master's thesis
Stella Prelovšek (Author), Jana Ambrožič-Dolinšek (Mentor), Koen Verhoeven (Co-mentor)

Abstract

Epigenetics is a study of heritable changes in gene expression and function that do not change the DNA sequence itself. One of the commonly described epigenetic modifications is DNA methylation where a methyl group is added to the fifth carbon of the cytosine (Lim & Maher, 2010). This may lead to gene silencing, regulation of gene expression and allows for plant plasticity to changing environment (Verhoeven et al., 2010). Epigenetic variation is often studied in species with asexual reproduction, due to the absence of genetic variation between individuals and because clonal species do not go through a germline and meiosis between generations which epigenetic resetting occurs. Lemna minor, also known as common duckweed, is the smallest flowering macrophyte that consist of modified leaf structures (fronds) and one hanging root. It is known for its rapid asexual reproduction (Ziegler et al., 2015). Daughter fronds are genetically identical to the mother plant and are produced without involvement of male or female germlines. Fast asexual reproduction makes Lemna minor a perfect candidate to study epigenetic effects of de novo gene regulatory evolution. The aim of this project is to screen divergence of environmentally-induced DNA methylation between different experimental treatments over multiple generations. The aim of this project is to screen divergence of temperature-induced DNA methylation between different experimental treatments over multiple generations. Results show that, temperature stress has a strong influence on L. minor growth and reproduction, and induces significant change in the DNA methylation in the CG and CHG methylation context. Temperature-induced DNA methylation was inherited over multiple clonal generation of L. minor in the CHG contexts, although since we did not detect any performance difference the functional consequences of this DNA methylation are unclear. This study contributes to the knowledge of environmentally-induced DNA methylation changes, which is essential regarding the increasing frequency of global climate changes.

Keywords

master theses;DNA methylation;duckweed;epigenetics;epiGBS;abiotic stress;transgenerational inheritance;asexual reproduction;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
Organization: UM FNM - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Publisher: [Š. Prelovšek]
UDC: 575:577.2(043.2)(043.2)
COBISS: 24329992 Link will open in a new window
Views: 951
Downloads: 95
Average score: 0 (0 votes)
Metadata: JSON JSON-RDF JSON-LD TURTLE N-TRIPLES XML RDFA MICRODATA DC-XML DC-RDF RDF

Other data

Secondary language: Slovenian
Secondary title: Vpliv temperature na epigenetske spremembe male vodne leče (Lemna minor L.) v aseptični kulturi
Secondary abstract: Epigenetika je študija, ki obravnava spremembe v izražanju genov, ki niso posledica sprememb v DNA zaporedju, so pa dedne. Ena od pogosto opisanih epigenetskih sprememb je metilacija DNA, dodajanje metilne skupine na peti ogljik citozina. To lahko vodi do utišanja genov, regulacije izražanja genov in omogoča spreminjanje rastlinske plastičnosti v spreminjajočem se okolju. Epigenetske spremembe pogosto proučujejo pri vrstah z nespolnim razmnoževanjem, saj zaradi odsotnosti genskih razlik med posamezniki in odsotnosti zarodne linije in mejoze ne pride do epigenetskega ponastavljanja. Mala vodna leča (Lemna minor L.) je najmanjši cvetoči makrofit iz družine vodolečevk (Lemnaceae), ki sestoji iz modificiranih listnatih struktur, stebelnih členkov ("frond") z eno visečo korenino. Zaradi hitrega nespolnega razmnoževanja je Lemna minor odličen kandidat za proučevanje epigenetskih sprememb de novo regulatornega razvoja genov. V raziskavah nas je posebej zanimalo področje zgodnjega epigenetskega prilagajanja pri mali vodni leči. Cilj magistrskega dela je raziskati vpliv temperature na raznolikost metiliranja DNA v več generacijah male vodne leče. Temperaturni stres je vplival na rast in reprodukcijo L. minor ter povzročil spremembo metilacije DNA v CG in CHG kontekstu metilacij. Ta DNA metilacija v CHG kontekstu metilacij se je dedovala transgeneracijsko, več vegetativnih generacij L. minor. Ker te spremembe niso vplivale na uspešnosti klonov male vodne leče, funkcionalne posledice tega metiliranja DNA niso dorečene. Študija bo prispevala k poznavanju okoljsko pogojenih sprememb v metilaciji DNA, bistvenega pomena v času pogostejših globalnih podnebnih sprememb.
Secondary keywords: magistrska dela;DNA metilacija;mala vodna leča;epigenetika;epiGBS;abiotski stres;transgeneracijsko dedovanje;nespolno razmnoževanje;
URN: URN:SI:UM:
Type (COBISS): Master's thesis/paper
Thesis comment: Univ. v Mariboru, Fak. za naravoslovje in matematiko, Oddelek za biologijo
Pages: XI, 54 str.
ID: 10993800