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Farkas D, Dobránszki J. Vegetal memory through the lens of transcriptomic changes - recent progress and future practical prospects for exploiting plant transcriptional memory. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2024; 19:2383515. [PMID: 39077764 PMCID: PMC11290777 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2383515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Plant memory plays an important role in the efficient and rapid acclimation to a swiftly changing environment. In addition, since plant memory can be inherited, it is also of adaptive and evolutionary importance. The ability of a plant to store, retain, retrieve and delete information on acquired experience is based on cellular, biochemical and molecular networks in the plants. This review offers an up-to-date overview on the formation, types, checkpoints of plant memory based on our current knowledge and focusing on its transcriptional aspects, the transcriptional memory. Roles of long and small non-coding RNAs are summarized in the regulation, formation and the cooperation between the different layers of the plant memory, i.e. in the establishment of epigenetic changes associated with memory formation in plants. The RNA interference mechanisms at the RNA and DNA level and the interplays between them are also presented. Furthermore, this review gives an insight of how exploitation of plant transcriptional memory may provide new opportunities for elaborating promising cost-efficient, and effective strategies to cope with the ever-changing environmental perturbations, caused by climate change. The potentials of plant memory-based methods, such as crop priming, cross acclimatization, memory modification by miRNAs and associative use of plant memory, in the future's agriculture are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dóra Farkas
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of the Agricultural and Food Science and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Hungary
| | - Judit Dobránszki
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of the Agricultural and Food Science and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Hungary
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2
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Quan J, Song S, Xing L, Liu X, Yue M. DNA methylation variation and growth in the clonal Duchesnea indica is regulated by both past and present lead environments. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2305078. [PMID: 38245907 PMCID: PMC10802196 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2305078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies suggest that clonal plants' ability to select habitats and forage in a heterogeneous environment is influenced by their past environment, with stress legacy potentially playing a crucial role. In this study, we examined parental ramets of Duchesnea indica Focke that were subject to either a control or lead-contaminated environment (past environment), and their newborn offspring were then transplanted into control, homogeneous lead or heterogeneous lead environment (present environment). We analysed how past and present environments affect plant growth and DNA methylation in offspring. The result shown that the DNA methylation loci composition of offspring was affected by the interaction of parental environment and offspring environment, and DNA methylation levels were higher in heterogeneous environments. Moreover, our findings indicate that offspring would thrive in the heterogeneous lead environment if they did not experience lead pollution in the past, their progeny will avoid lead toxicity by reducing underground biomass allocation. However, when the parents experienced lead stress environment, their biomass allocation strategies disappeared, and they prefer to grow in favourable patches to avoid lead-contaminated patches. We concluded that the integration of historical parental exposure to lead-contaminated and current information about their offspring's environment are impacting plant phenotypes. It is possible that the stress legacy from the parents has been transmitted to their offspring ramets, and the stress legacy is at least partly based on heritable epigenetic variation. The phenotypic variation regulated by the stress legacy affects the growth performance, biomass allocation strategy, and even the behaviour of D. indica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Quan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shanshan Song
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Linya Xing
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ming Yue
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- Xi’an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an, China
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3
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Sarkies P, Westoby J, Kilner RM, Mashoodh R. Gene body methylation evolves during the sustained loss of parental care in the burying beetle. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6606. [PMID: 39098855 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50359-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications, such as 5-methylcytosine (5mC), can sometimes be transmitted between generations, provoking speculation that epigenetic changes could play a role in adaptation and evolution. Here, we use experimental evolution to investigate how 5mC levels evolve in populations of biparental insect (Nicrophorus vespilloides) derived from a wild source population and maintained independently under different regimes of parental care in the lab. We show that 5mC levels in the transcribed regions of genes (gene bodies) diverge between populations that have been exposed to different levels of care for 30 generations. These changes in 5mC do not reflect changes in the levels of gene expression. However, the accumulation of 5mC within genes between populations is associated with reduced variability in gene expression within populations. Our results suggest that evolved change in 5mC could contribute to phenotypic evolution by influencing variability in gene expression in invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Sarkies
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Rahia Mashoodh
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.
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4
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Jo L, Nodine MD. "To remember or forget: Insights into the mechanisms of epigenetic reprogramming and priming in early plant embryos". CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 81:102612. [PMID: 39098309 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Chromatin is dynamically modified throughout the plant life cycle to regulate gene expression in response to environmental and developmental cues. Although such epigenetic information can be inherited across generations in plants, chromatin features that regulate gene expression are typically reprogrammed during plant gametogenesis and directly after fertilization. Nevertheless, environmentally induced epigenetic marks on genes can be transmitted across generations. Moreover, epigenetic information installed on early embryonic chromatin can be stably inherited during subsequent growth and influence how plants respond to environmental conditions much later in development. Here, we review recent breakthroughs towards deciphering mechanisms underlying epigenetic reprogramming and transcriptional priming during early plant embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Jo
- Experimental and Computational Plant Development, Institute of Environment Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Michael D Nodine
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cluster of Plant Developmental Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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Zou L, Liu Z, Jin M, Wang P, Shan Y, Xiao Y. Genome-wide DNA methylation profile and its function in regulating Vip3Aa tolerance in fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 39030881 DOI: 10.1002/ps.8313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vips) are widely used in pest management, but Vip tolerance poses a significant threat. DNA methylation plays important roles in regulating the response of biological organisms to environmental stress, and it may also regulate fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) Vip3Aa tolerance. RESULTS In this study, a DNA methylation map was developed for FAW, and its function in regulating FAW Vip3Aa tolerance was explored. The FAW genome-wide DNA methylation map showed that exons were preferred regions for DNA methylation and housekeeping genes were highly methylated. FAW was screened using Vip3Aa for ten generations, and bioassays indicated that Vip3Aa tolerance increased trans-generationally. A comparison of DNA methylation maps between Vip3Aa-tolerant and -susceptible strains showed that gene body methylation was positively correlated with gene expression level. FAW exhibits significant variation in DNA methylation among individuals, and Vip3Aa screening induces epigenetic variation based on DNA methylation. Moreover, the study demonstrated that a reduction in methylation density within the gene body of a 3'5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase gene resulted in decreased expression and increased tolerance of FAW to Vip3Aa, which was validated through RNA interference experiments. CONCLUSION The DNA methylation map and mechanism of Vip3Aa tolerance improve our understanding of DNA methylation and its function in Lepidoptera and provide a new perspective for developing pest management strategies. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luming Zou
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenxing Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Minghui Jin
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinxue Shan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Yutao Xiao
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
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Marquez-Molins J, Cheng J, Corell-Sierra J, Juarez-Gonzalez VT, Villalba-Bermell P, Annacondia ML, Gomez G, Martinez G. Hop stunt viroid infection induces heterochromatin reorganization. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024. [PMID: 39030826 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Viroids are pathogenic noncoding RNAs that completely rely on their host molecular machinery to accomplish their life cycle. Several interactions between viroids and their host molecular machinery have been identified, including interference with epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. Despite this, whether viroids influence changes in other epigenetic marks such as histone modifications remained unknown. Epigenetic regulation is particularly important during pathogenesis processes because it might be a key regulator of the dynamism of the defense response. Here we have analyzed the changes taking place in Cucumis sativus (cucumber) facultative and constitutive heterochromatin during hop stunt viroid (HSVd) infection using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) of the two main heterochromatic marks: H3K9me2 and H3K27me3. We find that HSVd infection is associated with changes in both H3K27me3 and H3K9me2, with a tendency to decrease the levels of repressive epigenetic marks through infection progression. These epigenetic changes are connected to the transcriptional regulation of their expected targets, genes, and transposable elements. Indeed, several genes related to the defense response are targets of both epigenetic marks. Our results highlight another host regulatory mechanism affected by viroid infection, providing further information about the complexity of the multiple layers of interactions between pathogens/viroids and hosts/plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Marquez-Molins
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), University of Valencia (UV), Paterna, 46980, Spain
| | - Jinping Cheng
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Julia Corell-Sierra
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), University of Valencia (UV), Paterna, 46980, Spain
| | - Vasti Thamara Juarez-Gonzalez
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Pascual Villalba-Bermell
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), University of Valencia (UV), Paterna, 46980, Spain
| | - Maria Luz Annacondia
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, 1871, Denmark
| | - Gustavo Gomez
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), University of Valencia (UV), Paterna, 46980, Spain
| | - German Martinez
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
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Baduel P, Sammarco I, Barrett R, Coronado‐Zamora M, Crespel A, Díez‐Rodríguez B, Fox J, Galanti D, González J, Jueterbock A, Wootton E, Harney E. The evolutionary consequences of interactions between the epigenome, the genome and the environment. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13730. [PMID: 39050763 PMCID: PMC11266121 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The epigenome is the suite of interacting chemical marks and molecules that helps to shape patterns of development, phenotypic plasticity and gene regulation, in part due to its responsiveness to environmental stimuli. There is increasing interest in understanding the functional and evolutionary importance of this sensitivity under ecologically realistic conditions. Observations that epigenetic variation abounds in natural populations have prompted speculation that it may facilitate evolutionary responses to rapid environmental perturbations, such as those occurring under climate change. A frequent point of contention is whether epigenetic variants reflect genetic variation or are independent of it. The genome and epigenome often appear tightly linked and interdependent. While many epigenetic changes are genetically determined, the converse is also true, with DNA sequence changes influenced by the presence of epigenetic marks. Understanding how the epigenome, genome and environment interact with one another is therefore an essential step in explaining the broader evolutionary consequences of epigenomic variation. Drawing on results from experimental and comparative studies carried out in diverse plant and animal species, we synthesize our current understanding of how these factors interact to shape phenotypic variation in natural populations, with a focus on identifying similarities and differences between taxonomic groups. We describe the main components of the epigenome and how they vary within and between taxa. We review how variation in the epigenome interacts with genetic features and environmental determinants, with a focus on the role of transposable elements (TEs) in integrating the epigenome, genome and environment. And we look at recent studies investigating the functional and evolutionary consequences of these interactions. Although epigenetic differentiation in nature is likely often a result of drift or selection on stochastic epimutations, there is growing evidence that a significant fraction of it can be stably inherited and could therefore contribute to evolution independently of genetic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Baduel
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale SupérieurePSL University, CNRSParisFrance
| | - Iris Sammarco
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzechia
| | - Rowan Barrett
- Redpath Museum and Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | | | | | | | - Janay Fox
- Redpath Museum and Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Dario Galanti
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology (EvE)University of TuebingenTübingenGermany
| | | | - Alexander Jueterbock
- Algal and Microbial Biotechnology Division, Faculty of Biosciences and AquacultureNord UniversityBodøNorway
| | - Eric Wootton
- Redpath Museum and Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Ewan Harney
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologyCSIC, UPFBarcelonaSpain
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
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8
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Gaude AA, Siqueira RH, Botelho SB, Jalmi SK. Epigenetic arsenal for stress mitigation in plants. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2024; 1868:130620. [PMID: 38636616 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2024.130620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Plant's ability to perceive, respond to, and ultimately adapt to various stressors is a testament to their remarkable resilience. In response to stresses, plants activate a complex array of molecular and physiological mechanisms. These include the rapid activation of stress-responsive genes, the manufacturing of protective compounds, modulation of cellular processes and alterations in their growth and development patterns to enhance their chances of survival. Epigenetic mechanisms play a pivotal role in shaping the responses of plants to environmental stressors. This review explores the intricate interplay between epigenetic regulation and plant stress mitigation. We delve into the dynamic landscape of epigenetic modifications, highlighting their influence on gene expression and ultimately stress tolerance. This review assembles current research, shedding light on the promising strategies within plants' epigenetic arsenal to thrive amidst adverse conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Ashok Gaude
- Discipline of Botany, School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Goa University, Goa 403206, India.
| | - Roxiette Heromina Siqueira
- Discipline of Botany, School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Goa University, Goa 403206, India.
| | - Savia Bernadette Botelho
- Discipline of Botany, School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Goa University, Goa 403206, India.
| | - Siddhi Kashinath Jalmi
- Discipline of Botany, School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Goa University, Goa 403206, India.
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McCaw BA, Leonard AM, Stevenson TJ, Lancaster LT. A role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating female reproductive responses to temperature in a pest beetle. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38864655 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Many species are threatened by climate change and must rapidly respond to survive in changing environments. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, can facilitate plastic responses by regulating gene expression in response to environmental cues. Understanding epigenetic responses is therefore essential for predicting species' ability to rapidly adapt in the context of global environmental change. Here, we investigated the functional significance of different methylation-associated cellular processes on temperature-dependent life history in seed beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius 1775 (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). We assessed changes under thermal stress in (1) DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt1 and Dnmt2) expression levels, (2) genome-wide methylation and (3) reproductive performance, with (2) and (3) following treatment with 3-aminobenzamide (3AB) and zebularine (Zeb) over two generations. These drugs are well-documented to alter DNA methylation across the tree of life. We found that Dnmt1 and Dnmt2 were expressed throughout the body in males and females, but were highly expressed in females compared with males and exhibited temperature dependence. However, whole-genome methylation did not significantly vary with temperature, and only marginally or inconclusively with drug treatment. Both 3AB and Zeb led to profound temperature-dependent shifts in female reproductive life history trade-off allocation, often increasing fitness compared with control beetles. Mismatch between magnitude of treatment effects on DNA methylation versus life history effects suggest potential of 3AB and Zeb to alter reproductive trade-offs via changes in DNA repair and recycling processes, rather than or in addition to (subtle) changes in DNA methylation. Together, our results suggest that epigenetic mechanisms relating to Dnmt expression, DNA repair and recycling pathways, and possibly DNA methylation, are strongly implicated in modulating insect life history trade-offs in response to temperature change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A McCaw
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
| | - Aoife M Leonard
- Centre for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tyler J Stevenson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
| | - Lesley T Lancaster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
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10
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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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11
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Lamelas L, López-Hidalgo C, Valledor L, Meijón M, Cañal MJ. Like mother like son: Transgenerational memory and cross-tolerance from drought to heat stress are identified in chloroplast proteome and seed provisioning in Pinus radiata. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:1640-1655. [PMID: 38282466 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14836] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
How different stressors impact plant health and memory when they are imposed in different generations in wild ecosystems is still scarce. Here, we address how different environments shape heritable memory for the next generation in seeds and seedlings of Pinus radiata, a long-lived species with economic interest. The performance of the seedlings belonging to two wild clonal subpopulations (optimal fertirrigation vs. slightly stressful conditions) was tested under heat stress through physiological profiling and comparative time-series chloroplast proteomics. In addition, we explored the seeds conducting a physiological characterization and targeted transcriptomic profiling in both subpopulations. Our results showed differential responses between them, evidencing a cross-stress transgenerational memory. Seedlings belonging to the stressed subpopulation retained key proteins related to Photosystem II, chloroplast-to-nucleus signalling and osmoprotection which helped to overcome the applied heat stress. The seeds also showed a differential gene expression profile for targeted genes and microRNAs, as well as an increased content of starch and secondary metabolites, molecules which showed potential interest as biomarkers for early selection of primed plants. Thus, these finds not only delve into transgenerational cross-stress memory in trees, but also provide a new biotechnological tool for forest design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lamelas
- Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Biotechnology Institute of Asturias, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Cristina López-Hidalgo
- Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Biotechnology Institute of Asturias, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Luis Valledor
- Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Biotechnology Institute of Asturias, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Mónica Meijón
- Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Biotechnology Institute of Asturias, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - María Jesús Cañal
- Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Biotechnology Institute of Asturias, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
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12
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Traubenik S, Charon C, Blein T. From environmental responses to adaptation: the roles of plant lncRNAs. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:232-244. [PMID: 38246143 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
As sessile organisms, plants are continuously exposed to heterogeneous and changing environments and constantly need to adapt their growth strategies. They have evolved complex mechanisms to recognize various stress factors, activate appropriate signaling pathways, and respond accordingly by reprogramming the expression of multiple genes at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and even epigenome levels to tolerate stressful conditions such as drought, high temperature, nutrient deficiency, and pathogenic interactions. Apart from protein-coding genes, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key players in plant adaptation to environmental stresses. They are transcripts larger than 200 nucleotides without protein-coding potential. Still, they appear to regulate a wide range of processes, including epigenetic modifications and chromatin reorganization, as well as transcriptional and post-transcriptional modulation of gene expression, allowing plant adaptation to various environmental stresses. LncRNAs can positively or negatively modulate stress responses, affecting processes such as hormone signaling, temperature tolerance, and nutrient deficiency adaptation. Moreover, they also seem to play a role in stress memory, wherein prior exposure to mild stress enhances plant ability to adapt to subsequent stressful conditions. In this review, we summarize the contribution of lncRNAs in plant adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as stress memory. The complex evolutionary conservation of lncRNAs is also discussed and provides insights into future research directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soledad Traubenik
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INRAE, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Céline Charon
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INRAE, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Thomas Blein
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INRAE, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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13
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Nishio H, Kawakatsu T, Yamaguchi N. Beyond heat waves: Unlocking epigenetic heat stress memory in Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:1934-1951. [PMID: 37878744 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Plants remember their exposure to environmental changes and respond more effectively the next time they encounter a similar change by flexibly altering gene expression. Epigenetic mechanisms play a crucial role in establishing such memory of environmental changes and fine-tuning gene expression. With the recent advancements in biochemistry and sequencing technologies, it has become possible to characterize the dynamics of epigenetic changes on scales ranging from short term (minutes) to long term (generations). Here, our main focus is on describing the current understanding of the temporal regulation of histone modifications and chromatin changes during exposure to short-term recurring high temperatures and reevaluating them in the context of natural environments. Investigations of the dynamics of histone modifications and chromatin structural changes in Arabidopsis after repeated exposure to heat at short intervals have revealed the detailed molecular mechanisms of short-term heat stress memory, which include histone modification enzymes, chromatin remodelers, and key transcription factors. In addition, we summarize the spatial regulation of heat responses. Based on the natural temperature patterns during summer, we discuss how plants cope with recurring heat stress occurring at various time intervals by utilizing 2 distinct types of heat stress memory mechanisms. We also explore future research directions to provide a more precise understanding of the epigenetic regulation of heat stress memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruki Nishio
- Data Science and AI Innovation Research Promotion Center, Shiga University, Shiga 522-8522, Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Shiga 520-2113, Japan
| | - Taiji Kawakatsu
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan
| | - Nobutoshi Yamaguchi
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
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14
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Rahman A, Yadav NS, Byeon B, Ilnytskyy Y, Kovalchuk I. Genomic and Epigenomic Changes in the Progeny of Cold-Stressed Arabidopsis thaliana Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2795. [PMID: 38474042 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Plants are continuously exposed to various environmental stresses. Because they can not escape stress, they have to develop mechanisms of remembering stress exposures somatically and passing it to the progeny. We studied the Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia plants exposed to cold stress for 25 continuous generations. Our study revealed that multigenerational exposure to cold stress resulted in the changes in the genome and epigenome (DNA methylation) across generations. Main changes in the progeny were due to the high frequency of genetic mutations rather than epigenetic changes; the difference was primarily in single nucleotide substitutions and deletions. The progeny of cold-stressed plants exhibited the higher rate of missense non-synonymous mutations as compared to the progeny of control plants. At the same time, epigenetic changes were more common in the CHG (C = cytosine, H = cytosine, adenine or thymine, G = guanine) and CHH contexts and favored hypomethylation. There was an increase in the frequency of C to T (thymine) transitions at the CHH positions in the progeny of cold stressed plants; because this type of mutations is often due to the deamination of the methylated cytosines, it can be hypothesized that environment-induced changes in methylation contribute to mutagenesis and may be to microevolution processes and that RNA-dependent DNA methylation plays a crucial role. Our work supports the existence of heritable stress response in plants and demonstrates that genetic changes prevail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashif Rahman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Narendra Singh Yadav
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Boseon Byeon
- Biomedical and Health Informatics, Computer Science Department, State University of New York, 2 S Clinton St, Syracuse, NY 13202, USA
| | - Yaroslav Ilnytskyy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Igor Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
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15
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Siddique AB, Parveen S, Rahman MZ, Rahman J. Revisiting plant stress memory: mechanisms and contribution to stress adaptation. PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 30:349-367. [PMID: 38623161 PMCID: PMC11016036 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-024-01422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Highly repetitive adverse environmental conditions are encountered by plants multiple times during their lifecycle. These repetitive encounters with stresses provide plants an opportunity to remember and recall the experiences of past stress-associated responses, resulting in better adaptation towards those stresses. In general, this phenomenon is known as plant stress memory. According to our current understanding, epigenetic mechanisms play a major role in plants stress memory through DNA methylation, histone, and chromatin remodeling, and modulating non-coding RNAs. In addition, transcriptional, hormonal, and metabolic-based regulations of stress memory establishment also exist for various biotic and abiotic stresses. Plant memory can also be generated by priming the plants using various stressors that improve plants' tolerance towards unfavorable conditions. Additionally, the application of priming agents has been demonstrated to successfully establish stress memory. However, the interconnection of all aspects of the underlying mechanisms of plant stress memory is not yet fully understood, which limits their proper utilization to improve the stress adaptations in plants. This review summarizes the recent understanding of plant stress memory and its potential applications in improving plant tolerance towards biotic and abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abu Bakar Siddique
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Prospect, TAS 7250 Australia
| | - Sumaya Parveen
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 1207 Bangladesh
| | - Md Zahidur Rahman
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 1207 Bangladesh
| | - Jamilur Rahman
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 1207 Bangladesh
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16
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Seem K, Kaur S, Kumar S, Mohapatra T. Epigenome editing for targeted DNA (de)methylation: a new perspective in modulating gene expression. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 59:69-98. [PMID: 38440883 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2024.2320659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Traditionally, it has been believed that inheritance is driven as phenotypic variations resulting from changes in DNA sequence. However, this paradigm has been challenged and redefined in the contemporary era of epigenetics. The changes in DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNA biogenesis, and chromatin remodeling play crucial roles in genomic functions and regulation of gene expression. More importantly, some of these changes are inherited to the next generations as a part of epigenetic memory and play significant roles in gene expression. The sum total of all changes in DNA bases, histone proteins, and ncRNA biogenesis constitutes the epigenome. Continuous progress in deciphering epigenetic regulations and the existence of heritable epigenetic/epiallelic variations associated with trait of interest enables to deploy epigenome editing tools to modulate gene expression. DNA methylation marks can be utilized in epigenome editing for the manipulation of gene expression. Initially, genome/epigenome editing technologies relied on zinc-finger protein or transcriptional activator-like effector protein. However, the discovery of clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats CRISPR)/deadCRISPR-associated protein 9 (dCas9) enabled epigenome editing to be more specific/efficient for targeted DNA (de)methylation. One of the major concerns has been the off-target effects, wherein epigenome editing may unintentionally modify gene/regulatory element which may cause unintended change/harmful effects. Moreover, epigenome editing of germline cell raises several ethical/safety issues. This review focuses on the recent developments in epigenome editing tools/techniques, technological limitations, and future perspectives of this emerging technology in therapeutics for human diseases as well as plant improvement to achieve sustainable developmental goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karishma Seem
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Simardeep Kaur
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Trilochan Mohapatra
- Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority, New Delhi, India
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17
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Kovalchuk I. Heritable responses to stress in plants. QUANTITATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 4:e15. [PMID: 38156078 PMCID: PMC10753343 DOI: 10.1017/qpb.2023.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Most plants are adapted to their environments through generations of exposure to all elements. The adaptation process involves the best possible response to fluctuations in the environment based on the genetic and epigenetic make-up of the organism. Many plant species have the capacity to acclimate or adapt to certain stresses, allowing them to respond more efficiently, with fewer resources diverted from growth and development. However, plants can also acquire protection against stress across generations. Such a response is known as an intergenerational response to stress; typically, plants lose most of the tolerance in the subsequent generation when propagated without stress. Occasionally, the protection lasts for more than one generation after stress exposure and such a response is called transgenerational. In this review, we will summarize what is known about inter- and transgenerational responses to stress, focus on phenotypic and epigenetic events, their mechanisms and ecological and evolutionary meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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18
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Harris CJ, Amtmann A, Ton J. Epigenetic processes in plant stress priming: Open questions and new approaches. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 75:102432. [PMID: 37523900 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Priming reflects the capacity of plants to memorise environmental stress experience and improve their response to recurring stress. Epigenetic modifications in DNA and associated histone proteins may carry short-term and long-term memory in the same plant or mediate transgenerational effects, but the evidence is still largely circumstantial. New experimental tools now enable scientists to perform targeted manipulations that either prevent or generate a particular epigenetic modification in a particular location of the genome. Such 'reverse epigenetics' approaches allow for the interrogation of causality between individual priming-induced modifications and their role for altering gene expression and plant performance under recurring stress. Furthermore, combining site-directed epigenetic manipulation with conditional and cell-type specific promoters creates novel opportunities to test and engineer spatiotemporal patterns of priming.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jake Harris
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Anna Amtmann
- School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G128QQ, UK.
| | - Jurriaan Ton
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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19
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Grin IR, Petrova DV, Endutkin AV, Ma C, Yu B, Li H, Zharkov DO. Base Excision DNA Repair in Plants: Arabidopsis and Beyond. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14746. [PMID: 37834194 PMCID: PMC10573277 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914746] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Base excision DNA repair (BER) is a key pathway safeguarding the genome of all living organisms from damage caused by both intrinsic and environmental factors. Most present knowledge about BER comes from studies of human cells, E. coli, and yeast. Plants may be under an even heavier DNA damage threat from abiotic stress, reactive oxygen species leaking from the photosynthetic system, and reactive secondary metabolites. In general, BER in plant species is similar to that in humans and model organisms, but several important details are specific to plants. Here, we review the current state of knowledge about BER in plants, with special attention paid to its unique features, such as the existence of active epigenetic demethylation based on the BER machinery, the unexplained diversity of alkylation damage repair enzymes, and the differences in the processing of abasic sites that appear either spontaneously or are generated as BER intermediates. Understanding the biochemistry of plant DNA repair, especially in species other than the Arabidopsis model, is important for future efforts to develop new crop varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga R. Grin
- Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; (D.V.P.); (A.V.E.)
