Deciphering the plant epigenome

Principal Investigator: Pedro Crevillén Lomas – Ramón y Cajal fellow

crevillen.pedro@inia.es  +34 914524900 Ext.25551 (Lab 177B)  Twitter @CrevillenLab

The study of the epigenome landscape and its relation with the underlying genome sequence in animal and plant cells has become a central question nowadays. The methylation of specific amino acid resides at histone tails is a conserved epigenetic mechanism involved in the regulation of fundamental processes like transcription or DNA replication. Nevertheless, epigenome studies in plant crops and its comparison with model plant systems is uncommon. In a collaboration between the Wilkinson and Crevillen laboratories, we are investigating the lysine methylation epigenome in Arabidopsis and Brassica crops with an emphasis on the evolutionary relationships of epigenomic signatures. We are producing new state-of-the-art epigenome dataset and developing new computational methods to precisely infer different epigenetic states in plants (Figure 4). We will also study the evolutionary patterns of histone modifications that regulate gene expression and define novel epigenomic features. Being able to study the plant epigenome will help us to understand the complex gene regulatory processes that control plant development and are the basis for important crop traits.

comparison between species

 

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