Abstract
Modification of DNA methylation status is one of the mechanisms used by plants to adjust gene expression at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels when plants are exposed to suboptimal conditions. Under abiotic stress, different cultivars often show heritable phenotypic variation accompanied by epigenetic polymorphisms at the DNA methylation level. This variation may provide the raw materials for plant breeding programs that aim to enhance abiotic stress tolerance, including salt tolerance. In this study, methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) analysis was used to assess cytosine methylation levels in alfalfa (Medicago spp) roots exposed to increasing NaCl concentrations (0.0, 8.0, 12.0, and 20.0 dS/m). Eleven indigenous landraces were analyzed, in addition to a salt-tolerant cultivar that was used as a control. There was a slight increase in DNA methylation upon exposure to high levels of soil salinity. Phylogenetic analysis using MSAP showed epigenetic variation within and between the alfalfa landraces when exposed to saline conditions. Based on MSAP and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results, we found that salinity increased global DNA methylation status, particularly in plants exposed to the highest level of salinity (20 dS/m). Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction indicated that this might be mediated by the overexpression of methyltransferase homolog genes after exposure to saline conditions. DNA demethylation using 5-azacytidine reduced seedling lengths and dry and fresh weights, indicating a possible decrease in salinity tolerance. These results suggest that salinity affects DNA methylation flexibility.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
High soil salinity slightly increased DNA methylation.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativat0 - Treatment
- high levels of soil salinitye0
- Outcome
- DNA methylatione0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“alfalfa (Medicago spp)”
e0“There was a slight increase in DNA methylation upon exposure to high levels of soil salinity”
Claim · model-written summary
Saline exposure revealed epigenetic variation within and between alfalfa landraces.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Material
- alfalfa landracese0
- Treatment
- saline conditionse0
- Outcome
- epigenetic variation within and between the alfalfa landracese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“alfalfa (Medicago spp)”
e0“Phylogenetic analysis using MSAP showed epigenetic variation within and between the alfalfa landraces when exposed to saline conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity increased global DNA methylation, especially at 20 dS/m.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- salinitye0
- Outcome
- global DNA methylation statuse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 20 dS/me0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“alfalfa (Medicago spp)”
e0“salinity increased global DNA methylation status, particularly in plants exposed to the highest level of salinity (20 dS/m)”
Claim · model-written summary
Methyltransferase homolog gene overexpression may mediate the methylation response to saline conditions.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- saline conditionse0
- Gene
- methyltransferase homolog genese0
- Outcome
- overexpression of methyltransferase homolog genese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“alfalfa (Medicago spp)”
e0“this might be mediated by the overexpression of methyltransferase homolog genes after exposure to saline conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
DNA demethylation with 5-azacytidine reduced seedling lengths.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- DNA demethylation using 5-azacytidinee0
- Outcome
- seedling lengthse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“alfalfa (Medicago spp)”
e0“DNA demethylation using 5-azacytidine reduced seedling lengths and dry and fresh weights”
Claim · model-written summary
DNA demethylation with 5-azacytidine reduced dry and fresh weights.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- DNA demethylation using 5-azacytidinee0
- Outcome
- dry and fresh weightse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“alfalfa (Medicago spp)”
e0“DNA demethylation using 5-azacytidine reduced seedling lengths and dry and fresh weights”
Claim · model-written summary
Demethylation results indicated a possible decrease in salinity tolerance.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- salinity tolerancee0
- Qualifier
- possible decreasee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“alfalfa (Medicago spp)”
e0“indicating a possible decrease in salinity tolerance”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that salinity affects DNA methylation flexibility.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- salinitye0
- Outcome
- DNA methylation flexibilitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“alfalfa (Medicago spp)”
e0“These results suggest that salinity affects DNA methylation flexibility”