逆境胁迫下植物DNA甲基化变异的研究进展

胁迫是指生物体持续地暴露在环境的刺激下,并且植物有能力建立保护和适应的机制.逆境胁迫抑制生物体的生长、发育和繁殖,它通常决定了物种的分布,更重要的是它对特定的种群提供了一种选择性进化动力.植物可以通过忍受、抗性和避免或最终逃避这三种不同的策略来应对胁迫.DNA甲基化作为一种表观遗传现象,是指在甲基化酶的作用下,不涉及基因的DNA序列改变,而使基因功能发生变化,以对外界的环境刺激作出应答反应.这种变化常常可以传递给后代,并形成表观遗传记忆,这对培育植物抗性新品种提供了可能.综述了植物响应逆境胁迫中的DNA甲基化修饰的研究进展,旨在深入了解DNA甲基化变化对植物抗逆性的影响.

The Research Progress of Plant DNA Methylation Variation under Stresses

Stress refers to the organism under the stimulus of constant exposure to the environment. Plants have the ability to set up the system of protection and adaptation. Adversity stress inhibits the growth, development and reproduction of the organism. It often determines the distribution of the species. What is important is that it provides a selective dynamic evolution for a specific population. Plants can cope with stress through three different strategies, and these three different strategy is to endure, resistance and avoid or final escape. DNA methylation, as an epigenetic phenomenon, can make the gene function change without changing the DNA sequence via the effect of methylase, in response to external environmental stimuli. This change can often be passed on to offspring and form the epigenetic memory, this provides a possibility for cultivating plants resistant varieties. The research progress of plants DNA methylation modification under adversity stresses weve reviewed, aimed at further understanding the effects of DNA methylation changes to plant resistance.