Cause or effect: Probing the roles of epigenetics in plant development and environmental responses

• Published in: Current opinion in plant biology 2024-10, Vol.81, p.102569, Article 102569
• Main Authors: Wang, Xuejing, Yamaguchi, Nobutoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Designer DNA targeting tools; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Epigenetic effector proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Histone modifications; Plant Development - genetics; Target genes
• ISSN: 1369-5266; 1879-0356; 1879-0356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102569

Epigenetic modifications are inheritable, reversible changes that control gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself. Recent advances in epigenetic and sequencing technologies have revealed key regulatory regions in genes with multiple epigenetic changes. However, causal associations between epigenetic changes and physiological events have rarely been examined. Epigenome editing enables alterations to the epigenome without changing the underlying DNA sequence. Modifying epigenetic information in plants has important implications for causality assessment of the epigenome. Here, we briefly review tools for selectively interrogating the epigenome. We highlight promising research on site-specific DNA methylation and histone modifications and propose future research directions to more deeply investigate epigenetic regulation, including cause-and-effect relationships between epigenetic modifications and the development/environmental responses of Arabidopsis thaliana. •Plant epigenome editing uses genome editing tools and epigenome effector proteins.•Epigenome editing established a causal relationship between FWA and flowering time.•Site-specific epigenome editing tools have been developed for gene activation.•These tools and chromatin factor screening have advanced epigenome research.•Targeted demethylation via inducible epigenome editing decreased APX2 expression.