The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metals
Contamination of the soil with non-essential metals and metalloids is a serious problem in many regions of the world. These non-essential metals and metalloids are toxic to all organisms impacting crop yields and human health. Crop plants exposed to high concentrations of these metals leads to pertu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1278185/full |
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| author | Jagna Chmielowska-Bąk Iain Robert Searle Theophilus Nang Wakai Theophilus Nang Wakai Magdalena Arasimowicz-Jelonek |
| author_facet | Jagna Chmielowska-Bąk Iain Robert Searle Theophilus Nang Wakai Theophilus Nang Wakai Magdalena Arasimowicz-Jelonek |
| author_sort | Jagna Chmielowska-Bąk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Contamination of the soil with non-essential metals and metalloids is a serious problem in many regions of the world. These non-essential metals and metalloids are toxic to all organisms impacting crop yields and human health. Crop plants exposed to high concentrations of these metals leads to perturbed mineral homeostasis, decreased photosynthesis efficiency, inhibited cell division, oxidative stress, genotoxic effects and subsequently hampered growth. Plants can activate epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms to maintain cellular and organism homeostasis. Epigenetic modifications include changes in the patterns of cytosine and adenine DNA base modifications, changes in cellular non-coding RNAs, and remodeling histone variants and covalent histone tail modifications. Some of these epigenetic changes have been shown to be long-lasting and may therefore contribute to stress memory and modulated stress tolerance in the progeny. In the emerging field of epitranscriptomics, defined as chemical, covalent modifications of ribonucleotides in cellular transcripts, epitranscriptomic modifications are postulated as more rapid modulators of gene expression. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the plant’s epigenetic changes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, a comprehensive review of the plant’s epigenetic responses to metals is lacking. While the role of epitranscriptomics during plant developmental processes and stress responses are emerging, epitranscriptomic modifications in response to metals has not been reviewed. This article describes the impact of non-essential metals and metalloids (Cd, Pb, Hg, Al and As) on global and site-specific DNA methylation, histone tail modifications and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:05:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-15a043f7a3b34baeb0c99701b0d7ad81 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:05:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-15a043f7a3b34baeb0c99701b0d7ad812023-12-04T06:56:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2023-12-011410.3389/fpls.2023.12781851278185The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metalsJagna Chmielowska-Bąk0Iain Robert Searle1Theophilus Nang Wakai2Theophilus Nang Wakai3Magdalena Arasimowicz-Jelonek4Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, PolandDiscipline of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Bamenda, Bambili, CameroonCovenant Applied Informatics and Communication - Africa Centre of Excellence (CApIC-ACE), Covenant University, Ota, NigeriaDepartment of Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, PolandContamination of the soil with non-essential metals and metalloids is a serious problem in many regions of the world. These non-essential metals and metalloids are toxic to all organisms impacting crop yields and human health. Crop plants exposed to high concentrations of these metals leads to perturbed mineral homeostasis, decreased photosynthesis efficiency, inhibited cell division, oxidative stress, genotoxic effects and subsequently hampered growth. Plants can activate epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms to maintain cellular and organism homeostasis. Epigenetic modifications include changes in the patterns of cytosine and adenine DNA base modifications, changes in cellular non-coding RNAs, and remodeling histone variants and covalent histone tail modifications. Some of these epigenetic changes have been shown to be long-lasting and may therefore contribute to stress memory and modulated stress tolerance in the progeny. In the emerging field of epitranscriptomics, defined as chemical, covalent modifications of ribonucleotides in cellular transcripts, epitranscriptomic modifications are postulated as more rapid modulators of gene expression. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the plant’s epigenetic changes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, a comprehensive review of the plant’s epigenetic responses to metals is lacking. While the role of epitranscriptomics during plant developmental processes and stress responses are emerging, epitranscriptomic modifications in response to metals has not been reviewed. This article describes the impact of non-essential metals and metalloids (Cd, Pb, Hg, Al and As) on global and site-specific DNA methylation, histone tail modifications and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1278185/full5-methylcytosinehistone modificationsN6-methyladenosineM6A8-hydroxyguanosine8-nitroguanosine |
| spellingShingle | Jagna Chmielowska-Bąk Iain Robert Searle Theophilus Nang Wakai Theophilus Nang Wakai Magdalena Arasimowicz-Jelonek The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metals Frontiers in Plant Science 5-methylcytosine histone modifications N6-methyladenosine M6A 8-hydroxyguanosine 8-nitroguanosine |
| title | The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metals |
| title_full | The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metals |
| title_fullStr | The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metals |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metals |
| title_short | The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metals |
| title_sort | role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non essential metals |
| topic | 5-methylcytosine histone modifications N6-methyladenosine M6A 8-hydroxyguanosine 8-nitroguanosine |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1278185/full |
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