of Olive Tree, Sub-Tropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter (HAO-Demeter) (fr. NAGREF), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Andreas G. Doulis
- Department of Viticulture, Vegetable Crops, Floriculture and Plant Protection, Institute of Olive Tree, Sub-Tropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter (HAO-Demeter) (fr. NAGREF), Heraklion, Greece
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18
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Beck D, Ben Maamar M, Skinner MK. Integration of sperm ncRNA-directed DNA methylation and DNA methylation-directed histone retention in epigenetic transgenerational inheritance. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:6. [PMID: 33436057 PMCID: PMC7802319 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-020-00378-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of pathology and phenotypic variation has been demonstrated in all organisms investigated from plants to humans. This non-genetic form of inheritance is mediated through epigenetic alterations in the sperm and/or egg to subsequent generations. Although the combined regulation of differential DNA methylated regions (DMR), non-coding RNA (ncRNA), and differential histone retention (DHR) have been shown to occur, the integration of these different epigenetic processes remains to be elucidated. The current study was designed to examine the integration of the different epigenetic processes. RESULTS A rat model of transiently exposed F0 generation gestating females to the agricultural fungicide vinclozolin or pesticide DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) was used to acquire the sperm from adult males in the subsequent F1 generation offspring, F2 generation grand offspring, and F3 generation great-grand offspring. The F1 generation sperm ncRNA had substantial overlap with the F1, F2 and F3 generation DMRs, suggesting a potential role for RNA-directed DNA methylation. The DMRs also had significant overlap with the DHRs, suggesting potential DNA methylation-directed histone retention. In addition, a high percentage of DMRs induced in the F1 generation sperm were maintained in subsequent generations. CONCLUSIONS Many of the DMRs, ncRNA, and DHRs were colocalized to the same chromosomal location regions. Observations suggest an integration of DMRs, ncRNA, and DHRs in part involve RNA-directed DNA methylation and DNA methylation-directed histone retention in epigenetic transgenerational inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Beck
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Millissia Ben Maamar
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA.
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19
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Nishad A, Nandi AK. Recent advances in plant thermomemory. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2021; 40:19-27. [PMID: 32975635 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-020-02604-1] [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: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes the process of thermal acquired tolerance in plants and the knowledge gap compared to systemic acquired resistance that a plant shows after pathogen inoculation. Plants are continuously challenged by several biotic stresses such as pests and pathogens, or abiotic stresses like high light, UV radiation, drought, salt, and very high or low temperature. Interestingly, for most stresses, prior exposure makes plants more tolerant during the subsequent exposures, which is often referred to as acclimatization. Research of the last two decades reveals that the memory of most of the stresses is associated with epigenetic changes. Heat stress causes damage to membrane proteins, denaturation and inactivation of various enzymes, and accumulation of reactive oxygen species leading to cell injury and death. Plants are equipped with thermosensors that can recognize certain specific changes and activate protection machinery. Phytochrome and calcium signaling play critical roles in sensing sudden changes in temperature and activate cascades of signaling, leading to the production of heat shock proteins (HSPs) that keep protein-unfolding under control. Heat shock factors (HSFs) are the transcription factors that read the activation of thermosensors and induce the expression of HSPs. Epigenetic modifications of HSFs are likely to be the key component of thermal acquired tolerance (TAT). Despite the advances in understanding the process of thermomemory generation, it is not known whether plants are equipped with systemic activation thermal protection, as happens in the form of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) upon pathogen infection. This review describes the recent advances in the understanding of thermomemory development in plants and the knowledge gap in comparison with SAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand Nishad
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, 415, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Ashis Kumar Nandi
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, 415, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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20
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Varotto S, Tani E, Abraham E, Krugman T, Kapazoglou A, Melzer R, Radanović A, Miladinović D. Epigenetics: possible applications in climate-smart crop breeding. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:5223-5236. [PMID: 32279074 PMCID: PMC7475248 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
To better adapt transiently or lastingly to stimuli from the surrounding environment, the chromatin states in plant cells vary to allow the cells to fine-tune their transcriptional profiles. Modifications of chromatin states involve a wide range of post-transcriptional histone modifications, histone variants, DNA methylation, and activity of non-coding RNAs, which can epigenetically determine specific transcriptional outputs. Recent advances in the area of '-omics' of major crops have facilitated identification of epigenetic marks and their effect on plant response to environmental stresses. As most epigenetic mechanisms are known from studies in model plants, we summarize in this review recent epigenetic studies that may be important for improvement of crop adaptation and resilience to environmental changes, ultimately leading to the generation of stable climate-smart crops. This has paved the way for exploitation of epigenetic variation in crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Varotto
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and the Environment, University of Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell’Università, Padova, Italy
| | - Eleni Tani
- Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Abraham
- Laboratory of Range Science, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Tamar Krugman
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Aliki Kapazoglou
- Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture (IOSV), Department of Vitis, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter (HAO-Demeter), Lykovrysi, Greece
| | - Rainer Melzer
- School of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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21
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King SE, Skinner MK. Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance of Obesity Susceptibility. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2020; 31:478-494. [PMID: 32521235 PMCID: PMC8260009 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of obesity and associated diseases has reached pandemic levels. Obesity is often associated with overnutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, but clearly other factors also increase the susceptibility of metabolic disease states. Ancestral and direct exposures to environmental toxicants and altered nutrition have been shown to increase susceptibility for obesity and metabolic dysregulation. Environmental insults can reprogram the epigenome of the germline (sperm and eggs), which transmits the susceptibility for disease to future generations through epigenetic transgenerational inheritance. In this review, we discuss current evidence and molecular mechanisms for epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of obesity susceptibility. Understanding ancestral environmental insults and epigenetic transgenerational impacts on future generations will be critical to fully understand the etiology of obesity and to develop preventative therapy options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie E King
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA.
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22
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Van Dooren TJM, Silveira AB, Gilbault E, Jiménez-Gómez JM, Martin A, Bach L, Tisné S, Quadrana L, Loudet O, Colot V. Mild drought in the vegetative stage induces phenotypic, gene expression, and DNA methylation plasticity in Arabidopsis but no transgenerational effects. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:3588-3602. [PMID: 32166321 DOI: 10.1101/370320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
There is renewed interest in whether environmentally induced changes in phenotypes can be heritable. In plants, heritable trait variation can occur without DNA sequence mutations through epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA methylation. However, it remains unknown whether this alternative system of inheritance responds to environmental changes and if it can provide a rapid way for plants to generate adaptive heritable phenotypic variation. To assess potential transgenerational effects induced by the environment, we subjected four natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana together with the reference accession Col-0 to mild drought in a multi-generational experiment. As expected, plastic responses to drought were observed in each accession, as well as a number of intergenerational effects of the parental environments. However, after an intervening generation without stress, except for a very few trait-based parental effects, descendants of stressed and non-stressed plants were phenotypically indistinguishable irrespective of whether they were grown in control conditions or under water deficit. In addition, genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression in Col-0 demonstrated that, while mild drought induced changes in the DNA methylome of exposed plants, these variants were not inherited. We conclude that mild drought stress does not induce transgenerational epigenetic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom J M Van Dooren
- CNRS - UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (iEES) Paris, Sorbonne University, Case 237, 4, place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Amanda Bortolini Silveira
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Elodie Gilbault
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - José M Jiménez-Gómez
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Antoine Martin
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Liên Bach
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Sébastien Tisné
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Leandro Quadrana
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Loudet
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Vincent Colot
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
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23
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Van Dooren TJM, Silveira AB, Gilbault E, Jiménez-Gómez JM, Martin A, Bach L, Tisné S, Quadrana L, Loudet O, Colot V. Mild drought in the vegetative stage induces phenotypic, gene expression, and DNA methylation plasticity in Arabidopsis but no transgenerational effects. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:3588-3602. [PMID: 32166321 PMCID: PMC7307858 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
There is renewed interest in whether environmentally induced changes in phenotypes can be heritable. In plants, heritable trait variation can occur without DNA sequence mutations through epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA methylation. However, it remains unknown whether this alternative system of inheritance responds to environmental changes and if it can provide a rapid way for plants to generate adaptive heritable phenotypic variation. To assess potential transgenerational effects induced by the environment, we subjected four natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana together with the reference accession Col-0 to mild drought in a multi-generational experiment. As expected, plastic responses to drought were observed in each accession, as well as a number of intergenerational effects of the parental environments. However, after an intervening generation without stress, except for a very few trait-based parental effects, descendants of stressed and non-stressed plants were phenotypically indistinguishable irrespective of whether they were grown in control conditions or under water deficit. In addition, genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression in Col-0 demonstrated that, while mild drought induced changes in the DNA methylome of exposed plants, these variants were not inherited. We conclude that mild drought stress does not induce transgenerational epigenetic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom J M Van Dooren
- CNRS - UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (iEES) Paris, Sorbonne University, Case 237, 4, place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Amanda Bortolini Silveira
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Elodie Gilbault
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - José M Jiménez-Gómez
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Antoine Martin
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Liên Bach
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Sébastien Tisné
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Leandro Quadrana
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Loudet
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Vincent Colot
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
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24
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Baker BH, Sultan SE, Lopez-Ichikawa M, Waterman R. Transgenerational effects of parental light environment on progeny competitive performance and lifetime fitness. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20180182. [PMID: 30966959 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant and animal parents may respond to environmental conditions such as resource stress by altering traits of their offspring via heritable non-genetic effects. While such transgenerational plasticity can result in progeny phenotypes that are functionally pre-adapted to the inducing environment, it is unclear whether such parental effects measurably enhance the adult competitive success and lifetime reproductive output of progeny, and whether they may also adversely affect fitness if offspring encounter contrasting conditions. In glasshouse experiments with inbred genotypes of the annual plant Polygonum persicaria, we tested the effects of parental shade versus sun on (a) competitive performance of progeny in shade, and (b) lifetime reproductive fitness of progeny in three contrasting treatments. Shaded parents produced offspring with increased fitness in shade despite competition, as well as greater competitive impact on plant neighbours. Inherited effects of parental light conditions also significantly altered lifetime fitness: parental shade increased reproductive output for progeny in neighbour and understorey shade, but decreased fitness for progeny in sunny, dry conditions. Along with these substantial adaptive and maladaptive transgenerational effects, results show complex interactions between genotypes, parent environment and progeny conditions that underscore the role of environmental variability and change in shaping future adaptive potential. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan H Baker
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University , Middletown, CT 06459 , USA
| | - Sonia E Sultan
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University , Middletown, CT 06459 , USA
| | | | - Robin Waterman
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University , Middletown, CT 06459 , USA
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25
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Rico CM, Abolade OM, Wagner D, Lottes B, Rodriguez J, Biagioni R, Andersen CP. Wheat exposure to cerium oxide nanoparticles over three generations reveals transmissible changes in nutrition, biochemical pools, and response to soil N. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 384:121364. [PMID: 31607583 PMCID: PMC7083067 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of third generation exposure to cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) on biomass, elemental and 15N uptake, and fatty acid contents of wheat (Triticum aestivum). At low or high nitrogen treatment (48 or 112 mg N), seeds exposed for two generations to 0 or 500 mg CeO2-NPs per kg soil treatment were cultivated for third year in soil amended with 0 or 500 mg CeO2-NPs per kg soil. The results showed that parental and current exposures to CeO2-NPs increased the root biomass in daughter plants with greater magnitude of increase at low N than high N. When wheat received CeO2-NPs in year 3, root elemental contents increased primarily at low N, suggesting an important role of soil N availability in altering root nutrient acquisition. The δ15N ratios, previously shown to be altered by CeO2-NPs, were only affected by current and not parental exposure, indicating effects on N uptake and/or metabolism are not transferred from one generation to the next. Seed fatty acid composition was also influenced both by prior and current exposure to CeO2-NPs. The results suggest that risk assessments of NP exposure may need to include longer-term, transgenerational effects on growth and grain quality of agronomic crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyren M Rico
- Missouri State University, Department of Chemistry, 901 S National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897, USA.
| | - Oluwasegun M Abolade
- Missouri State University, Department of Chemistry, 901 S National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - Dane Wagner
- Missouri State University, Department of Chemistry, 901 S National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - Brett Lottes
- Missouri State University, Department of Chemistry, 901 S National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - Justin Rodriguez
- Central Washington University, Department of Chemistry, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA
| | - Richard Biagioni
- Missouri State University, Department of Chemistry, 901 S National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - Christian P Andersen
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
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26
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Jeremias G, Gonçalves FJM, Pereira JL, Asselman J. Prospects for incorporation of epigenetic biomarkers in human health and environmental risk assessment of chemicals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:822-846. [PMID: 32045110 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms have gained relevance in human health and environmental studies, due to their pivotal role in disease, gene × environment interactions and adaptation to environmental change and/or contamination. Epigenetic mechanisms are highly responsive to external stimuli and a wide range of chemicals has been shown to determine specific epigenetic patterns in several organisms. Furthermore, the mitotic/meiotic inheritance of such epigenetic marks as well as the resulting changes in gene expression and cell/organismal phenotypes has now been demonstrated. Therefore, epigenetic signatures are interesting candidates for linking environmental exposures to disease as well as informing on past exposures to stressors. Accordingly, epigenetic biomarkers could be useful tools in both prospective and retrospective risk assessment but epigenetic endpoints are currently not yet incorporated into risk assessments. Achieving a better understanding on this apparent impasse, as well as identifying routes to promote the application of epigenetic biomarkers within environmental risk assessment frameworks are the objectives of this review. We first compile evidence from human health studies supporting the use of epigenetic exposure-associated changes as reliable biomarkers of exposure. Then, specifically focusing on environmental science, we examine the potential and challenges of developing epigenetic biomarkers for environmental fields, and discuss useful organisms and appropriate sequencing techniques to foster their development in this context. Finally, we discuss the practical incorporation of epigenetic biomarkers in the environmental risk assessment of chemicals, highlighting critical data gaps and making key recommendations for future research within a regulatory context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Jeremias
- Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.,CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Fernando J M Gonçalves
- Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.,CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana L Pereira
- Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.,CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Environmental Toxicology Unit - GhEnToxLab, Ghent University, 9000, Gent, Belgium
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27
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Colicchio JM, Herman J. Empirical patterns of environmental variation favor adaptive transgenerational plasticity. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1648-1665. [PMID: 32076541 PMCID: PMC7029079 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of parental environment on offspring traits have been well known for decades. Interest in this transgenerational form of phenotypic plasticity has recently surged due to advances in our understanding of its mechanistic basis. Theoretical research has simultaneously advanced by predicting the environmental conditions that should favor the adaptive evolution of transgenerational plasticity. Yet whether such conditions actually exist in nature remains largely unexplored. Here, using long-term climate data, we modeled optimal levels of transgenerational plasticity for an organism with a one-year life cycle at a spatial resolution of 4 km2 across the continental United States. Both annual temperature and precipitation levels were often autocorrelated, but the strength and direction of these autocorrelations varied considerably even among nearby sites. When present, such environmental autocorrelations render offspring environments statistically predictable based on the parental environment, a key condition for the adaptive evolution of transgenerational plasticity. Results of our optimality models were consistent with this prediction: High levels of transgenerational plasticity were favored at sites with strong environmental autocorrelations, and little-to-no transgenerational plasticity was favored at sites with weak or nonexistent autocorrelations. These results are among the first to show that natural patterns of environmental variation favor the evolution of adaptive transgenerational plasticity. Furthermore, these findings suggest that transgenerational plasticity is likely variable in nature, depending on site-specific patterns of environmental variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack M. Colicchio
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Jacob Herman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
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28
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Wijewardana C, Reddy KR, Krutz LJ, Gao W, Bellaloui N. Drought stress has transgenerational effects on soybean seed germination and seedling vigor. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214977. [PMID: 31498795 PMCID: PMC6733489 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of environmental stressors on the parent may be transmitted to the F1 generation of plants that support global food, oil, and energy production for humans and animals. This study was conducted to determine if the effects of drought stress on parental soybean plants are transmitted to the F1 generation. The germination and seedling vigor of F1 soybean whose maternal parents, Asgrow AG5332 and Progeny P5333RY, were exposed to soil moisture stress, that is, 100, 80, 60, 40, and 20% replacement of evapotranspiration (ET) during reproductive growth, were evaluated under controlled conditions. Pooled over cultivars, effects of soil moisture stress on the parents caused a reduction in the seed germination rate, maximum seed germination, and overall seedling performance in the F1 generation. The effect of soil moisture stress on the parent environment induced seed quality that carried on the F1 generation seed gemination and seedling traits under optimum conditions and further exasperated when exposed to increasing levels of drought stress. Results indicate that seed weight and storage reserve are key factors positively associated with germination traits and seedling growth. Our data confirm that the effects of soil moisture stress on soybean are transferable, causing reduced germination, seedling vigor, and seed quality in the F1 generation. Therefore, optimal water supply during soybean seed formation period may be beneficial for seed producers in terms of optimizing seed quality and vigor characteristics of commodity seed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chathurika Wijewardana
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, United States of America
| | - K. Raja Reddy
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, United States of America
| | - L. Jason Krutz
- Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, United States of America
| | - Wei Gao
- USDA UVB Monitoring and Research Program, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, and Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Nacer Bellaloui
- USDA, Agriculture Research Service, Crop Genetics Research Unit, Stoneville, MS, United States of America
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29
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The use of MSAP reveals epigenetic diversity of the invasive clonal populations of Arundo donax L. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215096. [PMID: 30964932 PMCID: PMC6456200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the most widespread plant species with clonal reproduction Arundo donax L. represents one of most studied one characterized by very low genetic biodiversity. Although it is a perennial rhizomatous tall grass native to eastern and southern Asia, it spreads only asexually in the invaded range all over the world thriving very well in a large array of pedo-climatic conditions. This ability to morphologically or physiologically adapt to a broad array of conditions could be attributed to epigenetic mechanisms. To shade light on this relevant issue, 96 stems of A. donax from spontaneous populations distributed across the Italian invaded range (island of Sardinia, Northern and Southern Italy) were analysed. Leaf DNAs were extracted and processed through AFLPs and MSAPs for defining either genetic and epigenetic profiles. Both analyses clearly showed that the A. donax populations of Sardinia island are genetically distinct from those of Italian mainland; AFLPs showed an extremely low genetic biodiversity due to vegetative reproduction, whilst, epi-biodiversity, estimated through MSAP marker, increased within the analyzed populations. These results suggest that the capability of A. donax to invade and thrive in diverse environmental conditions can be, at least, partially attributed to a higher epigenetic variability. Therefore, the different DNA methylation status may have significant and important biological meaning, in particular, in the case of invasive clonal plants such as A. donax, also for the biodiversity definition, and MSAP marker can be considered an useful and cost effective marker to reveal it.
