MutS HOMOLOG1-derived epigenetic breeding potential in tomato.
Evidence is compelling in support of a naturally occurring epigenetic influence on phenotype expression in land plants, although discerning the epigenetic contribution is difficult. Agriculturally important attributes like heterosis, inbreeding depression, phenotypic plasticity, and environmental stress response are thought to have significant epigenetic components, but unequivocal demonstration of this is often infeasible. Here, we investigate gene silencing of a single nuclear gene, MutS HOMOLOG1 (MSH1), in the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) 'Rutgers' to effect developmental reprogramming of the plant. The condition is heritable in subsequent generations independent of the MSH1-RNA interference transgene. Crossing these transgene-null, developmentally altered plants to the isogenic cv Rutgers wild type results in progeny lines that show enhanced, heritable growth vigor under both greenhouse and field conditions. This boosted vigor appears to be graft transmissible and is partially reversed by treatment with the methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine, implying the influence of mobile, epigenetic factors and DNA methylation changes. These data provide compelling evidence for the feasibility of epigenetic breeding in a crop plant.
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China (X.Y., M.Z.);Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660 (X.Y., H.K., Y.-Z.X., A.S., J.Y., S.A.M.); andGulf Coast Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Wimauma, Florida 33598-6101 (S.F.H.).
Xiaodong
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4971-2362
X
Yang
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China (X.Y., M.Z.);Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660 (X.Y., H.K., Y.-Z.X., A.S., J.Y., S.A.M.); andGulf Coast Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Wimauma, Florida 33598-6101 (S.F.H.).
Hardik
H
Kundariya
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China (X.Y., M.Z.);Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660 (X.Y., H.K., Y.-Z.X., A.S., J.Y., S.A.M.); andGulf Coast Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Wimauma, Florida 33598-6101 (S.F.H.).
Ying-Zhi
YZ
Xu
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China (X.Y., M.Z.);Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660 (X.Y., H.K., Y.-Z.X., A.S., J.Y., S.A.M.); andGulf Coast Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Wimauma, Florida 33598-6101 (S.F.H.).
Ajay
A
Sandhu
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China (X.Y., M.Z.);Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660 (X.Y., H.K., Y.-Z.X., A.S., J.Y., S.A.M.); andGulf Coast Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Wimauma, Florida 33598-6101 (S.F.H.).
Jiantao
J
Yu
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China (X.Y., M.Z.);Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660 (X.Y., H.K., Y.-Z.X., A.S., J.Y., S.A.M.); andGulf Coast Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Wimauma, Florida 33598-6101 (S.F.H.).
Samuel F
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1635-4861
SF
Hutton
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China (X.Y., M.Z.);Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660 (X.Y., H.K., Y.-Z.X., A.S., J.Y., S.A.M.); andGulf Coast Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Wimauma, Florida 33598-6101 (S.F.H.).
Mingfang
M
Zhang
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China (X.Y., M.Z.);Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0660 (X.Y., H.K., Y.-Z.X., A.S., J.Y., S.A.M.); andGulf Coast Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Wimauma, Florida 33598-6101 (S.F.H.) smackenzie2@unl.edu.
Sally A
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2077-5607
SA
Mackenzie
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D001947:Breeding; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D040582:Inheritance Patterns / Q000235:genetics; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D010641:Phenotype; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D034622:RNA Interference; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012098:Reproduction; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D013489:Suppression, Genetic; D019076:Transgenes
D010940:Plant Proteins