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Systemic Epigenetic Signaling in Plants

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Book cover Long-Distance Systemic Signaling and Communication in Plants

Part of the book series: Signaling and Communication in Plants ((SIGCOMM,volume 19))

Abstract

Plants have developed a plethora of signaling pathways which allow them to respond quickly to the alterations in the environmental conditions in order to reduce their negative impact. Emerging evidence indicates that vascular plants can memorize changes in the transcriptome profile after stress exposure and in some cases propagate it into the next generation. This phenomenon is termed “transgenerational inheritance.” Curiously, short-term and transgenerational plasticity of plant phenotypes does not involve changes in the DNA sequence, but instead involve reversible changes in chromatin structure that determine DNA accessibility for transcriptional factors. Chromatin structure reshaping depends on epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications/replacements, and small RNA (smRNA) metabolism, which form a flexible self-reinforcing loop of gene regulation. In the following chapter, we will provide some examples of gene activity regulation through alterations in the epigenetic profile in response to environmental stimuli. Additionally, we will discuss a systemic propagation of the acquired stress-induced epigenetic changes into the progeny and the possible contribution of epigenetic components to the process of plant adaptation and acclimation.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada

    Andriy Bilichak & Igor Kovalchuk

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    František Baluška

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Bilichak, A., Kovalchuk, I. (2013). Systemic Epigenetic Signaling in Plants. In: Baluška, F. (eds) Long-Distance Systemic Signaling and Communication in Plants. Signaling and Communication in Plants, vol 19. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36470-9_4

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