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30
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Byeon B, Bilichak A, Kovalchuk I. Transgenerational Response to Heat Stress in the Form of Differential Expression of Noncoding RNA Fragments in Brassica rapa Plants. THE PLANT GENOME 2019; 12. [PMID: 30951085 DOI: 10.3835/plantgenome2018.04.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulations in the form of changes in differential expression of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are an essential mechanism of stress response in plants. Previously we showed that heat treatment in L. results in the differential processing and accumulation of ncRNA fragments (ncRFs) stemming from transfer RNAs (tRNAs), ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs). In this work, we analyzed whether ncRFs are differentially expressed in the progeny of heat-stressed plants. We found significant changes in the size of tRF reads and a significant decrease in the percentage of tRFs mapping to tRNA-Ala, tRNA-Arg, and tRNA-Tyr and an increase in tRFs mapping to tRNA-Asp. The enrichment analysis showed significant differences in processing of tRFs from tRNA, tRNA, tRNA, tRNA, tRNA, and tRNA isoacceptors. Analysis of potential targets of tRFs showed that they regulate brassinosteroid metabolism, the proton pump ATPase activity, the antiporter activity, the mRNA decay activity as well as nucleosome positioning and the epigenetic regulation of transgenerational response. Gene ontology term analysis of potential targets demonstrated a significant enrichment in tRFs that potentially targeted a cellular component endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and in small nucleolar RNA fragments (snoRFs), the molecular function protein binding. To summarize, our work demonstrated that the progeny of heat-stressed plants exhibit changes in the expression of tRFs and snoRFs but not of small nuclear RNA fragments (snRFs) or ribosomal RNA fragments (rRFs) and these changes likely better prepare the progeny of stressed plants to future stress encounters.
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31
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Abstract
Inheritance of genomic DNA underlies the vast majority of biological inheritance, yet it has been clear for decades that additional epigenetic information can be passed on to future generations. Here, we review major model systems for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via the germline in multicellular organisms. In addition to surveying examples of epivariation that may arise stochastically or in response to unknown stimuli, we also discuss the induction of heritable epigenetic changes by genetic or environmental perturbations. Mechanistically, we discuss the increasingly well-understood molecular pathways responsible for epigenetic inheritance, with a focus on the unusual features of the germline epigenome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Bošković
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Oliver J. Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
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32
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Hatzig SV, Nuppenau JN, Snowdon RJ, Schießl SV. Drought stress has transgenerational effects on seeds and seedlings in winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:297. [PMID: 30470194 PMCID: PMC6251133 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1531-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drought stress has a negative effect on both seed yield and seed quality in Brassica napus (oilseed rape, canola). Here we show that while drought impairs the maternal plant performance, it also increases the vigour of progeny of stressed maternal plants. We investigated the transgenerational influence of abiotic stress by detailed analysis of yield, seed quality, and seedling performance on a growth-related and metabolic level. Seeds of eight diverse winter oilseed rape genotypes were generated under well-watered and drought stress conditions under controlled-environment conditions in large plant containers. RESULTS We found a decrease in seed quality in seeds derived from mother plants that were exposed to drought stress. At the same time, the seeds that developed under stress conditions showed higher seedling vigour compared to non-stressed controls.This effect on seed quality and seedling vigour was found to be independent of maternal plant yield performance. CONCLUSIONS Drought stress has a positive transgenerational effect on seedling vigour. Three potential causes for stress-induced improvement of seedling vigour are discussed: (1) Heterotic effects caused by a tendency towards a higher outcrossing rate in response to stress; (2) an altered reservoir of seed storage metabolites to which the seedling resorts during early growth, and (3) inter-generational stress memory, formed by stress-induced changes in the epigenome of the seedling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah V. Hatzig
- Department of Plant Breeding, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jan-Niklas Nuppenau
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rod J. Snowdon
- Department of Plant Breeding, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Sarah V. Schießl
- Department of Plant Breeding, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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33
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Dynamic DNA Methylation in Plant Growth and Development. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19072144. [PMID: 30041459 PMCID: PMC6073778 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19072144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification required for transposable element (TE) silencing, genome stability, and genomic imprinting. Although DNA methylation has been intensively studied, the dynamic nature of methylation among different species has just begun to be understood. Here we summarize the recent progress in research on the wide variation of DNA methylation in different plants, organs, tissues, and cells; dynamic changes of methylation are also reported during plant growth and development as well as changes in response to environmental stresses. Overall DNA methylation is quite diverse among species, and it occurs in CG, CHG, and CHH (H = A, C, or T) contexts of genes and TEs in angiosperms. Moderately expressed genes are most likely methylated in gene bodies. Methylation levels decrease significantly just upstream of the transcription start site and around transcription termination sites; its levels in the promoter are inversely correlated with the expression of some genes in plants. Methylation can be altered by different environmental stimuli such as pathogens and abiotic stresses. It is likely that methylation existed in the common eukaryotic ancestor before fungi, plants and animals diverged during evolution. In summary, DNA methylation patterns in angiosperms are complex, dynamic, and an integral part of genome diversity after millions of years of evolution.
