scholarly journals Salt Stress Induces non-CG Methylation in Coding Regions of Barley Seedlings (Hordeum vulgare)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moumouni Konate ◽  
Michael J. Wilkinson ◽  
Benjamin T. Mayne ◽  
Stephen M. Pederson ◽  
Eileen S. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Salt Stress ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Global Methylation ◽  
Repeat Elements ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Induced Changes

Salinity can negatively impact crop growth and yield. Changes in DNA methylation are known to occur when plants are challenged by stress and have been associated to the regulation of stress-response genes. However, the role of DNA-methylation in moderating gene expression in response to salt stress has been relatively poorly studied among crops such as barley. Here we assess the extent of salt-induced alterations of DNA methylation in barley, and their putative role in perturbed gene expression. Using Next Generation Sequencing, we screened the leaf and root methylomes of five divergent barley varieties grown under control and three salt concentrations, to seek genotype independent salt-induced changes in DNA methylation. Salt stress caused increased methylation in leaves but diminished methylation in roots with a higher number of changes in leaves than in roots, indicating that salt induced changes to global methylation are tissue specific. DMMs were mostly located in close proximity to repeat elements but also 1094 genes, of which many possessed GO terms associated with plant responses to stress. Identified markers identified have potential value as sentinels of salt stress and provide a start point to understand the functional role of DNA methylation in facilitating barley’s response to this stressor.

scholarly journals Salt Stress Induces Non-CG Methylation in Coding Regions of Barley Seedlings (Hordeum vulgare)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moumouni Konaté ◽  
Michael J. Wilkinson ◽  
Benjamin T. Mayne ◽  
Stephen M. Pederson ◽  
Eileen S. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Salt Stress ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Global Methylation ◽  
Repeat Elements ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Induced Changes

Salinity can negatively impact crop growth and yield. Changes in DNA methylation are known to occur when plants are challenged by stress and have been associated with the regulation of stress-response genes. However, the role of DNA-methylation in moderating gene expression in response to salt stress has been relatively poorly studied among crops such as barley. Here, we assessed the extent of salt-induced alterations of DNA methylation in barley and their putative role in perturbed gene expression. Using Next Generation Sequencing, we screened the leaf and root methylomes of five divergent barley varieties grown under control and three salt concentrations, to seek genotype independent salt-induced changes in DNA methylation. Salt stress caused increased methylation in leaves but diminished methylation in roots with a higher number of changes in leaves than in roots, indicating that salt induced changes to global methylation are organ specific. Differentially Methylated Markers (DMMs) were mostly located in close proximity to repeat elements, but also in 1094 genes, of which many possessed gene ontology (GO) terms associated with plant responses to stress. Identified markers have potential value as sentinels of salt stress and provide a starting point to allow understanding of the functional role of DNA methylation in facilitating barley’s response to this stressor.

scholarly journals The role of epigenetic modifications in plant responses to stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-12
Author(s):  
Xuefeng Lu ◽  
Tae Hyun
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Epigenetic Modifications ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Covalent Modifications ◽  
Mitosis And Meiosis

Epigenetics is the study of hereditary changes in gene expression under the premise that the nucleotide sequence is not changed. Such hereditary changes mainly involve DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling. These covalent modifications play indispensable roles in regulating gene expression; DNA replication, recombination, and repair; and cell differentiation. Epigenetic modifications can be partially inherited by daughter cells during mitosis and meiosis and influenced by external factors, such as environmental stresses and supply deficits. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and regulation by non-coding RNAs, in the development and stress response of plants.

scholarly journals Altered DNA methylation pattern reveals epigenetic regulation of Hox genes in thoracic aortic dissection and serves as a biomarker in disease diagnosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peiru Liu ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Duo Du ◽  
Dandan Zhang ◽  
Zelin Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Aortic Dissection ◽  
Epigenetic Regulation ◽  
Heart Development ◽  
Type A ◽  
Methylation Pattern ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Global Methylation ◽  
Thoracic Aortic Dissection

Abstract Background Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is a severe disease with limited understandings in its pathogenesis. Altered DNA methylation has been revealed to be involved in many diseases etiology. Few studies have examined the role of DNA methylation in the development of TAD. This study explored alterations of the DNA methylation landscape in TAD and examined the potential role of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation as a biomarker in TAD diagnosis. Results Ascending aortic tissues from TAD patients (Stanford type A; n = 6) and healthy controls (n = 6) were first examined via whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). While no obvious global methylation shift was observed, numerous differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified, with associated genes enriched in the areas of vasculature and heart development. We further confirmed the methylation and expression changes in homeobox (Hox) clusters with 10 independent samples using bisulfite pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Among these, HOXA5, HOXB6 and HOXC6 were significantly down-regulated in TAD samples relative to controls. To evaluate cfDNA methylation pattern as a biomarker in TAD diagnosis, cfDNA from TAD patients (Stanford type A; n = 7) and healthy controls (n = 4) were examined by WGBS. A prediction model was built using DMRs identified previously from aortic tissues on methylation data from cfDNA. Both high sensitivity (86%) and specificity (75%) were achieved in patient classification (AUC = 0.96). Conclusions These findings showed an altered epigenetic regulation in TAD patients. This altered epigenetic regulation and subsequent altered expression of genes associated with vasculature and heart development, such as Hox family genes, may contribute to the loss of aortic integrity and TAD pathogenesis. Additionally, the cfDNA methylation in TAD was highly disease specific, which can be used as a non-invasive biomarker for disease prediction.

scholarly journals Stress Modifies the Expression of Glucocorticoid-Responsive Genes by Acting at Epigenetic Levels in the Rat Prefrontal Cortex: Modulatory Activity of Lurasidone

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6197
Author(s):  
Paola Brivio ◽  
Giulia Sbrini ◽  
Letizia Tarantini ◽  
Chiara Parravicini ◽  
Piotr Gruca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Chronic Mild Stress ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Mild Stress ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Glucocorticoid Responsive Element ◽  
Responsive Element

Epigenetics is one of the mechanisms by which environmental factors can alter brain function and may contribute to central nervous system disorders. Alterations of DNA methylation and miRNA expression can induce long-lasting changes in neurobiological processes. Hence, we investigated the effect of chronic stress, by employing the chronic mild stress (CMS) and the chronic restraint stress protocol, in adult male rats, on the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function. We focused on DNA methylation specifically in the proximity of the glucocorticoid responsive element (GRE) of the GR responsive genes Gadd45β, Sgk1, and Gilz and on selected miRNA targeting these genes. Moreover, we assessed the role of the antipsychotic lurasidone in modulating these alterations. Chronic stress downregulated Gadd45β and Gilz gene expression and lurasidone normalized the Gadd45β modification. At the epigenetic level, CMS induced hypermethylation of the GRE of Gadd45β gene, an effect prevented by lurasidone treatment. These stress-induced alterations were still present even after a period of rest from stress, indicating the enduring nature of such changes. However, the contribution of miRNA to the alterations in gene expression was moderate in our experimental conditions. Our results demonstrated that chronic stress mainly affects Gadd45β expression and methylation, effects that are prolonged over time, suggesting that stress leads to changes in DNA methylation that last also after the cessation of stress procedure, and that lurasidone is a modifier of such mechanisms.

DDR1 methylation is associated with bipolar disorder and the isoform expression and methylation of myelin genes

Epigenomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Garcia-Ruiz ◽  
Manuel Castro de Moura ◽  
Gerard Muntané ◽  
Lourdes Martorell ◽  
Elena Bosch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Gene Expression Analysis ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Isoform Expression

Aim: To investigate DDR1 methylation in the brains of bipolar disorder (BD) patients and its association with DDR1 mRNA levels and comethylation with myelin genes. Materials & methods: Genome-wide profiling of DNA methylation (Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip) corrected for glial composition and DDR1 gene expression analysis in the occipital cortices of individuals with BD (n = 15) and healthy controls (n = 15) were conducted. Results: DDR1 5-methylcytosine levels were increased and directly associated with DDR1b mRNA expression in the brains of BD patients. We also observed that DDR1 was comethylated with a group of myelin genes. Conclusion: DDR1 is hypermethylated in BD brain tissue and is associated with isoform expression. Additionally, DDR1 comethylation with myelin genes supports the role of this receptor in myelination.

Retrovirus-induced interference with collagen I gene expression in Mov13 fibroblasts is maintained in the absence of DNA methylation

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54
Author(s):  
H Chan ◽  
S Hartung ◽  
M Breindl
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Chromatin Structure ◽  
Transcriptional Activity ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Regulatory Sequences ◽  
Type I ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Col1a1 Gene

We have studied the role of DNA methylation in repression of the murine alpha 1 type I collagen (COL1A1) gene in Mov13 fibroblasts. In Mov13 mice, a retroviral provirus has inserted into the first intron of the COL1A1 gene and blocks its expression at the level of transcriptional initiation. We found that regulatory sequences in the COL1A1 promoter region that are involved in the tissue-specific regulation of the gene are unmethylated in collagen-expressing wild-type fibroblasts and methylated in Mov13 fibroblasts, confirming and extending earlier observations. To directly assess the role of DNA methylation in the repression of COL1A1 gene transcription, we treated Mov13 fibroblasts with the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. This treatment resulted in a demethylation of the COL1A1 regulatory sequences but failed to activate transcription of the COL1A1 gene. Moreover, the 5-azacytidine treatment induced a transcription-competent chromatin structure in the retroviral sequences but not in the COL1A1 promoter. In DNA transfection and microinjection experiments, we found that the provirus interfered with transcriptional activity of the COL1A1 promoter in Mov13 fibroblasts but not in Xenopus laevis oocytes. In contrast, the wild-type COL1A1 promoter was transcriptionally active in Mov13 fibroblasts. These experiments showed that the COL1A1 promoter is potentially transcriptionally active in the presence of proviral sequences and that Mov13 fibroblasts contain the trans-acting factors required for efficient COL1A1 gene expression. Our results indicate that the provirus insertion in Mov13 can inactivate COL1A1 gene expression at several levels. It prevents the developmentally regulated establishment of a transcription-competent methylation pattern and chromatin structure of the COL1A1 domain and, in the absence of DNA methylation, appears to suppress the COL1A1 promoter in a cell-specific manner, presumably by assuming a dominant chromatin structure that may be incompatible with transcriptional activity of flanking cellular sequences.

scholarly journals Unraveling the functional role of DNA methylation using targeted DNA demethylation by steric blockage of DNA methyltransferase with CRISPR/dCas9

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Sapozhnikov ◽  
Moshe Szyf
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Promoter Region ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Dna Demethylation ◽  
New Method ◽  
Inducible Promoters ◽  
Specific Targeting ◽  
Main Effect

AbstractAlthough associations between DNA methylation and gene expression were established four decades ago, the causal role of DNA methylation in gene expression remains unresolved. Different strategies to address this question were developed; however, all are confounded and fail to disentangle cause and effect. We developed here a highly effective new method using only deltaCas9(dCas9):gRNA site-specific targeting to physically block DNA methylation at specific targets in the absence of a confounding flexibly-tethered enzymatic activity, enabling examination of the role of DNA methylation per se in living cells. We show that the extensive induction of gene expression achieved by TET/dCas9-based targeting vectors is confounded by DNA methylation-independent activities, inflating the role of DNA methylation in the promoter region. Using our new method, we show that in several inducible promoters, the main effect of DNA methylation is silencing basal promoter activity. Thus, the effect of demethylation of the promoter region in these genes is small, while induction of gene expression by different inducers is large and DNA methylation independent. In contrast, targeting demethylation to the pathologically silenced FMR1 gene targets robust induction of gene expression. We also found that standard CRISPR/Cas9 knockout generates a broad unmethylated region around the deletion, which might confound interpretation of CRISPR/Cas9 gene depletion studies. In summary, this new method could be used to reveal the true extent, nature, and diverse contribution to gene regulation of DNA methylation at different regions.

scholarly journals A single nuclei transcriptomic analysis of the Atlantic salmon gill through smoltification and seawater transfer

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C. West ◽  
Yasutaka Mizoro ◽  
Shona H. Wood ◽  
Louise M. Ince ◽  
Marianne Iversen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Prior Work ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Freshwater Environments ◽  
Transcriptomic Studies

AbstractAnadromous salmonids begin life adapted to the freshwater environments of their natal streams before a developmental transition, known as smoltification, transforms them into marine-adapted fish. In the wild, the extending photoperiods of spring stimulates smoltification, typified by radical reprogramming of the gill from an ion-absorbing organ to ion-excreting organ. Prior work has highlighted the role of specialized “mitochondrion-rich” cells in delivering this phenotype. However, transcriptomic studies identify thousands of smoltification-driven differentially regulated genes, indicating that smoltification causes a multifaceted, multicellular change; but direct evidence of this is lacking.Here, we use single-nuclei RNAseq to characterize the Atlantic salmon gill during smoltification and seawater transfer. We identify 20 distinct clusters of nuclei, including known, but also novel gill cell types. These data allow us to isolate cluster-specific, smoltification-induced changes in gene expression. We also show how cellular make-up of the gill changes through smoltification. As expected, we noted an increase in the proportion of seawater mitochondrion-rich cells, however, we also identify a reduction of several immune-related cells. Overall, our results provide unrivaled detail of the cellular complexity in the gill and suggest that smoltification triggers unexpected immune reprogramming directly preceding seawater entry.

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