Search

Introduction: DNA methylation plays major roles in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, transposon and transcriptional silencing, and DNA repair, with implications in developmental processes and phenotypic plasticity. Relevantly for woody species, DNA methylation constitutes a regulative layer in cell wall dynamics associated with xylogenesis. The use of methyltransferase and/or demethylase inhibitors has been proven informative to shed light on the methylome dynamics behind the regulation of these processes. Methods: The present work employs the cytidine analog zebularine to inhibit DNA methyltransferases and induce DNA hypomethylation in Salix purpurea plantlets grown in vitro and in soil. An integrative approach was adopted to highlight the effects of zebularine on proteomic dynamics, revealing age-specific (3 weeks of in vitro culture and 1 month of growth in soil) and tissue-specific (stem and root) effects. Results and discussion: After 3 weeks of recovery from zebularine treatment, a decrease of 5-mC levels was observed in different genomic contexts in the roots of explants that were exposed to zebularine, whereas a functionally heterogeneous subset of protein entries was differentially accumulated in stem samples, including entries related to cell wall biosynthesis, tissue morphogenesis, and hormonal regulation. Significant proteomic remodeling was revealed in the development from in vitro to in-soil culture, but no significant changes in 5-mC levels were observed. The identification of tissue-specific proteomic hallmarks in combination with hypomethylating agents provides new insights into the role of DNA methylation and proteome in early plant development in willow species. Proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD045653. WGBS data are available under BioProject accession PRJNA889596. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionDNA methylation plays major roles in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, transposon and transcriptional silencing, and DNA repair, with implications in developmental processes and phenotypic plasticity. Relevantly for woody species, DNA methylation constitutes a regulative layer in cell wall dynamics associated with xylogenesis. The use of methyltransferase and/or demethylase inhibitors has been proven informative to shed light on the methylome dynamics behind the regulation of these processes.MethodsThe present work employs the cytidine analog zebularine to inhibit DNA methyltransferases and induce DNA hypomethylation in Salix purpurea plantlets grown in vitro and in soil. An integrative approach was adopted to highlight the effects of zebularine on proteomic dynamics, revealing age-specific (3 weeks of in vitro culture and 1 month of growth in soil) and tissue-specific (stem and root) effects.Results and discussionAfter 3 weeks of recovery from zebularine treatment, a decrease of 5-mC levels was observed in different genomic contexts in the roots of explants that were exposed to zebularine, whereas a functionally heterogeneous subset of protein entries was differentially accumulated in stem samples, including entries related to cell wall biosynthesis, tissue morphogenesis, and hormonal regulation. Significant proteomic remodeling was revealed in the development from in vitro to in-soil culture, but no significant changes in 5-mC levels were observed. The identification of tissue-specific proteomic hallmarks in combination with hypomethylating agents provides new insights into the role of DNA methylation and proteome in early plant development in willow species. Proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD045653. WGBS data are available under BioProject accession PRJNA889596.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of road transport on soil physicochemical characteristics and concentration of heavy metals in the bark of purple willow. The study was carried out at two groups of sites situated along a national road at a distance of 5–10 m and ca. 100 m from the road. At each of the sites, annual willow shoots were cut and surface soil samples were taken. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, and Cd in bark samples were measured and of K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mn, Pb, and Cd in the soil. The concentrations of Mn and Pb were predictably higher in soils located near the road, which may indicate an impact of road transport on the soil content of these metals. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, and Cd in S. purpurea bark from the sites located at distances of 5–10 m and ca. 100 m from the road were similar. However, the Cd concentration in the bark exceeded the maximum permissible concentration in the dried material, despite the low Cd concentrations in the soils at of all the sampling sites. It is important to pay due attention to the concentrations of this heavy metal in this plant material when it is intended for pharmaceutical use, even in that obtained from plants growing on soils qualifying as “uncontaminated”. Salix purpurea used for Salicis cortex should therefore be cultivated under controlled conditions.

Copyright of Acta Agrobotanica is the property of Polish Botanical Society / Polskie Towarzystwo Botaniczne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)