Patterns of Population Epigenomic Diversity in Arabidopsis thaliana (RNA-Seq)
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Arabidopsis thaliana
PROVIDER: GSE43858 | GEO | 2013/03/05
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA187928
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Natural epigenetic variation provides a source for the generation of phenotypic diversity, but to understand its contribution to phenotypic diversity, its interaction with genetic variation requires further investigation. Here, we report population-wide DNA sequencing of genomes, transcriptomes, and methylomes of wild Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Single cytosine methylation polymorphisms are unlinked to genotype. However, the rate of linkage disequilibrium decay amongst differentially methylated regions targeted by RNA-directed DNA methylation is similar to the rate for single nucleotide polymorphisms. Association analyses of these RNA-directed DNA methylation regions with genetic variants identified 2,372 methylQTL, which revealed the first population estimate of genetically dependent methylation variation. Analysis of invariably methylated transposons and genes across this population indicates that loci targeted by RNA-directed DNA methylation are epigenetically reactivated during male gametogenesis, which facilitates their silencing across generations. RNA-seq from naturally-occurring Arabidopsis accessions
2013-03-05 | E-GEOD-43858 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification, influenced by both genetic and environmental variation, that plays a key role in transcriptional regulation and many organismal phenotypes. Although patterns of DNA methylation have been shown to differ between human populations, it remains to be determined how epigenetic diversity relates to the patterns of genetic and gene expression variation at a global scale. Here we measured DNA methylation at 485,000 CpG sites in five diverse human populations, and analyzed these data together with genome-wide genotype and gene expression data. We found that population-specific DNA methylation mirrors genetic variation, and has greater local genetic control than mRNA levels. We estimated the rate of epigenetic divergence between populations, which indicates far greater evolutionary stability of DNA methylation in humans than has been observed in plants. This study provides a deeper understanding of worldwide patterns of human epigenetic diversity, as well as initial estimates of the rate of epigenetic divergence in recent human evolution.
2017-08-01 | GSE101431 | GEO
Project description:Genetic variation is regarded as a prerequisite for evolution. Theoretical models suggest epigenetic information inherited independently of DNA sequence can also enable evolution. However, whether epigenetic inheritance mediates phenotypic evolution in natural populations is unknown. Here we show that natural epigenetic DNA methylation variation in gene bodies regulates genes expression, and thereby influences the natural variation of complex traits in Arabidopsis thaliana. Notably, the effects of methylation variation on phenotypic diversity and gene expression variance are comparable with those of DNA sequence polymorphism. We also identify methylation epialleles in numerous genes associated with environmental conditions in native habitats, suggesting that intragenic methylation facilitates adaptation to fluctuating environments. Our results demonstrate that methylation variation fundamentally shapes phenotypic diversity in natural populations and provides an epigenetic basis for adaptive Darwinian evolution independent of genetic polymorphism.
2022-06-30 | GSE183785 | GEO
Project description:Stochastic changes in cytosine methylation are a source of heritable epigenetic and phenotypic diversity in plants. Using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, we derive robust estimates of the rate at which methylation is spontaneously gained (forward epimutation) or lost (backward epimutation) at individual cytosines and construct a comprehensive picture of the epimutation landscape in this species. We demonstrate that the dynamic interplay between forward and backward epimutations is modulated by genomic context and show that subtle contextual differences have profoundly shaped patterns of methylation diversity in A. thaliana natural populations over evolutionary timescales. Theoretical arguments indicate that the epimutation rates reported here are high enough to rapidly uncouple genetic from epigenetic variation, but low enough for new epialleles to sustain long-term selection responses. Our results provide new insights into methylome evolution and its population-level consequences. MethylC-seq of Arabidopsis thaliana
2015-05-13 | E-GEOD-64463 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:In Arabidopsis thaliana a high rate of spontaneous epigenetic variation can occur in the DNA methylome in the absence of genetic variation and selection. It has been of great interest, whether natural epigenetic variation is subject to selection and contributes to fitness and adaptation in selective environments. We compared the variation in selected phenotypic traits, genome-wide cytosine DNA methylation and gene expression in two Arabidopsis recombinant inbred lines, which had undergone five generations of selection in experimental landscapes relative to their genetically identical ancestors. Selected populations exerted significant differences in flowering time and the number of branches and fruits, differences that were maintained over two to three generations in the absence of selection. We identified 4,629 and 5,158 differentially methylated cytosines which were overrepresented in genes that regulate flowering time, epigenetic processes, development and morphogenesis. Differentially methylated genes were enriched in differentially expressed genes. Thus, epigenetic variation is subject to selection and may play an important role in the adaptive response of populations in rapidly changing natural environments. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole-plant above-ground tissue of individual 25-day-old plants with the Qiagen DNeasy kit (Qiagen). DNA from two randomly chosen CVL39 individuals from ancestral (A3) lines and from 7 selected (S3) lines that had experienced 5 generations of selection in the three replicated dynamic landscapes (2xD1, 3xD5,2xD6) was sequenced (paired-end, 100 bp) using the Illumina Highseq 2000 Instrument. Single nucleotide polymorphisms and TE insertions were mapped with respect to the recombinant reference genome and compared between selected and ancestral lines.
