title: DNA methylation polymorphism and stability in Chinese indica hybrid rice.
abstract: Conventional rice breeding has long focused on exploiting the DNA sequence diversity. However, epigenetic diversity, reflected particularly in DNA methylation, can also contribute to phenotypic variation and should not be overlooked in rice breeding. In this study, 20 parental lines of indica rice, which are widely used in hybrid rice breeding in China, were analyzed to investigate variations of DNA methylation and its inheritance. The results revealed a wide diversity in DNA methylation among these breeding lines. A positive correlation was seen between DNA methylation and genetic diversity. Furthermore, some of the methylated DNA was inherited in the subsequent generation, regardless of whether they were produced by selfing or hybrid-crossing. This study provides insight into the methylation patterns in rice, and suggests the importance of epigenetic diversity in rice breeding.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: GuangHuai
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Weixiong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: WenXue
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhai
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D001947:Breeding; D002681:China; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D017343:Genes, Plant; D014644:Genetic Variation; D042822:Genomic Instability; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant