title: Phosphate starvation induces DNA methylation in the vicinity of cis-acting elements known to regulate the expression of phosphate-responsive genes.
abstract: Phosphate (Pi) limitation is a constraint for plant growth in many natural and agricultural ecosystems. Plants possess adaptive mechanisms that enable them to cope with conditions of limited Pi supply, including a highly regulated genetic program controlling the expression of genes involved in different metabolic, signaling and development processes of plants. Recently, we showed that in response to phosphate limitation Arabidopsis thaliana sets specific DNA methylation patterns of genic features that often correlated with changes in gene expression. Our findings included, dynamic methylation changes in response to phosphate starvation and the observation that the expression of genes encoding DNA methyltransferases appear to be directly controlled by the key regulator PHOSPHATE RESPONSE 1 (PHR1). These results provide insight into how epigenetic marks can influence plant genomes and transcriptional programs to respond and adapt to harsh conditions. Here we present an analysis of DNA methylation in the upstream regions of low Pi responsive genes in Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to low Pi conditions. We found that hypo- and hyper-methylation in the vicinity of cognate binding sites for transcription factors known to regulate the phosphate starvation response clearly correlates with increased or decreased expression of low-Pi responsive genes.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio)/Unidad, de Genómica Avanzada (UGA), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, del IPN , Irapuato , Guanajuato , México.
authors.forename: Lenin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yong-Villalobos
authors.affiliation: a Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio)/Unidad, de Genómica Avanzada (UGA), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, del IPN , Irapuato , Guanajuato , México.
authors.forename: Sergio Alan
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cervantes-Pérez
authors.affiliation: a Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio)/Unidad, de Genómica Avanzada (UGA), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, del IPN , Irapuato , Guanajuato , México.|b Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal, Cuernavaca , Morelos , México.
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Alanis
authors.affiliation: a Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio)/Unidad, de Genómica Avanzada (UGA), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, del IPN , Irapuato , Guanajuato , México.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gonzáles-Morales
authors.affiliation: a Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio)/Unidad, de Genómica Avanzada (UGA), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, del IPN , Irapuato , Guanajuato , México.
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: a Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio)/Unidad, de Genómica Avanzada (UGA), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, del IPN , Irapuato , Guanajuato , México.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herrera-Estrella
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects*; D063990:Gene Ontology; D017343:Genes, Plant; D059372:Nucleotide Motifs / Q000235:genetics; D010710:Phosphates / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates
keywords: Abiotic stress; DNA methylation; epigenetics; nutrient limitation; phosphate