Journal Article

Quantitative resistance to clubroot infection mediated by transgenerational epigenetic variation in Arabidopsis

Jubault, Mélanie, Evrard, Aurélie, Colot, Vincent, Etcheverry, Mathilde, Lariagon, Christine, Baillet, Victoire, Lemoine, Jocelyne, Liégard, Benjamin, Manzanares-Dauleux, Maria J., Joseph, Evens, Gravot, Antoine

2019

Overview

• Quantitative disease resistance, often influenced by environmental factors, is thought to be the result of DNA sequence variants segregating at multiple loci. However, heritable differences in DNA methylation, so-called transgenerational epigenetic variants, also could contribute to quantitative traits. Here, we tested this possibility using the well-characterized quantitative resistance of Arabidopsis to clubroot, a Brassica major disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae. • For that, we used the epigenetic recombinant inbred lines (epiRIL) derived from the cross ddm1-2 ✕ Col-0, which show extensive epigenetic variation but limited DNA sequence variation. Quantitative loci under epigenetic control (QTLepi) mapping was carried out on 123 epiRIL infected with P. brassicae and using various disease-related traits. • EpiRIL displayed a wide range of continuous phenotypic responses. Twenty QTLepi were detected across the five chromosomes, with a bona fide epigenetic origin for 16 of them. The effect of five QTLepi was dependent on temperature conditions. Six QTLepi co-localized with previously identified clubroot resistance genes and QTL in Arabidopsis. • Co-localization of clubroot resistance QTLepi with previously detected DNA-based QTL reveals a complex model in which a combination of allelic and epiallelic variations interacts with the environment to lead to variation in clubroot quantitative resistance.

• Publisher: Wiley,Wiley Subscription Services, Inc,John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subject: Arabidopsis / Arabidopsis - genetics / Arabidopsis - growth & development / Arabidopsis - immunology / Arabidopsis - microbiology / Base Sequence / Biochemistry, Molecular Biology / Biodiversity / Brassica / Chromosomes / Clubroot / Deoxyribonucleic acid / Disease resistance / Disease Resistance - genetics / DNA / DNA methylation / DNA Methylation - genetics / Environmental factors / Epigenesis, Genetic / Epigenetics / EpiRIL / Gene mapping / Genetic Variation / Genetics / Genomics / inbred lines / Inbreeding / Inheritance Patterns - genetics / Life Sciences / Localization / loci / Mapping / methylome / Molecular biology / Mutation - genetics / Nucleotide sequence / nucleotide sequences / Phenotype / Plant Diseases - genetics / Plant Diseases - microbiology / Plants genetics / Plasmodiophora brassicae / Plasmodiophorida - physiology / Populations and Evolution / Quantitative Methods / quantitative resistance / Quantitative trait loci / Quantitative Trait Loci - genetics / quantitative traits / Recombinants / resistance genes / sequence diversity / Sequencing / Temperature / Temperature dependence / transgenerational / Variation / Vegetal Biology