Maternal and Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance of Trichome Densities in Mimulus guttatus
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom C/D
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
Leaf damage induces increased production of trichomes, hair-like structures that can deter insect herbivores, in Mimulus guttatus (the yellow monkeyflower). This induced state is inherited by offspring even though it does not involve changes in DNA sequence, producing one of the only known examples of epigenetic inheritance of an environmentally induced, ecologically relevant trait. The first objective of this project was to determine whether epigenetic inheritance of increased trichome production occurs via the maternal gametes, paternal gametes, or both. The second objective of this project was to determine whether epigenetic inheritance is accomplished by methylation of the maternal and/or paternal DNA. Plants from a single recombinant inbred line were assigned to damage or control treatments and randomly crossed to create a full factorial experiment involving maternal and paternal damage. Each combination of parental damage was represented by four independent parent pairs. Half of the seeds from each parent pair were treated with 5-azacytidine, a chemical that results in genome-wide demethylation. Progeny were raised together in standard greenhouse conditions and assessed for density of trichomes on the 5th leaf pair. Analysis via general linear mixed-model showed that the response to damage is inherited through both the maternal and paternal gametes, and that the maternal and paternal contributions to this response are additive. Demethylation erased the paternal contribution but not the maternal contribution to epigenetic inheritance of increased trichome density. These results suggest that the mechanism for epigenetic inheritance differs between maternal and paternal gametes, and paternal inheritance likely involves DNA methylation.
Recommended Citation
Akkerman, Kayla, "Maternal and Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance of Trichome Densities in Mimulus guttatus" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 79.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/posters/79
Poster Number
32
Additional Mentoring Department
Biological Sciences
Maternal and Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance of Trichome Densities in Mimulus guttatus
SURC Ballroom C/D
Leaf damage induces increased production of trichomes, hair-like structures that can deter insect herbivores, in Mimulus guttatus (the yellow monkeyflower). This induced state is inherited by offspring even though it does not involve changes in DNA sequence, producing one of the only known examples of epigenetic inheritance of an environmentally induced, ecologically relevant trait. The first objective of this project was to determine whether epigenetic inheritance of increased trichome production occurs via the maternal gametes, paternal gametes, or both. The second objective of this project was to determine whether epigenetic inheritance is accomplished by methylation of the maternal and/or paternal DNA. Plants from a single recombinant inbred line were assigned to damage or control treatments and randomly crossed to create a full factorial experiment involving maternal and paternal damage. Each combination of parental damage was represented by four independent parent pairs. Half of the seeds from each parent pair were treated with 5-azacytidine, a chemical that results in genome-wide demethylation. Progeny were raised together in standard greenhouse conditions and assessed for density of trichomes on the 5th leaf pair. Analysis via general linear mixed-model showed that the response to damage is inherited through both the maternal and paternal gametes, and that the maternal and paternal contributions to this response are additive. Demethylation erased the paternal contribution but not the maternal contribution to epigenetic inheritance of increased trichome density. These results suggest that the mechanism for epigenetic inheritance differs between maternal and paternal gametes, and paternal inheritance likely involves DNA methylation.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Alison Scoville