Epigenetic variation in plant responses to defence hormones

Background and AimsThere is currently much speculation about the role of epigenetic variation as a determinant of heritable variation in ecologically important plant traits. However, we still know very little about the phenotypic consequences of epigenetic variation, in particular with regard to mor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of botany 2012-11, Vol.110 (7), p.1423-1428
Main Authors: Latzel, Vít, Zhang, Yuanye, Karlsson Moritz, Kim, Fischer, Markus, Bossdorf, Oliver
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arabidopsis - drug effects
Arabidopsis - genetics
Arabidopsis - growth & development
Arabidopsis - physiology
Arabidopsis thaliana
Biomass
Cyclopentanes - pharmacology
DNA
DNA Methylation
Ecological genetics
Ecology
Epigenetics
Epigenomics
Evolutionary genetics
Flowers - drug effects
Flowers - genetics
Flowers - growth & development
Flowers - physiology
Genetic variation
Herbivores
Hormones
inbred lines
Inbreeding
jasmonic acid
Methylation
Oxylipins - pharmacology
pathogens
Phenotype
Phenotypic traits
Plant growth
Plant Growth Regulators - pharmacology
Plant Immunity
plant response
Plants
Plants, Genetically Modified
Reproduction
salicylic acid
Salicylic Acid - pharmacology
Signal Transduction
Time Factors
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Summary:Background and AimsThere is currently much speculation about the role of epigenetic variation as a determinant of heritable variation in ecologically important plant traits. However, we still know very little about the phenotypic consequences of epigenetic variation, in particular with regard to more complex traits related to biotic interactions.MethodsHere, a test was carried out to determine whether variation in DNA methylation alone can cause heritable variation in plant growth responses to jasmonic acid and salicylic acid, two key hormones involved in induction of plant defences against herbivores and pathogens. In order to be able to ascribe phenotypic differences to epigenetic variation, the hormone responses were studied of epigenetic recombinant inbred lines (epiRILs) of Arabidopsis thaliana – lines that are highly variable at the level of DNA methylation but nearly identical at the level of DNA sequence.Key ResultsSignificant heritable variation was found among epiRILs both in the means of phenotypic traits, including growth rate, and in the degree to which these responded to treatment with jasmonic acid and salicylic acid. Moreover, there was a positive epigenetic correlation between the responses of different epiRILs to the two hormones, suggesting that plant responses to herbivore and pathogen attack may have a similar molecular epigenetic basis.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that epigenetic variation alone can cause heritable variation in, and thus potentially microevolution of, plant responses to defence hormones. This suggests that part of the variation of plant defences observed in natural populations may be due to underlying epigenetic, rather than entirely genetic, variation.
ISSN:0305-7364
1095-8290
DOI:10.1093/aob/mcs088