2014-09-01 | E-GEOD-47490 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The contribution of epigenetic variation to phenotypic variation is unclear. Imprinted genes, because of their strong association with epigenetic modifications, represent an opportunity for the discovery of such phenomena. In mammals and flowering plants, a subset of genes are expressed from only one parental allele in a process called gene imprinting. Imprinting is associated with differential DNA methylation and chromatin modifications between parental alleles. In flowering plants imprinting occurs in endosperm seed tissue. Proper endosperm development is essential for the production of viable seeds. We previously showed that in Arabidopsis thaliana intraspecific imprinting variation is correlated with naturally occurring DNA methylation polymorphisms. Here, we investigated the mechanisms and function of allele-specific imprinting of the class IV homeodomain-Leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) transcription factor HDG3. In imprinted strains, HDG3 is expressed primarily from the methylated paternally inherited allele. We manipulated the methylation state of endogenous HDG3 in a non-imprinted strain and demonstrated that methylation of a proximal transposable element is sufficient to promote HDG3 expression and imprinting. Gain of HDG3 imprinting was associated with earlier endosperm cellularization. These results indicate that epigenetic variation alone is sufficient to explain imprinting variation and show that epialleles can underlie variation in seed development phenotypes.
2018-10-29 | GSE118371 | GEO
Project description:Stochastic changes in cytosine methylation are a source of heritable epigenetic and phenotypic diversity in plants. Using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, we derive robust estimates of the rate at which methylation is spontaneously gained (forward epimutation) or lost (backward epimutation) at individual cytosines and construct a comprehensive picture of the epimutation landscape in this species. We demonstrate that the dynamic interplay between forward and backward epimutations is modulated by genomic context and show that subtle contextual differences have profoundly shaped patterns of methylation diversity in A. thaliana natural populations over evolutionary timescales. Theoretical arguments indicate that the epimutation rates reported here are high enough to rapidly uncouple genetic from epigenetic variation, but low enough for new epialleles to sustain long-term selection responses. Our results provide new insights into methylome evolution and its population-level consequences.
2015-05-13 | GSE64463 | GEO
Project description:In Arabidopsis thaliana a high rate of spontaneous epigenetic variation can occur in the DNA methylome in the absence of genetic variation and selection. It has been of great interest, whether natural epigenetic variation is subject to selection and contributes to fitness and adaptation in selective environments. We compared the variation in selected phenotypic traits, genome-wide cytosine DNA methylation and gene expression in two Arabidopsis recombinant inbred lines, which had undergone five generations of selection in experimental landscapes relative to their genetically identical ancestors. Selected populations exerted significant differences in flowering time and the number of branches and fruits, differences that were maintained over two to three generations in the absence of selection. We identified 4,629 and 5,158 differentially methylated cytosines which were overrepresented in genes that regulate flowering time, epigenetic processes, development and morphogenesis. Differentially methylated genes were enriched in differentially expressed genes. Thus, epigenetic variation is subject to selection and may play an important role in the adaptive response of populations in rapidly changing natural environments.
2014-09-01 | GSE47490 | GEO
Project description:In Arabidopsis thaliana a high rate of spontaneous epigenetic variation can occur in the DNA methylome in the absence of genetic variation and selection. It has been of great interest, whether natural epigenetic variation is subject to selection and contributes to fitness and adaptation in selective environments. We compared the variation in selected phenotypic traits, genome-wide cytosine DNA methylation and gene expression in two Arabidopsis recombinant inbred lines, which had undergone five generations of selection in experimental landscapes relative to their genetically identical ancestors. Selected populations exerted significant differences in flowering time and the number of branches and fruits, differences that were maintained over two to three generations in the absence of selection. We identified 4,629 and 5,158 differentially methylated cytosines which were overrepresented in genes that regulate flowering time, epigenetic processes, development and morphogenesis. Differentially methylated genes were enriched in differentially expressed genes. Thus, epigenetic variation is subject to selection and may play an important role in the adaptive response of populations in rapidly changing natural environments.
2014-09-01 | GSE36844 | GEO
Project description:In Arabidopsis thaliana a high rate of spontaneous epigenetic variation can occur in the DNA methylome in the absence of genetic variation and selection. It has been of great interest, whether natural epigenetic variation is subject to selection and contributes to fitness and adaptation in selective environments. We compared the variation in selected phenotypic traits, genome-wide cytosine DNA methylation and gene expression in two Arabidopsis recombinant inbred lines, which had undergone five generations of selection in experimental landscapes relative to their genetically identical ancestors. Selected populations exerted significant differences in flowering time and the number of branches and fruits, differences that were maintained over two to three generations in the absence of selection. We identified 4,629 and 5,158 differentially methylated cytosines which were overrepresented in genes that regulate flowering time, epigenetic processes, development and morphogenesis. Differentially methylated genes were enriched in differentially expressed genes. Thus, epigenetic variation is subject to selection and may play an important role in the adaptive response of populations in rapidly changing natural environments.
2014-09-01 | GSE36845 | GEO