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Transposable Elements and Epigenetic Mechanisms: Significance and Implications

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Plant Breeding

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Abstract

Our understanding of the dynamic potential of the genetic material in living organisms is largely a consequence of the discovery and genetic characterization of plant transposable elements. The ubiquitous presence of transposons, and their significance in relation to structure, organization, and evolution of plant genomes are now well-recognized. Molecular characterization of major plant transposons, particularly in maize, led to isolation of an array of genes influencing plant development, biotic stress resistance and other economically important traits in various crop species, through homologous/heterologous transposon tagging strategies. Retrotransposons are also being utilized as molecular tools in DNA fingerprinting, genetic linkage mapping, phylogenetic studies, and molecular breeding in crop plants. Concurrent with these significant developments, ‘epigenetics’, the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without a change in DNA sequence, has developed as an important frontier in genetics research. Intensive research in recent years provided a better understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms regulate plant transposons. Besides transposon regulation, epigenetic control of gene expression is recognized as a fundamental feature of plant development, particularly flowering and seed development. A detailed understanding of salient epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, paramutation, genomic imprinting and gene silencing, should lead to practical solutions and novel strategies for future plant improvement programmes. The purpose of this review is to highlight the significance and implications of transposon function and major epigenetic phenomena in relation to genome evolution, gene regulation and crop improvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110 067, India

    K. C. Upadhyaya

  2. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    B. M. Prasanna

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  1. K. C. Upadhyaya
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  2. B. M. Prasanna
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H K Jain M C Kharkwal

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© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Upadhyaya, K.C., Prasanna, B.M. (2004). Transposable Elements and Epigenetic Mechanisms: Significance and Implications. In: Jain, H.K., Kharkwal, M.C. (eds) Plant Breeding. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1040-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1040-5_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-3773-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-1040-5

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