title: Genetic sources of population epigenomic variation.
abstract: The field of epigenomics has rapidly progressed from the study of individual reference epigenomes to surveying epigenomic variation in populations. Recent studies in a number of species, from yeast to humans, have begun to dissect the cis- and trans-regulatory genetic mechanisms that shape patterns of population epigenomic variation at the level of single epigenetic marks, as well as at the level of integrated chromatin state maps. We show that this information is paving the way towards a more complete understanding of the heritable basis underlying population epigenomic variation. We also highlight important conceptual challenges when interpreting results from these genetic studies, particularly in plants, in which epigenomic variation can be determined both by genetic and epigenetic inheritance.
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Epigenetics, European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, Groningen NL-9713 AV, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taudt
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Epigenetics, European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, Groningen NL-9713 AV, The Netherlands.|Institute for Computational Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colomé-Tatché
authors.affiliation: Population Epigenetics and Epigenomics, Technical University of Munich, Liesel-Beckmann-Strasse 2, Freising 85354, Germany.|Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 2a, Garching 85748, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Johannes
mesh_terms: D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype