Transgenerational memory of gene expression changes induced by heavy metal stress in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

BMC Plant Biology

Karen A. Sanguinet¹  Sachin Rustgi¹  Xiuyun Lin²  Ningning Wang³  Jian Ma³  Lei Xu⁴  Junmeng Wang⁴  Bao Liu⁴  Yiling Miao⁴  Weixuan Cong⁴  Xiufang Ou⁴  Yunhong Zhang⁴  Chunlei Yuan⁴  Tingting Zhuang⁴  Lili Jiang⁴ 

[1] Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University;Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences;Jilin Agriculture University;Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University;

关键词: Heavy metal stress;    Transgenerational memory;    Gene expression;    DNA methylation;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12870-019-1887-7

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Heavy metal toxicity has become a major threat to sustainable crop production worldwide. Thus, considerable interest has been placed on deciphering the mechanisms that allow plants to combat heavy metal stress. Strategies to deal with heavy metals are largely focused on detoxification, transport and/or sequestration. The P1B subfamily of the Heavy Metal-transporting P-type ATPases (HMAs) was shown to play a crucial role in the uptake and translocation of heavy metals in plants. Here, we report the locus-specific expression changes in the rice HMA genes together with several low-copy cellular genes and transposable elements upon the heavy metal treatment and monitored the transgenerational inheritance of the altered expression states. We reveal that plants cope with heavy metal stress by making heritable changes in gene expression and further determined gene-specific responses to heavy metal stress. Results We found most HMA genes were upregulated in response to heavy metal stress, and furthermore found evidence of transgenerational memory via changes in gene regulation even after the removal of heavy metals. To explore whether DNA methylation was also altered in response to the heavy metal stress, we selected a Tos17 retrotransposon for bisulfite sequencing and studied its methylation state across three generations. We found the DNA methylation state of Tos17 was altered in response to the heavy metal stress and showed transgenerational inheritance. Conclusions Collectively, the present study elucidates heritable changes in gene expression and DNA methylation in rice upon exposure to heavy metal stress and discusses implications of this knowledge in breeding for heavy metal tolerant crops.

【 授权许可】

Unknown