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34
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Chong VK, Fung HF, Stinchcombe JR. A note on measuring natural selection on principal component scores. Evol Lett 2018; 2:272-280. [PMID: 30283681 PMCID: PMC6121829 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Measuring natural selection through the use of multiple regression has transformed our understanding of selection, although the methods used remain sensitive to the effects of multicollinearity due to highly correlated traits. While measuring selection on principal component (PC) scores is an apparent solution to this challenge, this approach has been heavily criticized due to difficulties in interpretation and relating PC axes back to the original traits. We describe and illustrate how to transform selection gradients for PC scores back into selection gradients for the original traits, addressing issues of multicollinearity and biological interpretation. In addition to reducing multicollinearity, we suggest that this method may have promise for measuring selection on high-dimensional data such as volatiles or gene expression traits. We demonstrate this approach with empirical data and examples from the literature, highlighting how selection estimates for PC scores can be interpreted while reducing the consequences of multicollinearity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica K Chong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Hannah F Fung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - John R Stinchcombe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada.,Koffler Scientific Reserve University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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35
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Jeremias G, Barbosa J, Marques SM, Asselman J, Gonçalves FJM, Pereira JL. Synthesizing the role of epigenetics in the response and adaptation of species to climate change in freshwater ecosystems. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2790-2806. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - João Barbosa
- Department of Biology; University of Aveiro; Aveiro Portugal
| | - Sérgio M. Marques
- Department of Biology; University of Aveiro; Aveiro Portugal
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies; University of Aveiro; Aveiro Portugal
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory for Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology (GhEnToxLab); Ghent University; Ghent Belgium
| | - Fernando J. M. Gonçalves
- Department of Biology; University of Aveiro; Aveiro Portugal
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies; University of Aveiro; Aveiro Portugal
| | - Joana L. Pereira
- Department of Biology; University of Aveiro; Aveiro Portugal
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies; University of Aveiro; Aveiro Portugal
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36
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Nilsson EE, Sadler-Riggleman I, Skinner MK. Environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2018; 4:dvy016. [PMID: 30038800 PMCID: PMC6051467 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvy016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Ancestral environmental exposures such as toxicants, abnormal nutrition or stress can promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation. These environmental factors induce the epigenetic reprogramming of the germline (sperm and egg). The germline epimutations can in turn increase disease susceptibility of subsequent generations of the exposed ancestors. A variety of environmental factors, species and exposure specificity of this induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease is discussed with a consideration of generational toxicology. The molecular mechanisms and processes involved in the ability of these inherited epimutations to increase disease susceptibility are discussed. In addition to altered disease susceptibility, the potential impact of the epigenetic inheritance on phenotypic variation and evolution is considered. Observations suggest environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease is a critical aspect of disease etiology, toxicology and evolution that needs to be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric E Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Ingrid Sadler-Riggleman
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- Correspondence address. Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA. Tel: +1-509-335-1524; Fax: +1-509-335-2176; E-mail:
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37
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Preite V, Oplaat C, Biere A, Kirschner J, van der Putten WH, Verhoeven KJF. Increased transgenerational epigenetic variation, but not predictable epigenetic variants, after environmental exposure in two apomictic dandelion lineages. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3047-3059. [PMID: 29531716 PMCID: PMC5838036 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is one of the mechanisms underlying epigenetic modifications. DNA methylations can be environmentally induced and such induced modifications can at times be transmitted to successive generations. However, it remains speculative how common such environmentally induced transgenerational DNA methylation changes are and if they persist for more than one offspring generation. We exposed multiple accessions of two different apomictic dandelion lineages of the Taraxacum officinale group (Taraxacum alatum and T. hemicyclum) to drought and salicylic acid (SA) treatment. Using methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism markers (MS-AFLPs) we screened anonymous methylation changes at CCGG restriction sites throughout the genome after stress treatments and assessed the heritability of induced changes for two subsequent unexposed offspring generations. Irrespective of the initial stress treatment, a clear buildup of heritable DNA methylation variation was observed across three generations, indicating a considerable background rate of heritable epimutations. Less evidence was detected for environmental effects. Drought stress showed some evidence for accession-specific methylation changes, but only in the exposed generation and not in their offspring. By contrast, SA treatment caused an increased rate of methylation change in offspring of treated plants. These changes were seemingly undirected resulting in increased transgenerational epigenetic variation between offspring individuals, but not in predictable epigenetic variants. While the functional consequences of these MS-AFLP-detected DNA methylation changes remain to be demonstrated, our study shows that (1) stress-induced transgenerational DNA methylation modification in dandelions is genotype and context-specific; and (2) inherited environmental DNA methylation effects are mostly undirected and not targeted to specific loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Preite
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Carla Oplaat
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Arjen Biere
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jan Kirschner
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzech Republic
| | - Wim H. van der Putten
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Laboratory of NematologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Koen J. F. Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
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38
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Trans-generational inheritance of herbivory-induced phenotypic changes in Brassica rapa. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3536. [PMID: 29476119 PMCID: PMC5824794 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21880-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Biotic stress can induce plastic changes in fitness-relevant plant traits. Recently, it has been shown that such changes can be transmitted to subsequent generations. However, the occurrence and extent of transmission across different types of traits is still unexplored. Here, we assessed the emergence and transmission of herbivory-induced changes in Brassica rapa and their impact on interactions with insects. We analysed changes in morphology and reproductive traits as well as in flower and leaf volatile emission during two generations with leaf herbivory by Mamestra brassicae and Pieris brassicae and two subsequent generations without herbivory. Herbivory induced changes in all trait types, increasing attractiveness of the plants to the parasitoid wasp Cotesia glomerata and decreasing visitation by the pollinator Bombus terrestris, a potential trade-off. While changes in floral and leaf volatiles disappeared in the first generation after herbivory, some changes in morphology and reproductive traits were still measurable two generations after herbivory. However, neither parasitoids nor pollinators further discriminated between groups with different past treatments. Our results suggest that transmission of herbivore-induced changes occurs preferentially in resource-limited traits connected to plant growth and reproduction. The lack of alterations in plant-insect interactions was likely due to the transient nature of volatile changes.
