title: Cyst Nematode Parasitism Induces Dynamic Changes in the Root Epigenome.
abstract: A growing body of evidence indicates that epigenetic modifications can provide efficient, dynamic, and reversible cellular responses to a wide range of environmental stimuli. However, the significance of epigenetic modifications in plant-pathogen interactions remains largely unexplored. In this study, we provide a comprehensive analysis of epigenome changes during the compatible interaction between the beet cyst nematodeHeterodera schachtiiand Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing was conducted to assess the dynamic changes in the methylome of Arabidopsis roots in response toH. schachtiiinfection.H. schachtiiinduced widespread hypomethylation of protein-coding genes and transposable elements (TEs), preferentially those adjacent to protein-coding genes. The abundance of 24-nt siRNAs was associated with hypermethylation of TEs and gene promoters, with influence observed for methylation context and infection time points. mRNA sequencing revealed a significant enrichment for the differentially methylated genes among the differentially expressed genes, specifically those with functions corresponding to primary metabolic processes and responses to stimuli. The differentially methylated genes overlapped with more than one-fourth of the syncytium differentially expressed genes and are of functional significance. Together, our results provide intriguing insights into the potential regulatory role of differential DNA methylation in shaping the biological interplay between cyst nematodes and host plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences (T.H., S.P., A.R., J.H.R.), Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (T.L., M.S.), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 thewezi@utk.edu.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5256-8878
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hewezi
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences (T.H., S.P., A.R., J.H.R.), Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (T.L., M.S.), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4082-9502
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences (T.H., S.P., A.R., J.H.R.), Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (T.L., M.S.), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996.
authors.forename: Sarbottam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piya
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences (T.H., S.P., A.R., J.H.R.), Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (T.L., M.S.), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996.
authors.forename: Aditi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rambani
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences (T.H., S.P., A.R., J.H.R.), Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (T.L., M.S.), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996.
authors.forename: J Hollis
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4046-1672
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences (T.H., S.P., A.R., J.H.R.), Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (T.L., M.S.), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996.
authors.forename: Meg
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Staton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D057890:Epigenomics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology*; D014431:Tylenchoidea / Q000502:physiology*; D000073336:Whole Genome Sequencing