Epigenetic control of plant stress response

Abstract

Living organisms have the clearly defined strategies of stress response. These strategies are predefined by a genetic make-up of the organism and depend on a complex regulatory network of molecular interactions. Although in most cases, the plant response to stress based on the mechanisms of tolerance, resistance, and avoidance has clearly defined metabolic pathways, the ability to acclimate/adapt after a single generation exposure previously observed in several studies (Boyko A et al. [2007]: Nucleic Acids Res 35:1714-1725; Boyko and Kovalchuk, unpublished data), represents an interesting phenomenon that cannot be explained by Mendelian genetics. The latest findings in the field of epigenetics and the process of a reversible control over gene expression and inheritance lead to believe that organisms, especially plants, may have a flexible short-term strategy of the response to stress. Indeed, the organisms that can modify gene expression reversibly have an advantage in evolutionary terms, since they can avoid unnecessary excessive rearrangements and population diversification. This review covers various epigenetic processes involved in plant stress response. We focus on the mechanisms of DNA methylation and histone modifications responsible for the protection of somatic cells and inheritance of stress memories. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 49:61-72, 2008. V V C 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Transgenerational response to stress inArabidopsis thaliana

“…Although our work has some indications that such mechanism of stress memory inheritance exists, it remains to be established whether there is a difference in smRNAs pools from gametes of stressed and nonstressed plants; and whether there is a link large number of developmental, physiological and stress-related processes in plants. [14][15][16] Furthermore, the existence of a stress-inducible pool of smRNAs supports their possible involvement in the establishment of stress-related epigenetic marks. As we discussed above, smRNAs may be among those molecular factors which, if present in the female gametophyte, would mediate predominant transmission of memory of maternal stress to progeny.…”

Genetic and epigenetic divergence between disturbed and undisturbed subpopulations of a Mediterranean shrub: a 20‐year field experiment

“…2013; Lauria et al. 2014) and/or in response to the environmental changes brought about by disturbance (e.g., somatic modifications between the seed and adult plant stages; Boyko and Kovalchuk 2008; Feng et al. 2010).…”

DNA methylation and histone acetylation: genotypic variations in hybrid poplars, impact of water deficit and relationships with productivity

“…Because epigenetic patterns participate in the control of gene expression (Zhang et al, 2006;Zilberman et al, 2007) and are transmitted by mitosis, changes that arise in dividing cells in the shoot apex during environmental stress have the possibility of being propagated to daughter cells (Boyko and Kovalchuk, 2007;Chen and Tian, 2007;Gehring and Henikoff, 2007). Thus, epigenetic changes in shoot apex would explain, in part, variation for morphological traits.…”

“…Effects of environmental variations such as temperature, diseases, light, salinity, ABA and water stress on epigenetic parameters have already been shown in plants (Boyko and Kovalchuk, 2007;Chen and Tian, 2007). The few studies on water stress have analysed overall levels of DNA hypermethylation during osmotic stress in tobacco and potato cell cultures (Kovarik et al, 1997;Sabbah et al, 1995) or during dehydratation in pea root tip cells (Labra et al, 2002).…”

“…These mechanisms to adjust to environmental variation define the high developmental plasticity of plants. Studies on annual plants, organs or cell cultures have already demonstrated the role of epigenetic mechanisms in developmental plasticity (Boyko and Kovalchuk, 2007;Chen and Tian, 2007). Indeed, epigenetic modifiers play an important role in genome organization and stability, the control of gene expression and inheritance via chromatin structural reworking (Zilberman et al, 2007).…”