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova St., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Daria V. Petrova
- Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; (D.V.P.); (A.V.E.)
| | - Anton V. Endutkin
- Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; (D.V.P.); (A.V.E.)
| | - Chunquan Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Agricultural Microbiology Technology, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150080, China; (C.M.); (B.Y.); (H.L.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Engineering and Biological Fermentation Engineering for Cold Region, Harbin 150080, China
- School of Life Sciences, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Bing Yu
- Engineering Research Center of Agricultural Microbiology Technology, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150080, China; (C.M.); (B.Y.); (H.L.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Engineering and Biological Fermentation Engineering for Cold Region, Harbin 150080, China
- School of Life Sciences, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Haiying Li
- Engineering Research Center of Agricultural Microbiology Technology, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150080, China; (C.M.); (B.Y.); (H.L.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Engineering and Biological Fermentation Engineering for Cold Region, Harbin 150080, China
- School of Life Sciences, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Dmitry O. Zharkov
- Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8 Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; (D.V.P.); (A.V.E.)
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova St., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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20
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Zhang(张宇鹏) Y, Fan G, Toivainen T, Tengs T, Yakovlev I, Krokene P, Hytönen T, Fossdal CG, Grini PE. Warmer temperature during asexual reproduction induce methylome, transcriptomic, and lasting phenotypic changes in Fragaria vesca ecotypes. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhad156. [PMID: 37719273 PMCID: PMC10500154 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Plants must adapt with increasing speed to global warming to maintain their fitness. One rapid adaptation mechanism is epigenetic memory, which may provide organisms sufficient time to adapt to climate change. We studied how the perennial Fragaria vesca adapted to warmer temperatures (28°C vs. 18°C) over three asexual generations. Differences in flowering time, stolon number, and petiole length were induced by warmer temperature in one or more ecotypes after three asexual generations and persisted in a common garden environment. Induced methylome changes differed between the four ecotypes from Norway, Iceland, Italy, and Spain, but shared methylome responses were also identified. Most differentially methylated regions (DMRs) occurred in the CHG context, and most CHG and CHH DMRs were hypermethylated at the warmer temperature. In eight CHG DMR peaks, a highly similar methylation pattern could be observed between ecotypes. On average, 13% of the differentially methylated genes between ecotypes also showed a temperature-induced change in gene expression. We observed ecotype-specific methylation and expression patterns for genes related to gibberellin metabolism, flowering time, and epigenetic mechanisms. Furthermore, we observed a negative correlation with gene expression when repetitive elements were found near (±2 kb) or inside genes. In conclusion, lasting phenotypic changes indicative of an epigenetic memory were induced by warmer temperature and were accompanied by changes in DNA methylation patterns. Both shared methylation patterns and transcriptome differences between F. vesca accessions were observed, indicating that DNA methylation may be involved in both general and ecotype-specific phenotypic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- YuPeng Zhang(张宇鹏)
- EVOGENE, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0313 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Guangxun Fan
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuomas Toivainen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Torstein Tengs
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Igor Yakovlev
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Paal Krokene
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Timo Hytönen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Carl Gunnar Fossdal
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Paul E. Grini
- EVOGENE, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0313 Oslo, Norway
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21
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Gorbenko IV, Petrushin IS, Shcherban AB, Orlov YL, Konstantinov YM. Short Interrupted Repeat Cassette (SIRC)-Novel Type of Repetitive DNA Element Found in Arabidopsis thaliana. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11116. [PMID: 37446293 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311116] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Short interrupted repeat cassette (SIRC)-a novel DNA element found throughout the A. thaliana nuclear genome. SIRCs are represented by short direct repeats interrupted by diverse DNA sequences. The maxima of SIRC's distribution are located within pericentromeric regions. We suggest that originally SIRC was a special case of the complex internal structure of the miniature inverted repeat transposable element (MITE), and further MITE amplification, transposition, and loss of terminal inverted repeats gave rise to SIRC as an independent DNA element. SIRC sites were significantly enriched with several histone modifications associated with constitutive heterochromatin and mobile genetic elements. The majority of DNA-binding proteins, strongly associated with SIRC, are related to histone modifications for transcription repression. A part of SIRC was found to overlap highly inducible protein-coding genes, suggesting a possible regulatory role for these elements, yet their definitive functions need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Gorbenko
- Cell Biology and Bioengineering, Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry SB RAS, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
| | - Ivan S Petrushin
- Cell Biology and Bioengineering, Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry SB RAS, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
- Department of Business Communications and Informatics, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
| | - Andrey B Shcherban
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Kurchatov Genomic Center ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Yuriy L Orlov
- The Digital Health Institute, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russia
- Agrarian and Technological Institute, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow 117198, Russia
| | - Yuri M Konstantinov
- Cell Biology and Bioengineering, Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry SB RAS, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
- Biosoil Department, Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk 664003, Russia
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22
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Auge G, Hankofer V, Groth M, Antoniou-Kourounioti R, Ratikainen I, Lampei C. Plant environmental memory: implications, mechanisms and opportunities for plant scientists and beyond. AOB PLANTS 2023; 15:plad032. [PMID: 37415723 PMCID: PMC10321398 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Plants are extremely plastic organisms. They continuously receive and integrate environmental information and adjust their growth and development to favour fitness and survival. When this integration of information affects subsequent life stages or the development of subsequent generations, it can be considered an environmental memory. Thus, plant memory is a relevant mechanism by which plants respond adaptively to different environments. If the cost of maintaining the response is offset by its benefits, it may influence evolutionary trajectories. As such, plant memory has a sophisticated underlying molecular mechanism with multiple components and layers. Nonetheless, when mathematical modelling is combined with knowledge of ecological, physiological, and developmental effects as well as molecular mechanisms as a tool for understanding plant memory, the combined potential becomes unfathomable for the management of plant communities in natural and agricultural ecosystems. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the understanding of plant memory, discuss the ecological requirements for its evolution, outline the multilayered molecular network and mechanisms required for accurate and fail-proof plant responses to variable environments, point out the direct involvement of the plant metabolism and discuss the tremendous potential of various types of models to further our understanding of the plant's environmental memory. Throughout, we emphasize the use of plant memory as a tool to unlock the secrets of the natural world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valentin Hankofer
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Groth
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Rea Antoniou-Kourounioti
- School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow, Sir James Black Building, University Ave, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Irja Ratikainen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Realfagbygget, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christian Lampei
- Department of Biology (FB17), Plant Ecology and Geobotany Group, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
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23
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Zhang Y, Toivainen T, Mackenzie K, Yakovlev I, Krokene P, Hytönen T, Grini PE, Fossdal CG. Methylome, transcriptome, and phenotype changes induced by temperature conditions experienced during sexual reproduction in Fragaria vesca. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2023; 175:e13963. [PMID: 37340851 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Temperature conditions experienced during embryogenesis and seed development may induce epigenetic changes that increase phenotypic variation in plants. Here we investigate if embryogenesis and seed development at two different temperatures (28 vs. 18°C) result in lasting phenotypic effects and DNA methylation changes in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca). Using five European ecotypes from Spain (ES12), Iceland (ICE2), Italy (IT4), and Norway (NOR2 and NOR29), we found statistically significant differences between plants from seeds produced at 18 or 28°C in three of four phenotypic features investigated under common garden conditions. This indicates the establishment of a temperature-induced epigenetic memory-like response during embryogenesis and seed development. The memory effect was significant in two ecotypes: in NOR2 flowering time, number of growth points and petiole length were affected, and in ES12 number of growth points was affected. This indicates that genetic differences between ecotypes in their epigenetic machinery, or other allelic differences, impact this type of plasticity. We observed statistically significant differences between ecotypes in DNA methylation marks in repetitive elements, pseudogenes, and genic elements. Leaf transcriptomes were also affected by embryonic temperature in an ecotype-specific manner. Although we observed significant and lasting phenotypic change in at least some ecotypes, there was considerable variation in DNA methylation between individual plants within each temperature treatment. This within-treatment variability in DNA methylation marks in F. vesca progeny may partly be a result of allelic redistribution from recombination during meiosis and subsequent epigenetic reprogramming during embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yupeng Zhang
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
- EVOGENE, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tuomas Toivainen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kathryn Mackenzie
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Igor Yakovlev
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| | - Paal Krokene
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| | - Timo Hytönen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paul E Grini
- EVOGENE, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Carl Gunnar Fossdal
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
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24
