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Plant Epigenetics: A Historical Perspective

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Epigenetic Memory and Control in Plants

Part of the book series: Signaling and Communication in Plants ((SIGCOMM,volume 18))

Abstract

The chemical marks that provide the major means by which epigenetics manifests its effect on chromatin structure and function have been discovered long ago almost along with the invention of the term epigenome by Conrad H. Waddington. However, it had to wait several decades before the connection between epigenetics and chemical modifications of DNA and histone proteins has been established. Many of the modifying enzymes responsible for the dynamic modifications of DNA and histones such as histone methyltransferases and histone demethylases have only recently been identified and molecularly characterized. This introductory chapter provides a historical view on epigenetics: when and how it has begun and where it is going.

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Acknowledgements

N. O. research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) No. 767/09, GIF program No. 154/2008 and Korea Israel Program No. 3–8248. G. G. research was supported by ISF grant No. 476/09.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. French Associates Institute of Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 84990, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Gideon Grafi

  2. Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Nir Ohad

  3. FRIAS—Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, Freiburg, 79104, Germany

    Nir Ohad

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  1. Gideon Grafi
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  2. Nir Ohad
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Correspondence to Gideon Grafi or Nir Ohad .

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  1. Agriculture and Biotech. of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Inst. for Desert Res., French Associates Institute for, Sede Boqer Campus, 84990, Israel

    Gideon Grafi

  2. Britannia Building, Department of Molecular Biology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Nir Ohad

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Grafi, G., Ohad, N. (2013). Plant Epigenetics: A Historical Perspective. In: Grafi, G., Ohad, N. (eds) Epigenetic Memory and Control in Plants. Signaling and Communication in Plants, vol 18. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35227-0_1

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