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PMID: 21921155 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Transgenerational epigenetic instability is a source of novel methylation variants.

Science (New York, N.Y.) ·Vol. 334 ·No. 6054 ·2011-10-21 ·Pages 369-73

Schmitz RJ, Schultz MD, Lewsey MG, O'Malley RC, Urich MA, Libiger O, Schork NJ, Ecker JR

Abstract

Epigenetic information, which may affect an organism's phenotype, can be stored and stably inherited in the form of cytosine DNA methylation. Changes in DNA methylation can produce meiotically stable epialleles that affect transcription and morphology, but the rates of spontaneous gain or loss of DNA methylation are unknown. We examined spontaneously occurring variation in DNA methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana plants propagated by single-seed descent for 30 generations. We identified 114,287 CG single methylation polymorphisms and 2485 CG differentially methylated regions (DMRs), both of which show patterns of divergence compared with the ancestral state. Thus, transgenerational epigenetic variation in DNA methylation may generate new allelic states that alter transcription, providing a mechanism for phenotypic diversity in the absence of genetic mutation.

MeSH Terms
Alleles Arabidopsis/genetics,metabolism DNA Methylation DNA Transposable Elements DNA, Intergenic DNA, Plant/genetics,metabolism Dinucleoside Phosphates/metabolism Epigenesis, Genetic Genes, Plant Genetic Variation Genome, Plant Linear Models Mutation Polymorphism, Genetic Promoter Regions, Genetic Transcription, Genetic
Chemicals
DNA Transposable Elements DNA, Intergenic DNA, Plant Dinucleoside Phosphates cytidylyl-3'-5'-guanosine
Authors & Affiliations
8 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Schmitz Robert J
Plant Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Schultz Matthew D
Lewsey Mathew G
O'Malley Ronan C
Urich Mark A
Libiger Ondrej
Schork Nicholas J
Ecker Joseph R
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Article Info
Journal
Science (New York, N.Y.)
Abbr.
Science
ISSN
1095-9203
DOI
10.1126/science.1212959
Published
2011-10-21
Epub
2011-00-15
Pages
369-73
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0404511
PMCID
PMC3210014
Subset
IM
Grants
NHGRI NIH HHS · F32 HG004830-02 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · F32 HG004830-01 · United States
Howard Hughes Medical Institute · United States
NCRR NIH HHS · UL1 RR025774 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · R01 HG003523-01 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · F32 HG004830 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · F32-HG004830 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · R01 HG003523-02 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · R01 HG003523 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · F32 HG004830-03 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · R01 HG003523-03 · United States
Corrections
CommentIn
PMID: 21989131
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1126/science.1212959 PMC Full Text View journal details
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