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Panda K, Mohanasundaram B, Gutierrez J, McLain L, Castillo SE, Sheng H, Casto A, Gratacós G, Chakrabarti A, Fahlgren N, Pandey S, Gehan MA, Slotkin RK. The plant response to high CO 2 levels is heritable and orchestrated by DNA methylation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:2427-2439. [PMID: 36918471 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Plant responses to abiotic environmental challenges are known to have lasting effects on the plant beyond the initial stress exposure. Some of these lasting effects are transgenerational, affecting the next generation. The plant response to elevated carbon dioxide (CO2 ) levels has been well studied. However, these investigations are typically limited to plants grown for a single generation in a high CO2 environment while transgenerational studies are rare. We aimed to determine transgenerational growth responses in plants after exposure to high CO2 by investigating the direct progeny when returned to baseline CO2 levels. We found that both the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana and seedless nonvascular plant Physcomitrium patens continue to display accelerated growth rates in the progeny of plants exposed to high CO2 . We used the model species Arabidopsis to dissect the molecular mechanism and found that DNA methylation pathways are necessary for heritability of this growth response. More specifically, the pathway of RNA-directed DNA methylation is required to initiate methylation and the proteins CMT2 and CMT3 are needed for the transgenerational propagation of this DNA methylation to the progeny plants. Together, these two DNA methylation pathways establish and then maintain a cellular memory to high CO2 exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaushik Panda
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | | | - Jorge Gutierrez
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | - Lauren McLain
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | | | - Hudanyun Sheng
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | - Anna Casto
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | - Gustavo Gratacós
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Ayan Chakrabarti
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Noah Fahlgren
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | - Sona Pandey
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | - Malia A Gehan
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | - R Keith Slotkin
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, MO, 65211, Columbia, USA
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25
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Pisupati R, Nizhynska V, Mollá Morales A, Nordborg M. On the causes of gene-body methylation variation in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010728. [PMID: 37141384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene-body methylation (gbM) refers to sparse CG methylation of coding regions, which is especially prominent in evolutionarily conserved house-keeping genes. It is found in both plants and animals, but is directly and stably (epigenetically) inherited over multiple generations in the former. Studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have demonstrated that plants originating from different parts of the world exhibit genome-wide differences in gbM, which could reflect direct selection on gbM, but which could also reflect an epigenetic memory of ancestral genetic and/or environmental factors. Here we look for evidence of such factors in F2 plants resulting from a cross between a southern Swedish line with low gbM and a northern Swedish line with high gbM, grown at two different temperatures. Using bisulfite-sequencing data with nucleotide-level resolution on hundreds of individuals, we confirm that CG sites are either methylated (nearly 100% methylation across sampled cells) or unmethylated (approximately 0% methylation across sampled cells), and show that the higher level of gbM in the northern line is due to more sites being methylated. Furthermore, methylation variants almost always show Mendelian segregation, consistent with their being directly and stably inherited through meiosis. To explore how the differences between the parental lines could have arisen, we focused on somatic deviations from the inherited state, distinguishing between gains (relative to the inherited 0% methylation) and losses (relative to the inherited 100% methylation) at each site in the F2 generation. We demonstrate that deviations predominantly affect sites that differ between the parental lines, consistent with these sites being more mutable. Gains and losses behave very differently in terms of the genomic distribution, and are influenced by the local chromatin state. We find clear evidence for different trans-acting genetic polymorphism affecting gains and losses, with those affecting gains showing strong environmental interactions (G×E). Direct effects of the environment were minimal. In conclusion, we show that genetic and environmental factors can change gbM at a cellular level, and hypothesize that these factors can also lead to transgenerational differences between individuals via the inclusion of such changes in the zygote. If true, this could explain genographic pattern of gbM with selection, and would cast doubt on estimates of epimutation rates from inbred lines in constant environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Pisupati
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni, Vienna, Austria
| | - Viktoria Nizhynska
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Almudena Mollá Morales
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Magnus Nordborg
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
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26
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Flores-Tornero M, Becker JD. 50 years of sperm cell isolations: from structural to omic studies. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023:erad117. [PMID: 37025026 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The fusion of male and female gametes is a fundamental process in the perpetuation and diversification of species. During the last 50 years, significant efforts have been made to isolate and characterize sperm cells from flowering plants, and to identify how these cells interact with female gametes to achieve double fertilization. The first techniques and analytical approaches not only provided structural and biochemical characterizations of plant sperm cells but also paved the way for in vitro fertilization studies. Further technological advances then led to unique insights into sperm biology at transcriptomic, proteomic and epigenetic level. Starting with a historical overview of sperm cell isolation techniques, we provide examples of how these contributed to create our current knowledge of sperm cell biology, and point out remaining challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Flores-Tornero
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, 2780-157 Portugal
| | - Jörg D Becker
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, 2780-157 Portugal
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27
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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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28
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Gallusci P, Agius DR, Moschou PN, Dobránszki J, Kaiserli E, Martinelli F. Deep inside the epigenetic memories of stressed plants. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:142-153. [PMID: 36404175 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence sheds light on the peculiar type of plant intelligence. Plants have developed complex molecular networks that allow them to remember, choose, and make decisions depending on the stress stimulus, although they lack a nervous system. Being sessile, plants can exploit these networks to optimize their resources cost-effectively and maximize their fitness in response to multiple environmental stresses. Even more interesting is the capability to transmit this experience to the next generation(s) through epigenetic modifications that add to the classical genetic inheritance. In this opinion article, we present concepts and perspectives regarding the capabilities of plants to sense, perceive, remember, re-elaborate, respond, and to some extent transmit to their progeny information to adapt more efficiently to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Gallusci
- Ecophysiologie et Génomique Fonctionnelle de la Vigne (EGFV), University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Dolores R Agius
- Centre of Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, University of Malta, Msida, Malta; Ġ.F. Abela Junior College, Ġuzè Debono Square, Msida, Malta
| | - Panagiotis N Moschou
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Judit Dobránszki
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Eirini Kaiserli
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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29
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Scheschonk L, Bischof K, Kopp MEL, Jueterbock A. Differences by origin in methylome suggest eco-phenotypes in the kelp Saccharina latissima. Evol Appl 2023; 16:262-278. [PMID: 36793679 PMCID: PMC9923482 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Most kelp species are of high ecological and economic importance worldwide, but are highly susceptible to rising ocean temperatures due to their sessile lifestyle. Due to interference with reproduction, development and growth, natural kelp forests have vanished in multiple regions after extreme summer heat waves. Furthermore, increasing temperatures are likely to decrease biomass production and, thus, reduce production security of farmed kelp. Epigenetic variation, and cytosine methylation as a heritable epigenetic trait, is a rapid means of acclimation and adaptation to environmental conditions, including temperature. While the first methylome of brown macroalgae has been recently described in the kelp Saccharina japonica, its functional relevance and contribution to environmental acclimation is currently unknown. The main objective of our study was to identify the importance of the methylome in the congener kelp species Saccharina latissima for temperature acclimation. Our study is the first to compare DNA methylation in kelp between wild populations of different latitudinal origin, and the first to investigate the effect of cultivation and rearing temperature on genome-wide cytosine methylation. Origin appears to determine many traits in kelp, but it is unknown to what extent the effects of thermal acclimation may be overruled by lab-related acclimation. Our results suggest that seaweed hatchery conditions have strong effects on the methylome and, thus, putatively on the epigenetically controlled characteristics of young kelp sporophytes. However, culture origin could best explain epigenetic differences in our samples suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms contribute to local adaptation of eco-phenotypes. Our study is a first step to understand whether DNA methylation marks (via their effect on gene regulation) may be used as biological regulators to enhance production security and kelp restoration success under rising temperatures, and highlights the importance to match hatchery conditions to origin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kai Bischof
- Marine Botany & MARUM University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | | | - Alexander Jueterbock
- Algal and Microbial Biotechnology Division Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture Nord University Bodø Norway
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30
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Gupta K, Garg R. Unravelling Differential DNA Methylation Patterns in Genotype Dependent Manner under Salinity Stress Response in Chickpea. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031863. [PMID: 36768187 PMCID: PMC9915442 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that govern gene regulation in response to abiotic stress in plants. Here, we analyzed the role of epigenetic variations by exploring global DNA methylation and integrating it with differential gene expression in response to salinity stress in tolerant and sensitive chickpea genotypes. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles showed higher CG methylation in the gene body regions and higher CHH methylation in the TE body regions. The analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) suggested more hyper-methylation in response to stress in the tolerant genotype compared to the sensitive genotype. We observed higher enrichment of CG DMRs in genes and CHH DMRs in transposable elements (TEs). A positive correlation of gene expression with CG gene body methylation was observed. The enrichment analysis of DMR-associated differentially expressed genes revealed they are involved in biological processes, such as lateral root development, transmembrane transporter activity, GTPase activity, and regulation of gene expression. Further, a high correlation of CG methylation with CHG and CHH methylation under salinity stress was revealed, suggesting crosstalk among the methylation contexts. Further, we observed small RNA-mediated CHH hypermethylation in TEs. Overall, the interplay between DNA methylation, small RNAs, and gene expression provides new insights into the regulatory mechanism underlying salinity stress response in chickpeas.
