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Heterochromatin is a quantitative trait associated with spontaneous epiallele formation.
- Source :
-
Nature communications [Nat Commun] 2021 Nov 29; Vol. 12 (1), pp. 6958. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Nov 29. - Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Epialleles are meiotically heritable variations in expression states that are independent from changes in DNA sequence. Although they are common in plant genomes, their molecular origins are unknown. Here we show, using mutant and experimental populations, that epialleles in Arabidopsis thaliana that result from ectopic hypermethylation are due to feedback regulation of pathways that primarily function to maintain DNA methylation at heterochromatin. Perturbations to maintenance of heterochromatin methylation leads to feedback regulation of DNA methylation in genes. Using single base resolution methylomes from epigenetic recombinant inbred lines (epiRIL), we show that epiallelic variation is abundant in euchromatin, yet, associates with QTL primarily in heterochromatin regions. Mapping three-dimensional chromatin contacts shows that genes that are hotspots for ectopic hypermethylation have increases in contact frequencies with regions possessing H3K9me2. Altogether, these data show that feedback regulation of pathways that have evolved to maintain heterochromatin silencing leads to the origins of spontaneous hypermethylated epialleles.<br /> (© 2021. The Author(s).)
- Subjects :
- Arabidopsis metabolism
Arabidopsis Proteins genetics
Arabidopsis Proteins metabolism
Chromosome Mapping
DNA Methylation
DNA-Binding Proteins genetics
DNA-Binding Proteins metabolism
Euchromatin chemistry
Euchromatin metabolism
Feedback, Physiological
Gene Frequency
Haplotypes
Heterochromatin chemistry
Histones genetics
Histones metabolism
Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases genetics
Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases metabolism
Plants, Genetically Modified
Protein Processing, Post-Translational
Quantitative Trait Loci
Transcription Factors genetics
Transcription Factors metabolism
Alleles
Arabidopsis genetics
Epigenesis, Genetic
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Genome, Plant
Heterochromatin metabolism
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2041-1723
- Volume :
- 12
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Nature communications
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 34845222
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27320-6