PDF电子书：Plant Epigenetics

lvlinqishi2011

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The discovery of DNA as the genetic material brought great hope to scientists all over the0 {0 ~! X& o: W$ ]4 ^) C) o: j! S" v
world. It was believed that many of the lingering questions in genetics and the mechanisms+ g0 {1 M4 ~9 N3 ?6 B
of heredity would finally be answered. However, as often is the case in science, more questions* X- p7 v  I1 S& t  D( W
arose out of this discovery. What defines a gene? What are the mechanisms of gene
- F: k' b- |, F  [regulation? Further discovery and technological innovations brought about sequencing( b( B1 L7 F( \
techniques that allowed the study of complete genomes from many organisms, including
5 P; d0 P, L2 I6 Y% dArabidopsis and humans. Despite all the excitement surrounding these technologies, many
: X3 l$ W. y- \! C+ k( U8 ]& J$ yfeatures of the genome remained unclear. Peculiar characteristics in genome composition
+ p* r4 E# p  ?' n1 g+ wsuch as significant redundancy consisting of many repetitive elements and noncoding
/ n7 C1 F9 j& x; vsequences, active transcriptional units with no protein product, and unusual sequences in9 h. c4 P' u+ z- S4 ^( c: g! r
promoter regions added to the mysteries of genetic make-up and gene regulation. Indeed,
9 ~$ u- A! ^  C7 k5 P/ N4 S% T( pthe more we discovered about the genome, the more difficult it became to understand the0 I- d  a- [$ Z5 G, j- b
complexity of cellular function and regulation.
2 k& Q3 A; v, v7 j2 oOut of the study of the intricacies of the genome and gene regulation, arose a new
3 |% E# p; l& x0 Z$ x* Vscience that was independent of actual DNA changes, but critical in maintaining gene
5 H2 f& U8 J8 \4 \, Uregulation and genetic stability. Epigenetics, literally translated as “above genetics,” is the
( R/ ?, Y9 S1 t" ]& \science that describes the mechanisms of heritable changes in gene regulation that does
. g5 |# |  M1 J( Jnot involve modifications of DNA sequence. These changes may last through somatic cell
4 o! F% W* {# z" s2 h0 ldivision and, in some cases, throughout multiple generations.5 W( `3 o1 q( l( M9 }3 ~; U8 I) ?7 o! w
Epigenetics is perhaps one of the most popular and quickly evolving fields of modern
' y3 c/ D% @/ w7 S2 u# z. dscience. Despite the fact that the ideas behind epigenetics had already been developing in/ a1 X5 O$ M+ ^) M3 J) m0 U
the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, major advances have only occurred
5 Z/ |# @2 S( e* Y9 t& `$ Iwithin the last 10–15 years as the mechanisms surrounding epigenetic regulation began to
2 x3 B5 u6 w) E* T1 Lbe uncovered. It was hoped by many that the mysteries of gene regulation and inheritance9 @  Y! v6 [8 u( R- j
that remained unanswered would finally be elucidated with the help of this new science.
& n" f* b  @( aSince, the understanding of the contribution of epigenetic regulation to cell function has
7 a6 \7 y5 N" S4 w3 a' M. Ghelped scientists from many distinct fields of research such as molecular biology, population
- x, ~6 O3 `! x! c; b- zgenetics, microbiology, ecology, developmental biology, and evolution.1 A1 l* ~: w; y9 c" A8 n' }
Gene silencing as an epigenetic mechanism to control gene expression was first
2 m- U# k# P7 ~0 ^4 ydescribed in plants. This occurred with the beginning of the era of plant transgenesis, and0 R( u& [7 y3 v8 |, a& s( T
almost undermined the new paradigm of improvement of plant performance via transgenic
. A+ `) l5 Q# _: E& L! f3 t- W; Ntechniques. Silencing was a serendipitous discovery, as this finding revitalized the
0 q! m5 d& I6 x5 g8 O# R; E9 afield of epigenetics. Phenomena such as plant acclimation and adaptation to stress, hybrid# p  ~0 I; G, u" u0 z; E; k
and heterozygote vigor (heterosis), plant tolerance to viral infection, transgenerational$ \4 `3 m1 K8 y' V
changes in genome stability, paramutations, among others, are now considered excellent# [& k$ E! k' V( h3 o+ U
candidates for regulation via epigenetic mechanisms. Future studies involving various protocols
( `) e& Z, X1 y( S$ _. ?% _for the analysis of methylation patterns, histone modifications, chromatin structure,/ t& o3 r& r+ O5 @, j* ?
and small RNA expression, the hallmarks of epigenetic regulation, will undoubtedly help
$ u6 G5 c9 o( Q9 E1 {  |; m- z8 Sto explain these phenomena. It will be exciting to discover how plants utilize these mechanisms
  Q, A1 l$ S. V$ X3 jto adapt to stress, and how we can manipulate these characters for the generation of
  \0 t+ }$ _% M  G! xbetter and hardier crops.* _# G5 ]; O: ^& L
vi Preface* @0 ]" S" o9 N8 X
In this book we have collected a variety of protocols for the study of the function of, x& j- U" J9 M- e
small noncoding RNAs, DNA methylation, and histone modifications in plants. Where possible
3 d- X2 h4 y/ Z/ M+ f' u% Wand appropriate, we presented several protocols with different degrees of complexity.
* d  i2 d) R$ p" s5 sWe also include protocols for plant transgenesis and the analysis of genome stability, with a- A4 d8 Z5 e; {; S6 e& k: c5 y2 x
discussion for their applications to epigenetic studies. It was our aim to put together a single+ R9 C" }' X0 e  g: B3 ?5 @4 ]
manual that researchers in the field of plant epigenetics can turn to in hopes to answer the
; S; Q! t4 p# Z* }1 ~5 O; umany yet undiscovered and unexplained phenomena in plant biology.
7 I# |& [3 E: B1 lLethbridge, AB, Canada Igor Kovalchuk
, O. C# _; k  S. V4 mFranz J. Zemp) y2 V" I6 P& P7 G. K- ~
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