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31
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Ferrari M, Muto A, Bruno L, Cozza R. DNA Methylation in Algae and Its Impact on Abiotic Stress Responses. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:241. [PMID: 36678953 PMCID: PMC9861306 DOI: 10.3390/plants12020241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics, referring to heritable gene regulatory information that is independent of changes in DNA sequences, is an important mechanism involved both in organism development and in the response to environmental events. About the epigenetic marks, DNA methylation is one of the most conserved mechanisms, playing a pivotal role in organism response to several biotic and abiotic stressors. Indeed, stress can induce changes in gene expression through hypo- or hyper-methylation of DNA at specific loci and/or in DNA methylation at the genome-wide level, which has an adaptive significance and can direct genome evolution. Exploring DNA methylation in responses to abiotic stress could have important implications for improving stress tolerance in algae. This article summarises the DNA methylation pattern in algae and its impact on abiotic stress, such as heavy metals, nutrients and temperature. Our discussion provides information for further research in algae for a better comprehension of the epigenetic response under abiotic stress, which could favour important implications to sustain algae growth under abiotic stress conditions, often related to high biosynthesis of interesting metabolites.
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32
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Van Antro M, Prelovsek S, Ivanovic S, Gawehns F, Wagemaker NCAM, Mysara M, Horemans N, Vergeer P, Verhoeven KJF. DNA methylation in clonal duckweed (Lemna minor L.) lineages reflects current and historical environmental exposures. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:428-443. [PMID: 36324253 PMCID: PMC10100429 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Environmentally induced DNA methylation variants may mediate gene expression responses to environmental changes. If such induced variants are transgenerationally stable, there is potential for expression responses to persist over multiple generations. Our current knowledge in plants, however, is almost exclusively based on studies conducted in sexually reproducing species where the majority of DNA methylation changes are subject to resetting in germlines, limiting the potential for transgenerational epigenetics stress memory. Asexual reproduction circumvents germlines, and may therefore be more conducive to long-term inheritance of epigenetic marks. Taking advantage of the rapid clonal reproduction of the common duckweed Lemna minor, we hypothesize that long-term, transgenerational stress memory from exposure to high temperature can be detected in DNA methylation profiles. Using a reduced representation bisulphite sequencing approach (epiGBS), we show that temperature stress induces DNA hypermethylation at many CG and CHG cytosine contexts but not CHH. Additionally, differential methylation in CHG context that was observed was still detected in a subset of cytosines, even after 3-12 generations of culturing in a common environment. This demonstrates a memory effect of stress reflected in the methylome and that persists over multiple clonal generations. Structural annotation revealed that this memory effect in CHG methylation was enriched in transposable elements. The observed epigenetic stress memory is probably caused by stable transgenerational persistence of temperature-induced DNA methylation variants across clonal generations. To the extent that such epigenetic memory has functional consequences for gene expression and phenotypes, this result suggests potential for long-term modulation of stress responses in asexual plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Van Antro
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stella Prelovsek
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Slavica 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
| | | | - Mohamed Mysara
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Nele Horemans
- Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Philippine Vergeer
- Plant Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Wageningen University and Research (WUR), Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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33
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Zhang H, Tang Y, Li Q, Zhao S, Zhang Z, Chen Y, Shen Z, Chen C. Genetic and epigenetic variation separately contribute to range expansion and local metalliferous habitat adaptation during invasions of Chenopodium ambrosioides into China. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:1041-1056. [PMID: 36413156 PMCID: PMC9851312 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac139] [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: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Invasive plants often colonize wide-ranging geographical areas with various local microenvironments. The specific roles of epigenetic and genetic variation during such expansion are still unclear. Chenopodium ambrosioides is a well-known invasive alien species in China that can thrive in metalliferous habitats. This study aims to comprehensively understand the effects of genetic and epigenetic variation on the successful invasion of C. ambrosioides. METHODS We sampled 367 individuals from 21 heavy metal-contaminated and uncontaminated sites with a wide geographical distribution in regions of China. We obtained environmental factors of these sampling sites, including 13 meteorological factors and the contents of four heavy metals in soils. Microsatellite markers were used to investigate the demographic history of C. ambrosioides populations in China. We also analysed the effect of epigenetic variation on metalliferous microhabitat adaptation using methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) markers. A common garden experiment was conducted to compare heritable phenotypic variations among populations. KEY RESULTS Two distinct genetic clusters that diverged thousands of years ago were identified, suggesting that the eastern and south-western C. ambrosioides populations in China may have originated from independent introduction events without recombination. Genetic variation was shown to be a dominant determinant of phenotypic differentiation relative to epigenetic variation, and further affected the geographical distribution pattern of invasive C. ambrosioides. The global DNA unmethylation level was reduced in metalliferous habitats. Dozens of methylated loci were significantly associated with the heavy metal accumulation trait of C. ambrosioides and may contribute to coping with metalliferous microenvironments. CONCLUSIONS Our study of C. ambrosioides highlighted the dominant roles of genetic variation in large geographical range expansion and epigenetic variation in local metalliferous habitat adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanchao Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yongwei Tang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Quanyuan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Shangjun Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Zhou Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yahua Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Centre for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Zhenguo Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Centre for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Centre for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
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34
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Liu Y, Wang J, Liu B, Xu ZY. Dynamic regulation of DNA methylation and histone modifications in response to abiotic stresses in plants. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:2252-2274. [PMID: 36149776 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation and histone modification are evolutionarily conserved epigenetic modifications that are crucial for the expression regulation of abiotic stress-responsive genes in plants. Dynamic changes in gene expression levels can result from changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications. In the last two decades, how epigenetic machinery regulates abiotic stress responses in plants has been extensively studied. Here, based on recent publications, we review how DNA methylation and histone modifications impact gene expression regulation in response to abiotic stresses such as drought, abscisic acid, high salt, extreme temperature, nutrient deficiency or toxicity, and ultraviolet B exposure. We also review the roles of epigenetic mechanisms in the formation of transgenerational stress memory. We posit that a better understanding of the epigenetic underpinnings of abiotic stress responses in plants may facilitate the design of more stress-resistant or -resilient crops, which is essential for coping with global warming and extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Bao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Zheng-Yi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
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35
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Zhang H, Gong Z, Zhu JK. Active DNA demethylation in plants: 20 years of discovery and beyond. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:2217-2239. [PMID: 36478523 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Maintaining proper DNA methylation levels in the genome requires active demethylation of DNA. However, removing the methyl group from a modified cytosine is chemically difficult and therefore, the underlying mechanism of demethylation had remained unclear for many years. The discovery of the first eukaryotic DNA demethylase, Arabidopsis thaliana REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1), led to elucidation of the 5-methylcytosine base excision repair mechanism of active DNA demethylation. In the 20 years since ROS1 was discovered, our understanding of this active DNA demethylation pathway, as well as its regulation and biological functions in plants, has greatly expanded. These exciting developments have laid the groundwork for further dissecting the regulatory mechanisms of active DNA demethylation, with potential applications in epigenome editing to facilitate crop breeding and gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Plant Genetics, Shanghai Centre for Plant Stress Biology, Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhizhong Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jian-Kang Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Advanced Biotechnology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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36
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Metabolic and Transcriptional Stress Memory in Sorbus pohuashanensis Suspension Cells Induced by Yeast Extract. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233757. [PMID: 36497017 PMCID: PMC9739749 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant stress memory can provide the benefits of enhanced protection against additional stress exposure. Here, we aimed to explore the responses of recurrent and non-recurrent yeast extract (YE) stresses in Sorbus pohuashanensis suspension cells (SPSCs) at metabolomics and transcriptional levels. Biochemical analyses showed that the cell wall integrity and antioxidation capacity of SPSCs in the pretreated group were evidently improved. Metabolic analysis showed that there were 39 significantly altered metabolites in the pretreated group compared to the non-pretreated group. Based on the transcriptome analysis, 219 differentially expressed genes were obtained, which were highly enriched in plant-pathogen interaction, circadian rhythm-plant, oxidative phosphorylation, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Furthermore, the correlation analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome data revealed that phenylpropanoid biosynthesis involved in the production of biphenyl phytoalexins may play a critical role in the memory response of SPSC to YE, and the key memory genes were also identified, including PAL1, BIS1, and BIS3. Collectively, the above results demonstrated that the memory responses of SPSC to YE were significant in almost all levels, which would be helpful for better understanding the adaptation mechanisms of medicinal plants in response to biotic stress, and laid a biotechnological foundation to accumulate favorable antimicrobial drug candidates from plant suspension cells.
