Long-term methylome changes after experimental seed demethylation and their interaction with recurrent water stress inErodium cicutarium(Geraniaceae) (original) (raw)

2023, bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

• The frequency and length of drought periods are increasing in subtropical and temperate regions worldwide. Epigenetic responses to water stress could be key for plant resilience to this largely unpredictable challenge. Experimental DNA demethylation together with application of a stress factor stands as a suitable strategy to uncover the contribution of epigenetics to plant responses to stress. • We analysed leaf cytosine methylation changes in adult plants of the Mediterranean weed, Erodium cicutarium, after seed demethylation with 5-Azacytidine and/or recurrent water stress in a greenhouse. We used bisulfite RADseq (BsRADseq) and a newly reported reference genome for E. cicutarium to characterize methylation changes in a 2x2 factorial design, controlling for plant relatedness. • In the long-term, 5-Azacytidine treatment alone caused both hypo and hypermethylation at individual cytosines, with increased hypomethylation in CG contexts. In control conditions, drought resulted in a decrease in methylation. CC-BY-NC-ND 4.

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