Evolving epigenetic toolkit in plants
Previous studies have revealed the genetic basis of many complex epigenetic and phenotypic traits through classic screening or genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We explore the question of how the homeostatic state of a plant is balanced under varied levels of nutrient supply when environmental or internal (epi)genetic factors significantly perturb this balance.
The authors explore how epigenetic regulation of the genome of a plant interacts with physiological processes (such as homeostasis) at the biological pathway level when exposed to different nutrient availability scenarios and under changing environmental conditions.
The authors propose a conceptual model involving an 'epigenetic toolkit' where plants sense environmental pressures to develop a complex crosstalk between physiology, epigenetic/epigenomic state, and their genetic code, and ultimately fine-tune adaptation at the organismal level.
https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/fulltext/S1360-1385(25)00348-6
