Multi-omics data integration reveals link between epigenetic modifications and gene expression in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) in response to cold

Gutschker S, Corral JM, Schmiedl A, Ludewig F, Koch W, Fiedler-Wiechers K, Czarnecki O, Harms K, Keller I, Martins Rodrigues C, Pommerrenig B, Neuhaus HE, Zierer W, Sonnewald U, Müdsam C (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

BMC Genomics BMC

Book Volume: 23

Pages Range: 144-

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08312-2

Abstract

BACKGROUND: DNA methylation is thought to influence the expression of genes, especially in response to changing environmental conditions and developmental changes. Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris), and other biennial or perennial plants are inevitably exposed to fluctuating temperatures throughout their lifecycle and might even require such stimulus to acquire floral competence. Therefore, plants such as beets, need to fine-tune their epigenetic makeup to ensure phenotypic plasticity towards changing environmental conditions while at the same time steering essential developmental processes. Different crop species may show opposing reactions towards the same abiotic stress, or, vice versa, identical species may respond differently depending on the specific kind of stress. RESULTS: In this study, we investigated common effects of cold treatment on genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression of two Beta vulgaris accessions via multi-omics data analysis. Cold exposure resulted in a pronounced reduction of DNA methylation levels, which particularly affected methylation in CHH context (and to a lesser extent CHG) and was accompanied by transcriptional downregulation of the chromomethyltransferase CMT2 and strong upregulation of several genes mediating active DNA demethylation. CONCLUSION: Integration of methylomic and transcriptomic data revealed that, rather than methylation having directly influenced expression, epigenetic modifications correlated with changes in expression of known players involved in DNA (de)methylation. In particular, cold triggered upregulation of genes putatively contributing to DNA demethylation via the ROS1 pathway. Our observations suggest that these transcriptional responses precede the cold-induced global DNA-hypomethylation in non-CpG, preparing beets for additional transcriptional alterations necessary for adapting to upcoming environmental changes.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sindy Gutschker Lehrstuhl für Biochemie Alfred Schmiedl Lehrstuhl für Biochemie Wolfgang Zierer Lehrstuhl für Biochemie Uwe Sonnewald Lehrstuhl für Biochemie Christina Müdsam Lehrstuhl für Biochemie

Involved external institutions

Technische Universität Kaiserslautern DE Germany (DE) KWS SAAT SE DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Gutschker, S., Corral, J.M., Schmiedl, A., Ludewig, F., Koch, W., Fiedler-Wiechers, K.,... Müdsam, C. (2022). Multi-omics data integration reveals link between epigenetic modifications and gene expression in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) in response to cold. BMC Genomics, 23(1), 144-. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864-022-08312-2

MLA:

Gutschker, Sindy, et al. "Multi-omics data integration reveals link between epigenetic modifications and gene expression in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) in response to cold." BMC Genomics 23.1 (2022): 144-.

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