1. Physiological and transcriptional analyses reveal formation of memory under recurring drought stresses in seedlings of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).
- Author
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Tian, Zailong, Li, Kun, Sun, Yaru, Chen, Baojun, Pan, Zhaoe, Wang, Zhenzhen, Pang, Baoyin, He, Shoupu, Miao, Yuchen, and Du, Xiongming
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COTTON , *DROUGHTS , *LONG-term memory , *GENETIC regulation , *MEMORY , *OXIDANT status , *DROUGHT management - Abstract
Plants are frequently subjected to a range of environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, cold, pathogens, and herbivore attacks. To survive in such conditions, plants have evolved a novel adaptive mechanism known as 'stress memory'. The formation of stress memories necessitates coordinated responses at the cellular, genetic/genomic, and epigenetic levels, involving altered physiological responses, gene activation, hyper-induction and chromatin modification. Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an important economic crop with numerous applications and high economic value. In this study, we establish G. hirsutum drought memory following cycles of mild drought and re-watering treatments and analyzed memory gene expression patterns. Our findings reveal the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying drought stress memory formation in G. hirsutum. Specifically, H3K4me3, a histone modification, plays a crucial role in regulating [+ /+ ] transcriptional memory. Moreover, we investigated the intergenerational inheritance of drought stress memory in G. hirsutum. Collectively, our data provides theoretical guidance for cotton breeding. • We ensured that cotton drought memory was established after cycles of mild drought and re-watering treatment. In the process of repeated drought, the antioxidant capacity of seedlings was significantly enhanced. • H3K4me3 modification was involved in the formation of [+ /+ ] transcriptional memory, which only maintained 4 days. • The drought environment of the parents enhanced the ability of the progenies to resist adversity. However, the prolonged drought-induced H3K4me3 was not transmitted to the progenies, suggesting that different molecular mechanisms are involved in short- and long-term memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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