scholarly journals Time dynamics of stress legacy in clonal transgenerational effects: a case study on Trifolium repens

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaxin Quan ◽  
Zuzana Münzbergová ◽  
Vit Latzel
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Clonal Plant ◽  
Clonal Plants ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Transgenerational Effects ◽  
Time Dynamics

Stress can be remembered by plants in a form of stress legacy that can alter future phenotypes of previously stressed plants and even phenotypes of their offspring. DNA methylation belongs among the mechanisms mediating the stress legacy. It is however not known for how long the stress legacy is carried by plants. If the legacy is long lasting, it can become maladaptive in situations when parental-offspring environments do not match. We investigated for how long after the last exposure of a parental plant to drought can the phenotype of its clonal offspring be altered. We grew parental plants of three genotypes of Trifolium repens for five months either in control conditions or in control conditions that were interrupted with intense drought periods applied for two months in four different time-slots. We also treated half of the parental plants with a demethylating agent (5-azaC) to test for the potential role of DNA methylation in the stress legacy. Then, we transplanted parental cuttings (ramets) individually to control environment and allowed them to produce offspring ramets for two months. The drought stress experienced by parents affected phenotypes of offspring ramets. The stress legacy resulted in enhanced number of offspring ramets originating from parents that experienced drought stress even 8 weeks before their transplantation to the control environment. 5-azaC altered transgenerational effects on offspring ramets. We confirmed that drought stress can trigger transgenerational effect in T. repens that is very likely mediated by DNA methylation. Most importantly, the stress legacy in parental plants persisted for at least 8 weeks suggesting that the stress legacy can persist in a clonal plant Trifolium repens for relatively long period. We suggest that the stress legacy should be considered in future ecological studies on clonal plants.

scholarly journals Remember or not? For how long can a clonal plant remember drought stress?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaxin Quan ◽  
Zuzana Münzbergová ◽  
Vit Latzel
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Clonal Plant ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Stress Memory ◽  
Limited Memory ◽  
Parental Plant

Stress can be remembered by plants in a form of ‘stress memory’ that can alter future phenotypes of previously stressed plants and even phenotypes of their offspring. It was shown that DNA methylation is among the mechanisms mediating the memory. It is not known for how long the memory is kept by plants. If the memory is long lasting, it can become maladaptive in situations when parental-offspring environment differ. We investigated for how long can a parental plant “remember” that it experienced a stress and pass the memory to its clonal offspring. We grew parental plants of three genotypes of Trifolium repens for five months either in control conditions or in control conditions that were interrupted with drought pulses applied for two months in four different time-slots. We also treated half of the parental plants with 5-azacytidine (5-azaC) to test for the potential role of DNA methylation in the stress memory. Then, we transplanted parental cuttings (ramets) individually to control environment and allowed them to produce offspring ramets for two months. The drought stress experienced by parents affected phenotypes of offspring ramets. Such a memory resulted in enhanced number of offspring side branches originating from plants that experienced drought stress maximally 6 weeks before their transplantation to control environment. We did not find any transgenerational memory in offspring of plants that experienced drought stress later than 6 weeks before their transplantation. 5-azaC also reduced the effect of transgenerational memory on offspring ramets. We confirmed that drought stress can trigger transgenerational memory in T. repens that is very likely mediated by DNA methylation. Most importantly, the memory was time limited and was gradually erased. We conclude that the time limited memory on environmental stress can be adaptive as climate tends to be variable and parental-offspring environmental conditions often do not match.

scholarly journals Transgenerational Effects and Epigenetic Memory in the Clonal Plant Trifolium repens

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Pilar Rendina González ◽  
Veronica Preite ◽  
Koen J. F. Verhoeven ◽  
Vít Latzel
Keyword(s):  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Clonal Plant ◽  
Epigenetic Memory ◽  
Transgenerational Effects

Trans-generational effects in the clonal invader Alternanthera philoxeroides

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-129
Author(s):  
Rubén Portela ◽  
Bi-Cheng Dong ◽  
Fei-Hai Yu ◽  
Rodolfo Barreiro ◽  
Sergio R Roiloa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Clonal Plant ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Clonal Plants ◽  
Alternanthera Philoxeroides ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Plant Invaders ◽  
Generational Effects ◽  
Plastic Responses