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37
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Wibowo AT, Antunez-Sanchez J, Dawson A, Price J, Meehan C, Wrightsman T, Collenberg M, Bezrukov I, Becker C, Benhamed M, Weigel D, Gutierrez-Marcos J. Predictable and stable epimutations induced during clonal plant propagation with embryonic transcription factor. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010479. [PMID: 36383565 PMCID: PMC9731469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clonal propagation is frequently used in commercial plant breeding and biotechnology programs because it minimizes genetic variation, yet it is not uncommon to observe clonal plants with stable phenotypic changes, a phenomenon known as somaclonal variation. Several studies have linked epigenetic modifications induced during regeneration with this newly acquired phenotypic variation. However, the factors that determine the extent of somaclonal variation and the molecular changes underpinning this process remain poorly understood. To address this gap in our knowledge, we compared clonally propagated Arabidopsis thaliana plants derived from somatic embryogenesis using two different embryonic transcription factors- RWP-RK DOMAIN-CONTAINING 4 (RKD4) or LEAFY COTYLEDON2 (LEC2) and from two epigenetically distinct founder tissues. We found that both the epi(genetic) status of the explant and the regeneration protocol employed play critical roles in shaping the molecular and phenotypic landscape of clonal plants. Phenotypic variation in regenerated plants can be largely explained by the inheritance of tissue-specific DNA methylation imprints, which are associated with specific transcriptional and metabolic changes in sexual progeny of clonal plants. For instance, regenerants were particularly affected by the inheritance of root-specific epigenetic imprints, which were associated with an increased accumulation of salicylic acid in leaves and accelerated plant senescence. Collectively, our data reveal specific pathways underpinning the phenotypic and molecular variation that arise and accumulate in clonal plant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjar Tri Wibowo
- School of Life Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tubingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Airlangga University, Surabaya City, East Java, Indonesia
| | | | - Alexander Dawson
- School of Life Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Price
- School of Life Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Cathal Meehan
- School of Life Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Travis Wrightsman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Maximillian Collenberg
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Ilja Bezrukov
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Claude Becker
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tubingen, Germany
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Moussa Benhamed
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique, University of Évry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay, France
| | - Detlef Weigel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tubingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (DW); (JGM)
| | - Jose Gutierrez-Marcos
- School of Life Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DW); (JGM)
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Shi M, Wang C, Wang P, Zhang M, Liao W. Methylation in DNA, histone, and RNA during flowering under stress condition: A review. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 324:111431. [PMID: 36028071 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Flowering is the most critical transition period in the whole lifecycle of plants, and it is a highly sensitive period to stress. New combinations of temperature, drought stress, carbon dioxide and other abiotic/biotic conditions resulting from contemporary climate change affect the flowering process. Plants have evolved several strategies to deal with environmental stresses, including epigenetic modifications. Numerous studies show that environmental stresses trigger methylation/demethylation during flowering to preserve/accelerate plant lifecycle. What's more, histone and DNA methylation can be induced to respond to stresses, resulting in changes of flowering gene expression and enhancing stress tolerance in plants. Furthermore, RNA methylation may influence stress-regulated flowering by regulating mRNA stability and antioxidant mechanism. Our review presents the involvement of methylation in stress-repressed and stress-induced flowering. The crosstalk between methylation and small RNAs, phytohormones and exogenous substances (such as salicylic acid, nitric oxide) during flowering under different stresses were discussed. The latest regulatory evidence of RNA methylation in stress-regulated flowering was collected for the first time. Meanwhile, the limited evidences of methylation in biotic stress-induced flowering were summarized. Thus, the review provides insights into understanding of methylation mechanism in stress-regulated flowering and makes use for the development of regulating plant flowering at epigenetic level in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meimei Shi
- College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Chunlei Wang
- College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Peng Wang
- College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Weibiao Liao
- College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
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Hämälä T, Ning W, Kuittinen H, Aryamanesh N, Savolainen O. Environmental response in gene expression and DNA methylation reveals factors influencing the adaptive potential of Arabidopsis lyrata. eLife 2022; 11:83115. [PMID: 36306157 PMCID: PMC9616567 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding what factors influence plastic and genetic variation is valuable for predicting how organisms respond to changes in the selective environment. Here, using gene expression and DNA methylation as molecular phenotypes, we study environmentally induced variation among Arabidopsis lyrata plants grown at lowland and alpine field sites. Our results show that gene expression is highly plastic, as many more genes are differentially expressed between the field sites than between populations. These environmentally responsive genes evolve under strong selective constraint – the strength of purifying selection on the coding sequence is high, while the rate of adaptive evolution is low. We find, however, that positive selection on cis-regulatory variants has likely contributed to the maintenance of genetically variable environmental responses, but such variants segregate only between distantly related populations. In contrast to gene expression, DNA methylation at genic regions is largely insensitive to the environment, and plastic methylation changes are not associated with differential gene expression. Besides genes, we detect environmental effects at transposable elements (TEs): TEs at the high-altitude field site have higher expression and methylation levels, suggestive of a broad-scale TE activation. Compared to the lowland population, plants native to the alpine environment harbor an excess of recent TE insertions, and we observe that specific TE families are enriched within environmentally responsive genes. Our findings provide insight into selective forces shaping plastic and genetic variation. We also highlight how plastic responses at TEs can rapidly create novel heritable variation in stressful conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomas Hämälä
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Weixuan Ning
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Helmi Kuittinen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Nader Aryamanesh
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Outi Savolainen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Nguyen NH, Vu NT, Cheong JJ. Transcriptional Stress Memory and Transgenerational Inheritance of Drought Tolerance in Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12918. [PMID: 36361708 PMCID: PMC9654142 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants respond to drought stress by producing abscisic acid, a chemical messenger that regulates gene expression and thereby expedites various physiological and cellular processes including the stomatal operation to mitigate stress and promote tolerance. To trigger or suppress gene transcription under drought stress conditions, the surrounding chromatin architecture must be converted between a repressive and active state by epigenetic remodeling, which is achieved by the dynamic interplay among DNA methylation, histone modifications, loop formation, and non-coding RNA generation. Plants can memorize chromatin status under drought conditions to enable them to deal with recurrent stress. Furthermore, drought tolerance acquired during plant growth can be transmitted to the next generation. The epigenetically modified chromatin architectures of memory genes under stressful conditions can be transmitted to newly developed cells by mitotic cell division, and to germline cells of offspring by overcoming the restraints on meiosis. In mammalian cells, the acquired memory state is completely erased and reset during meiosis. The mechanism by which plant cells overcome this resetting during meiosis to transmit memory is unclear. In this article, we review recent findings on the mechanism underlying transcriptional stress memory and the transgenerational inheritance of drought tolerance in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Hoai Nguyen
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
| | - Nam Tuan Vu
- Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jong-Joo Cheong
- Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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Rajpal VR, Rathore P, Mehta S, Wadhwa N, Yadav P, Berry E, Goel S, Bhat V, Raina SN. Epigenetic variation: A major player in facilitating plant fitness under changing environmental conditions. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1020958. [PMID: 36340045 PMCID: PMC9628676 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1020958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research in plant epigenetics has increased our understanding of how epigenetic variability can contribute to adaptive phenotypic plasticity in natural populations. Studies show that environmental changes induce epigenetic switches either independently or in complementation with the genetic variation. Although most of the induced epigenetic variability gets reset between generations and is short-lived, some variation becomes transgenerational and results in heritable phenotypic traits. The short-term epigenetic responses provide the first tier of transient plasticity required for local adaptations while transgenerational epigenetic changes contribute to stress memory and help the plants respond better to recurring or long-term stresses. These transgenerational epigenetic variations translate into an additional tier of diversity which results in stable epialleles. In recent years, studies have been conducted on epigenetic variation in natural populations related to various biological processes, ecological factors, communities, and habitats. With the advent of advanced NGS-based technologies, epigenetic studies targeting plants in diverse environments have increased manifold to enhance our understanding of epigenetic responses to environmental stimuli in facilitating plant fitness. Taking all points together in a frame, the present review is a compilation of present-day knowledge and understanding of the role of epigenetics and its fitness benefits in diverse ecological systems in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Rani Rajpal
- Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Vijay Rani Rajpal, , ; Shailendra Goel, ; Vishnu Bhat, ; Soom Nath Raina,
| | | | - Sahil Mehta
- School of Agricultural Sciences, K.R. Mangalam University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Nikita Wadhwa
- University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Eapsa Berry
- Maharishi Kanad Bhawan, Delhi School of Climate Change and Sustainability, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Shailendra Goel
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Vijay Rani Rajpal, , ; Shailendra Goel, ; Vishnu Bhat, ; Soom Nath Raina,
| | - Vishnu Bhat
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Vijay Rani Rajpal, , ; Shailendra Goel, ; Vishnu Bhat, ; Soom Nath Raina,
| | - Soom Nath Raina
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
- *Correspondence: Vijay Rani Rajpal, , ; Shailendra Goel, ; Vishnu Bhat, ; Soom Nath Raina,
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42
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Antisense Transcription in Plants: A Systematic Review and an Update on cis-NATs of Sugarcane. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911603. [PMID: 36232906 PMCID: PMC9569758 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Initially, natural antisense transcripts (NATs, natRNAs, or asRNAs) were considered repressors; however, their functions in gene regulation are diverse. Positive, negative, or neutral correlations to the cognate gene expression have been noted. Although the first studies were published about 50 years ago, there is still much to be investigated regarding antisense transcripts in plants. A systematic review of scientific publications available in the Web of Science databases was conducted to contextualize how the studying of antisense transcripts has been addressed. Studies were classified considering three categories: “Natural antisense” (208), artificial antisense used in “Genetic Engineering” (797), or “Natural antisense and Genetic Engineering”-related publications (96). A similar string was used for a systematic search in the NCBI Gene database. Of the 1132 antisense sequences found for plants, only 0.8% were cited in PubMed and had antisense information confirmed. This value was the lowest when compared to fungi (2.9%), bacteria (2.3%), and mice (54.1%). Finally, we present an update for the cis-NATs identified in Saccharum spp. Of the 1413 antisense transcripts found in different experiments, 25 showed concordant expressions, 22 were discordant, 1264 did not correlate with the cognate genes, and 102 presented variable results depending on the experiment.
