Epigenomic modification and epigenetic regulation in rice

Epigenomes including genome-wide histone modification and DNA methylation profiles are important for genome activity and for defining gene expression patterns of plant development and responses to various environmental conditions. Rice is the most important crop plant and serves as a model for cereal genomics. Rice epigenomic landscape is emerging and the function of chromatin modification regulators in gene expression, transposon repression and plant development is being characterized. Epigenomic variation that gives rise to stable or transgenerational heritable epialleles related to variation of important agronomical traits or stress responses is being characterized in rice. Implication of epigenomic variation in rice heterosis is being exploited.