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39
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Annacondia ML, Magerøy MH, Martinez G. Stress response regulation by epigenetic mechanisms: changing of the guards. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2018; 162:239-250. [PMID: 29080251 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Plants are sessile organisms that lack a specialized immune system to cope with biotic and abiotic stress. Instead, plants have complex regulatory networks that determine the appropriate distribution of resources between the developmental and the defense programs. In the last years, epigenetic regulation of repeats and gene expression has evolved as an important player in the transcriptional regulation of stress-related genes. Here, we review the current knowledge about how different stresses interact with different levels of epigenetic control of the genome. Moreover, we analyze the different examples of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and connect them with the known features of genome epigenetic regulation. Although yet to be explored, the interplay between epigenetics and stress resistance seems to be a relevant and dynamic player of the interaction of plants with their environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luz Annacondia
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - German Martinez
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden
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40
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Rendina González AP, Preite V, Verhoeven KJF, Latzel V. Transgenerational Effects and Epigenetic Memory in the Clonal Plant Trifolium repens. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1677. [PMID: 30524458 PMCID: PMC6256281 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Transgenerational effects (TGE) can modify phenotypes of offspring generations playing thus a potentially important role in ecology and evolution of many plant species. These effects have been studied mostly across generations of sexually reproducing species. A substantial proportion of plant species are however reproducing asexually, for instance via clonal growth. TGE are thought to be enabled by heritable epigenetic modification of DNA, although unambiguous evidence is still scarce. On the clonal herb white clover (Trifolium repens), we tested the generality of clonal TGE across five genotypes and five parental environments including soil contamination and above-ground competition. Moreover, by genome wide-methylation variation analysis we explored the role of drought, one of the parental environments that triggered the strongest TGE. We tested the induction of epigenetic changes in offspring generations using several intensities and durations of drought stress. We found that TGE of different environments were highly genotype specific and all tested environments triggered TGE at least in some genotypes. In addition, parental drought stresses triggered epigenetic change in T. repens and most of the induced epigenetic change was maintained across several clonal offspring generations. We conclude that TGE are common and genotype specific in clonal plant T. repens and potentially under epigenetic control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Veronica Preite
- Molecular Genetics and Physiology of Plants, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Koen J. F. Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Vít Latzel
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czechia
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41
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Groot MP, Kubisch A, Ouborg NJ, Pagel J, Schmid KJ, Vergeer P, Lampei C. Transgenerational effects of mild heat in Arabidopsis thaliana show strong genotype specificity that is explained by climate at origin. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 215:1221-1234. [PMID: 28590553 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Transgenerational environmental effects can trigger strong phenotypic variation. However, it is unclear how cues from different preceding generations interact. Also, little is known about the genetic variation for these life history traits. Here, we present the effects of grandparental and parental mild heat, and their combination, on four traits of the third-generation phenotype of 14 Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes. We tested for correlations of these effects with climate and constructed a conceptual model to identify the environmental conditions that favour the parental effect on flowering time. We observed strong evidence for genotype-specific transgenerational effects. On average, A. thaliana accustomed to mild heat produced more seeds after two generations. Parental effects overruled grandparental effects in all traits except reproductive biomass. Flowering was generally accelerated by all transgenerational effects. Notably, the parental effect triggered earliest flowering in genotypes adapted to dry summers. Accordingly, this parental effect was favoured in the model when early summer heat terminated the growing season and environments were correlated across generations. Our results suggest that A. thaliana can partly accustom to mild heat over two generations and genotype-specific parental effects show non-random evolutionary divergence across populations that may support climate change adaptation in the Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maartje P Groot
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Kubisch
- Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, August-Hartmann-Str. 3, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- Theoretical Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Emil-Fischerstr. 32, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - N Joop Ouborg
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jörn Pagel
- Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, August-Hartmann-Str. 3, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Karl J Schmid
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 21, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Philippine Vergeer
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Christian Lampei
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 21, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
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42
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Münzbergová Z, Hadincová V. Transgenerational plasticity as an important mechanism affecting response of clonal species to changing climate. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5236-5247. [PMID: 28770062 PMCID: PMC5528211 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In spite of the increasing number of studies on the importance of transgenerational plasticity for species response to novel environments, its effects on species ability to respond to climate change are still largely unexplored. We study the importance of transgenerational plasticity for response of a clonal species Festuca rubra. Individuals from four natural populations representing two levels of temperature and two levels of precipitation were cultivated in four growth chambers that simulate the temperature and precipitation of origin of the populations (maternal phase). Each population was represented in each growth chamber. After 6 months, single young ramets of these plants were reshuffled among the growth chambers and let to grow for additional 2 months (offspring phase). The results show that transgenerational effects (i.e., maternal phase conditions) significantly modify species response to novel climates, and the direction and intensity of the response depend on the climate of origin of the plants. For traits related to recourse acquisition, the conditions of maternal phase, either alone or in interaction mainly with climate of origin, had stronger effect than the conditions of cultivation. Overall, the maternal climate interacted more intensively with the climate of origin than with the offspring climate. The direction of the effect of the maternal climate was of different directions and intensities depending on plant origin and trait studied. The data demonstrated strong significant effects of conditions during maternal phase on species response to novel climates. These transgenerational affects were, however, not adaptive. Still, transgenerational plasticity may be an important driver of species response to novel conditions across clonal generations. These effects thus need to be carefully considered in future studies exploring species response to novel climates. This will also have strong effects on species performance under increasingly variable climates expected to occur with the climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Münzbergová