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Lempe J, Flachowsky H, Peil A. Exploring epigenetic variation for breeding climate resilient apple crops. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022; 174:e13782. [PMID: 36151889 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Climate change with warmer winter and spring temperatures poses major challenges to apple fruit production. Long-term observations confirm the trend toward earlier flowering, which leads to an increased risk of frost damage. New breeding strategies are needed to generate cultivars that are able to stay largely unaffected by warmer temperatures. Recently, epigenetic variation has been proposed as a new resource for breeding purposes and seems suitable in principle for apple breeding. However, to serve as a new resource for apple breeding, it is necessary to clarify whether epigenetic variation can be induced by the environment, whether it can create phenotypic variation, and whether this variation is stable across generations. In this brief review, we summarize the impact of climate change on the timing of apple phenology, highlight how epigenetic variation can potentially support novel breeding strategies, and point out important features of epigenetic variation that are required for its application in breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Lempe
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henryk Flachowsky
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Peil
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops, Dresden, Germany
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44
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Memory of plants: present understanding. THE NUCLEUS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13237-022-00399-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
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45
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Shi Y, Qin Y, Li F, Wang H. Genome-Wide Profiling of DNA Methylome and Transcriptome Reveals Epigenetic Regulation of Potato Response to DON Stress. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:934379. [PMID: 35812951 PMCID: PMC9260311 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.934379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Potato is an important food crop that occupies lesser area but has greater production than rice and wheat. However, potato production is affected by numerous biotic and abiotic stresses, among which Fusarium dry rot is a disease that has significant effect on potato production, storage, and processing. However, the role of DNA methylation in regulating potato response to Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) stress is still not fully understood. In this study, we performed DNA methylome and transcriptome analyses of potato tubers treated with five concentrations of DON. The global DNA methylation levels in potato tubers treated with different concentrations of DON showed significant changes relative to those in the control. In particular, the 20 ng/ml treatment showed the largest decrease in all three contexts of methylation levels, especially CHH contexts in transposon regions. The differentially methylated region (DMR)-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in resistance-related metabolic pathways, indicating that DNA methylation plays an essential role in potato response to DON stress. Furthermore, we examined lesions on potato tubers infested with Fusarium after treatment. Furthermore, the potato tubers treated with 5 and 35 ng/ml DON had lesions of significantly smaller diameters than those of the control, indicating that DON stress may induce resistance. We speculate that this may be related to epigenetic memory created after DNA methylation changes. The detailed DNA methylome and transcriptome profiles suggest that DNA methylation plays a vital role in potato disease resistance and has great potential for enhancing potato dry rot resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Shi
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuan Qin
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Fenglan Li
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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46
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Sun M, Yang Z, Liu L, Duan L. DNA Methylation in Plant Responses and Adaption to Abiotic Stresses. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23136910. [PMID: 35805917 PMCID: PMC9266845 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23136910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to their sessile state, plants are inevitably affected by and respond to the external environment. So far, plants have developed multiple adaptation and regulation strategies to abiotic stresses. One such system is epigenetic regulation, among which DNA methylation is one of the earliest and most studied regulatory mechanisms, which can regulate genome functioning and induce plant resistance and adaption to abiotic stresses. In this review, we outline the most recent findings on plant DNA methylation responses to drought, high temperature, cold, salt, and heavy metal stresses. In addition, we discuss stress memory regulated by DNA methylation, both in a transient way and the long-term memory that could pass to next generations. To sum up, the present review furnishes an updated account of DNA methylation in plant responses and adaptations to abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Li Liu
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (L.D.)
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Nair AU, Bhukya DPN, Sunkar R, Chavali S, Allu AD. Molecular basis of priming-induced acquired tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses in plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:3355-3371. [PMID: 35274680 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The growth, survival, and productivity of plants are constantly challenged by diverse abiotic stresses. When plants are exposed to stress for the first time, they can capture molecular information and store it as a form of memory, which enables them to competently and rapidly respond to subsequent stress(es). This process is referred to as a priming-induced or acquired stress response. In this review, we discuss how (i) the storage and retrieval of the information from stress memory modulates plant physiological, cellular, and molecular processes in response to subsequent stress(es), (ii) the intensity, recurrence, and duration of priming stimuli influences the outcomes of the stress response, and (iii) the varying responses at different plant developmental stages. We highlight current understanding of the distinct and common molecular processes manifested at the epigenetic, (post-)transcriptional, and post-translational levels mediated by stress-associated molecules and metabolites, including phytohormones. We conclude by emphasizing how unravelling the molecular circuitry underlying diverse priming-stimuli-induced stress responses could propel the use of priming as a management practice for crop plants. This practice, in combination with precision agriculture, could aid in increasing yield quantity and quality to meet the rapidly rising demand for food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay U Nair
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, Tirupati 517507, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Durga Prasad Naik Bhukya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, Tirupati 517507, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Ramanjulu Sunkar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Sreenivas Chavali
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, Tirupati 517507, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Annapurna Devi Allu
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, Tirupati 517507, Andhra Pradesh, India
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Plant DNA Methylation Responds to Nutrient Stress. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13060992. [PMID: 35741754 PMCID: PMC9222553 DOI: 10.3390/genes13060992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient stress as abiotic stress has become one of the important factors restricting crop yield and quality. DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic modification that can effectively regulate genome stability. Exploring DNA methylation responses to nutrient stress could lay the foundation for improving plant tolerance to nutrient stress. This article summarizes the plant DNA methylation patterns, the effects of nutrient stress, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, zinc and sulfur stress, on plant DNA methylation and research techniques for plant DNA methylation, etc. Our discussion provides insight for further research on epigenetics response to nutrient stress in the future.
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Halder K, Chaudhuri A, Abdin MZ, Majee M, Datta A. Chromatin-Based Transcriptional Reprogramming in Plants under Abiotic Stresses. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:1449. [PMID: 35684223 PMCID: PMC9182740 DOI: 10.3390/plants11111449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants' stress response machinery is characterized by an intricate network of signaling cascades that receive and transmit environmental cues and ultimately trigger transcriptional reprogramming. The family of epigenetic regulators that are the key players in the stress-induced signaling cascade comprise of chromatin remodelers, histone modifiers, DNA modifiers and regulatory non-coding RNAs. Changes in the histone modification and DNA methylation lead to major alterations in the expression level and pattern of stress-responsive genes to adjust with abiotic stress conditions namely heat, cold, drought and salinity. The spotlight of this review falls primarily on the chromatin restructuring under severe abiotic stresses, crosstalk between epigenetic regulators along with a brief discussion on stress priming in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koushik Halder
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India; (K.H.); (A.C.); (M.M.)
- Centre for Transgenic Plant Development, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India;
| | - Abira Chaudhuri
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India; (K.H.); (A.C.); (M.M.)
| | - Malik Z. Abdin
- Centre for Transgenic Plant Development, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India;
| | - Manoj Majee
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India; (K.H.); (A.C.); (M.M.)
| | - Asis Datta
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India; (K.H.); (A.C.); (M.M.)
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50
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Iwasaki M, Penfield S, Lopez-Molina L. Parental and Environmental Control of Seed Dormancy in Arabidopsis thaliana. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 73:355-378. [PMID: 35138879 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-102820-090750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Seed dormancy-the absence of seed germination under favorable germination conditions-is a plant trait that evolved to enhance seedling survival by avoiding germination under unsuitable environmental conditions. In Arabidopsis, dormancy levels are influenced by the seed coat composition, while the endosperm is essential to repress seed germination of dormant seeds upon their imbibition. Recent research has shown that the mother plant modulates its progeny seed dormancy in response to seasonal temperature changes by changing specific aspects of seed coat and endosperm development. This process involves genomic imprinting by means of epigenetic marks deposited in the seed progeny and regulators previously known to regulate flowering time. This review discusses and summarizes these discoveries and provides an update on our present understanding of the role of DOG1 and abscisic acid, two key contributors to dormancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Iwasaki
- Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Steven Penfield
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Lopez-Molina
- Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;
- Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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