Abstract Aims Recent studies have revealed heritable phenotypic plasticity through vegetative generations. In this sense, changes in gene regulation induced by the environment, such as DNA methylation (i.e. epigenetic changes), can result in reversible plastic responses being transferred to the offspring generations. This trans-generational plasticity is expected to be especially relevant in clonal plants, since reduction of sexual reproduction can decrease the potential for adaptation through genetic variation. Many of the most aggressive plant invaders are clonal, and clonality has been suggested as key to explain plant invasiveness. Here we aim to determine whether trans-generational effects occur in the clonal invader Alternanthera philoxeroides, and whether such effects differ between populations from native and non-native ranges. Methods In a common garden experiment, parent plants of A. philoxeroides from populations collected in Brazil (native range) and Iberian Peninsula (non-native range) were grown in high and low soil nutrient conditions, and offspring plants were transplanted to control conditions with high nutrients. To test the potential role of DNA methylation on trans-generational plasticity, half of the parent plants were treated with the demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine. Important Findings Trans-generational effects were observed both in populations from the native and the non-native ranges. Interestingly, trans-generational effects occurred on growth variables (number of ramets, stem mass, root mass and total mass) in the population from the native range, but on biomass partitioning in the population from the non-native range. Trans-generational effects of the population from the native range may be explained by a ‘silver-spoon’ effect, whereas those of the population from the non-native range could be explained by epigenetic transmission due to DNA methylation. Our study highlights the importance of trans-generational effects on the growth of a clonal plant, which could help to understand the mechanisms underlying expansion success of many clonal plants.

The role of transgenerational effects in adaptation of clonal offspring of white clover (Trifolium repens) to drought and herbivory

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Pilar Rendina González ◽  
Veronika Dumalasová ◽  
Jonathan Rosenthal ◽  
Jiří Skuhrovec ◽  
Vít Latzel
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Transgenerational Effects

Role of ASC-GSH Metabolism in Trifolium Repens L

2011 ◽  
Vol 343-344 ◽  
pp. 815-819
Author(s):  
Yong Bao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Monodehydroascorbate Reductase ◽  
Glutathione Disulfide ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Gsh Metabolism ◽  
Trifolium Repens L ◽  
Positive Effect

In order to elucidate the role of ascorbate-glutathione (ASC-GSH) cycle to drought stress, the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the levels of molecules involved in the ASC-GSH metabolism were studied in Trifolium repens seedlings subjected to polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced water deficit. Compared to the control, the contents of ascorbate (ASC), dehydroascorbate (DHA) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) increased in PEG-treated seedlings, whereas the glutathione (GSH) content kept constant during the drought period. Further more, the values of ASC/DHA and GSH/GSSG ratios decreased in the presence of PEG. Except for that of monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and glutathione reductase (GR) were upregulated during water deficit, and the increases of APX and DHAR activities were much higher than that of GR activity. These data indicated that fluctuations of the ASC-GSH metabolism resulted from PEG may have a positive effect on drought stress mitigation in T. repens, and the antioxidant protection in ASC-GSH cycle can be attributed mainly to ASC, APX and DHAR.

DNA methylation in satellite repeats disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 757-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Francastel ◽  
Frédérique Magdinier
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Human Genome ◽  
Repetitive Dna ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Satellite Repeats ◽  
Tremendous Progress ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Dna Elements ◽  
Near Future

Abstract Despite the tremendous progress made in recent years in assembling the human genome, tandemly repeated DNA elements remain poorly characterized. These sequences account for the vast majority of methylated sites in the human genome and their methylated state is necessary for this repetitive DNA to function properly and to maintain genome integrity. Furthermore, recent advances highlight the emerging role of these sequences in regulating the functions of the human genome and its variability during evolution, among individuals, or in disease susceptibility. In addition, a number of inherited rare diseases are directly linked to the alteration of some of these repetitive DNA sequences, either through changes in the organization or size of the tandem repeat arrays or through mutations in genes encoding chromatin modifiers involved in the epigenetic regulation of these elements. Although largely overlooked so far in the functional annotation of the human genome, satellite elements play key roles in its architectural and topological organization. This includes functions as boundary elements delimitating functional domains or assembly of repressive nuclear compartments, with local or distal impact on gene expression. Thus, the consideration of satellite repeats organization and their associated epigenetic landmarks, including DNA methylation (DNAme), will become unavoidable in the near future to fully decipher human phenotypes and associated diseases.

The role of multiplicity in a cult: A case study

1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Worrall ◽  
Ann W. Stockman
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