- Department of BotanyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
- Institute of BotanyAcademy of Sciences of the Czech RepublicPrůhoniceCzech Republic
| | - Věroslava Hadincová
- Institute of BotanyAcademy of Sciences of the Czech RepublicPrůhoniceCzech Republic
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43
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van de Walle J. Reply to Letter to the Editor. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 171:255. [PMID: 28110974 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorden van de Walle
- Belgian Nuclear Research Center, (SCK•CEN), Biosphere Impact Studies, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
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44
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Hashiguchi A, Komatsu S. Impact of Post-Translational Modifications of Crop Proteins under Abiotic Stress. Proteomes 2016; 4:proteomes4040042. [PMID: 28248251 PMCID: PMC5260974 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes4040042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficiency of stress-induced adaptive responses of plants depends on intricate coordination of multiple signal transduction pathways that act coordinately or, in some cases, antagonistically. Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) can regulate protein activity and localization as well as protein-protein interactions in numerous cellular processes, thus leading to elaborate regulation of plant responses to various external stimuli. Understanding responses of crop plants under field conditions is crucial to design novel stress-tolerant cultivars that maintain robust homeostasis even under extreme conditions. In this review, proteomic studies of PTMs in crops are summarized. Although the research on the roles of crop PTMs in regulating stress response mechanisms is still in its early stage, several novel insights have been retrieved so far. This review covers techniques for detection of PTMs in plants, representative PTMs in plants under abiotic stress, and how PTMs control functions of representative proteins. In addition, because PTMs under abiotic stresses are well described in soybeans under submergence, recent findings in PTMs of soybean proteins under flooding stress are introduced. This review provides information on advances in PTM study in relation to plant adaptations to abiotic stresses, underlining the importance of PTM study to ensure adequate agricultural production in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Hashiguchi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan.
| | - Setsuko Komatsu
- National Institute of Crop Science, NARO, Tsukuba 305-8518, Japan.
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45
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Kissen R, Eberl F, Winge P, Uleberg E, Martinussen I, Bones AM. Effect of growth temperature on glucosinolate profiles in Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2016; 130:106-118. [PMID: 27319377 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Glucosinolates are plant secondary metabolites with important roles in plant defence against pathogens and pests and are also known for their health benefits. Understanding how environmental factors affect the level and composition of glucosinolates is therefore of importance in the perspective of climate change. In this study we analysed glucosinolates in Arabidopsis thaliana accessions when grown at constant standard (21 °C), moderate (15 °C) and low (9 °C) temperatures during three generations. In most of the tested accessions moderate and pronounced chilling temperatures led to higher levels of glucosinolates, especially aliphatic glucosinolates. Which temperature yielded the highest glucosinolate levels was accession-dependent. Transcriptional profiling revealed also accession-specific gene responses, but only a limited correlation between changes in glucosinolate-related gene expression and glucosinolate levels. Different growth temperatures in one generation did not consistently affect glucosinolate composition in subsequent generations, hence a clear transgenerational effect of temperature on glucosinolates was not observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Kissen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Franziska Eberl
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Winge
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Eivind Uleberg
- NIBIO, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Box 115, NO-1431, Ås, Norway
| | - Inger Martinussen
- NIBIO, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Box 115, NO-1431, Ås, Norway
| | - Atle M Bones
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
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46
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Sarapultseva EI, Dubrova YE. The long-term effects of acute exposure to ionising radiation on survival and fertility in Daphnia magna. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 150:138-143. [PMID: 27288911 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.05.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The results of recent studies have provided strong evidence for the transgenerational effects of parental exposure to ionising radiation and chemical mutagens. However, the transgenerational effects of parental exposure on survival and fertility remain poorly understood. To establish whether parental irradiation can affect the survival and fertility of directly exposed organisms and their offspring, crustacean Daphnia magna were given 10, 100, 1000 and 10,000mGy of acute γ-rays. Exposure to 1000 and 10,000mGy significantly compromised the viability of irradiated Daphnia and their first-generation progeny, but did not affect the second-generation progeny. The fertility of F0 and F1Daphnia gradually declined with the dose of parental exposure and significantly decreased at dose of 100mGy and at higher doses. The effects of parental irradiation on the number of broods were only observed among the F0Daphnia exposed to 1000 and 10,000mGy, whereas the brood size was equally affected in the two consecutive generations. In contrast, the F2 total fertility was compromised only among progeny of parents that received the highest dose of 10,000mGy. We propose that the decreased fertility observed among the F2 progeny of parents exposed to 10,000mGy is attributed to transgenerational effects of parental irradiation. Our results also indicate a substantial recovery of the F2 progeny of irradiated F0Daphnia exposed to the lower doses of acute γ-rays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena I Sarapultseva
- Department of Biology, Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering NRNU MEPhI, Studgorodok,1, Obninsk, Kaluga Region 249040, Russian Federation; National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI", Kashirskoe Highway, 31, Moscow 115409, Russian Federation
| | - Yuri E Dubrova
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom; Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Gubkina Str. 3, 11933 Moscow, Russian Federation.
