Differentially methylated genes involved in reproduction and ploidy levels in recent diploidized and tetraploidized Eragrostis curvula genotypes

CARBALLO J; ACHILLI A; HERNÁNDEZ F; BOCCHINI M; PASTEN MC; MARCONI G; ALBERTINI E; ZAPPACOSTA D; ECHENIQUE V

Plant Reproduction

Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

Año: 2023

Epigenetics studies changes in gene activity without changes in the DNA sequence. Methylation is an epigenetic mechanismimportant in many pathways, such as biotic and abiotic stresses, cell division, and reproduction. Eragrostis curvula is a grassspecies reproducing by apomixis, a clonal reproduction by seeds. This work employed the MCSeEd technique to identifydeferentially methylated positions, regions, and genes in the CG, CHG, and CHH contexts in E. curvula genotypes withsimilar genomic backgrounds but with different reproductive modes and ploidy levels. In this way, we focused the analysison the cvs. Tanganyika INTA (4x, apomictic), Victoria (2x, sexual), and Bahiense (4x, apomictic). Victoria was obtainedfrom the diploidization of Tanganyika INTA, while Bahiense was produced from the tetraploidization of Victoria. This studyshowed that polyploid/apomictic genotypes had more differentially methylated positions and regions than the diploid sexualones. Interestingly, it was possible to observe fewer differentially methylated positions and regions in CG than in the othercontexts, meaning CG methylation is conserved across the genotypes regardless of the ploidy level and reproductive mode.