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47
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Takeno K. Stress-induced flowering: the third category of flowering response. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:4925-34. [PMID: 27382113 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The switch from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, i.e. flowering, is the critical event in a plant's life. Flowering is regulated either autonomously or by environmental factors; photoperiodic flowering, which is regulated by the duration of the day and night periods, and vernalization, which is regulated by low temperature, have been well studied. Additionally, it has become clear that stress also regulates flowering. Diverse stress factors can induce or accelerate flowering, or inhibit or delay it, in a wide range of plant species. This article focuses on the positive regulation of flowering via stress, i.e. the induction or acceleration of flowering in response to stress that is known as stress-induced flowering - a new category of flowering response. This review aims to clarify the concept of stress-induced flowering and to summarize the full range of characteristics of stress-induced flowering from a predominately physiological perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyotoshi Takeno
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Ikarashi, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
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48
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Groot MP, Kooke R, Knoben N, Vergeer P, Keurentjes JJB, Ouborg NJ, Verhoeven KJF. Effects of Multi-Generational Stress Exposure and Offspring Environment on the Expression and Persistence of Transgenerational Effects in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151566. [PMID: 26982489 PMCID: PMC4794210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant phenotypes can be affected by environments experienced by their parents. Parental environmental effects are reported for the first offspring generation and some studies showed persisting environmental effects in second and further offspring generations. However, the expression of these transgenerational effects proved context-dependent and their reproducibility can be low. Here we study the context-dependency of transgenerational effects by evaluating parental and transgenerational effects under a range of parental induction and offspring evaluation conditions. We systematically evaluated two factors that can influence the expression of transgenerational effects: single- versus multiple-generation exposure and offspring environment. For this purpose, we exposed a single homozygous Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 line to salt stress for up to three generations and evaluated offspring performance under control and salt conditions in a climate chamber and in a natural environment. Parental as well as transgenerational effects were observed in almost all traits and all environments and traced back as far as great-grandparental environments. The length of exposure exerted strong effects; multiple-generation exposure often reduced the expression of the parental effect compared to single-generation exposure. Furthermore, the expression of transgenerational effects strongly depended on offspring environment for rosette diameter and flowering time, with opposite effects observed in field and greenhouse evaluation environments. Our results provide important new insights into the occurrence of transgenerational effects and contribute to a better understanding of the context-dependency of these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maartje P. Groot
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Rik Kooke
- Department of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Genetics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for BioSystems Genomics, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nieke Knoben
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Philippine Vergeer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joost J. B. Keurentjes
- Department of Genetics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for BioSystems Genomics, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - N. Joop Ouborg
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J. F. Verhoeven
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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49
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Hanson MA, Skinner MK. Developmental origins of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2016; 2:dvw002. [PMID: 27390622 PMCID: PMC4933018 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvw002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Environmental factors can induce epigenetic alterations in the germ cells that can potentially be transmitted transgenerationally. This non-genetic form of inheritance is termed epigenetic transgenerational inheritance and has been shown in a variety of species including plants, flies, worms, fish, rodents, pigs, and humans. This phenomenon operates during specific critical windows of exposure, linked to the developmental biology of the germ cells (sperm and eggs). Therefore, concepts of the developmental origins of transgenerational inheritance of phenotypic variation and subsequent disease risk need to include epigenetic processes affecting the developmental biology of the germ cell. These developmental impacts on epigenetic transgenerational inheritance, in contrast to multigenerational exposures, are the focus of this Perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Hanson
- Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton and NIHR Nutrition Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO 16 6YD, UK
| | - Michael K. Skinner
- School of Biological Sciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
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50
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Moriuchi KS, Friesen ML, Cordeiro MA, Badri M, Vu WT, Main BJ, Aouani ME, Nuzhdin SV, Strauss SY, von Wettberg EJB. Salinity Adaptation and the Contribution of Parental Environmental Effects in Medicago truncatula. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150350. [PMID: 26943813 PMCID: PMC4778912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High soil salinity negatively influences plant growth and yield. Some taxa have evolved mechanisms for avoiding or tolerating elevated soil salinity, which can be modulated by the environment experienced by parents or offspring. We tested the contribution of the parental and offspring environments on salinity adaptation and their potential underlying mechanisms. In a two-generation greenhouse experiment, we factorially manipulated salinity concentrations for genotypes of Medicago truncatula that were originally collected from natural populations that differed in soil salinity. To compare population level adaptation to soil salinity and to test the potential mechanisms involved we measured two aspects of plant performance, reproduction and vegetative biomass, and phenological and physiological traits associated with salinity avoidance and tolerance. Saline-origin populations had greater biomass and reproduction under saline conditions than non-saline populations, consistent with local adaptation to saline soils. Additionally, parental environmental exposure to salt increased this difference in performance. In terms of environmental effects on mechanisms of salinity adaptation, parental exposure to salt spurred phenological differences that facilitated salt avoidance, while offspring exposure to salt resulted in traits associated with greater salt tolerance. Non-saline origin populations expressed traits associated with greater growth in the absence of salt while, for saline adapted populations, the ability to maintain greater performance in saline environments was also associated with lower growth potential in the absence of salt. Plastic responses induced by parental and offspring environments in phenology, leaf traits, and gas exchange contribute to salinity adaptation in M. truncatula. The ability of plants to tolerate environmental stress, such as high soil salinity, is likely modulated by a combination of parental effects and within-generation phenotypic plasticity, which are likely to vary in populations from contrasting environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken S. Moriuchi
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Maren L. Friesen
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States of America
| | - Matilde A. Cordeiro
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Plant Cell Biotechnology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Mounawer Badri
- Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, B.P. 901, Hammam-Lif, Tunisia
| | - Wendy T. Vu
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Bradley J. Main
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | | | - Sergey V. Nuzhdin
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Sharon Y. Strauss
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Eric J. B. von Wettberg
- Department of Biological Sciences and International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Kushlan Institute for Tropical Science, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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