Dear colleagues,

Biology Thursday seminar will continue this week with an on-site seminar by Prof. Carl Gunnar Fossdal from the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research NIBIO, on
“Epigenetic memory of the temperature conditions in Norway spruce and Woodland strawberry” (abstract below).

The seminar will take place in room MA335, at 12:15 on 23^rd March and will be hosted by Emmi Alakärppä.

For more on Prof. Fossdal’s research, see: https://www.nibio.no/en/employees/carl-gunnar-fossdal

See you in the seminar,

Heikki

Epigenetic memory induced by elevated temperature conditions in the Gymnosperm Norway spruce and the Angiosperm Woodland strawberry

Igor Yakovlev¹, Yupeng Zhang¹, Marcos Viejo Somoano², Paal Krokene¹, Paul Grini⁴, Jorunn Elisabeth Olsen³, Carl Gunnar Fossdal¹

¹ Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Ås, NORWAY ²University of Santiago de Compostela, Department of Functional Biology, SPAIN ³Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Ås, NORWAY ⁴Norwegian Food Research Institute, Department of Breeding and genetics, Ås, NORWAY ^4. EVOGENE, Department of Biosciences University of Oslo, Norway

Elevated temperature sum during asexual and sexual propagation induce a lasting impact on the phenotype resulting in the formation of epitypes (i.e genetically alike but phenotypically different plants) in the gymnosperm Norway spruce and angiosperm Woodland strawberry.  To understand how epigenetic mechanisms may shape phenotypic variation we probed if epigenetic memory involves stable DNA methylation marks (i.e. epitype differences) changes through the annual cycle. Well-defined clonal epitypes with a stable epigenetic memory of the temperature sum experienced during embryogenesis were used. In these, the epigenetic memory is retained year after year and affects the timing of bud set, frost tolerance and bud burst significantly between epitypes. The DNA methylation pattern differences in the two epitypes over the annual cycle was studied. There were large methylation differences for specific genes, indicating specific epigenetic mark changes. Some genes were stably differential methylated for months. Two ARGONAUTE-like genes were differentially methylated between epitypes throughout entire yearly cycle in an epitype specific manner. The differences between Norway spruce epitypes is also associated with significant transcriptional change, including differentially expression of small RNAs. Similarly, we observed indications of an epigenetic memory response to temperature change during reproduction in five Woodland strawberry ecotypes (observed as altered flowering time, stolon production and petiole length under common garden conditions), this response was detected in some of the ecotypes studied. However, significant methylome and transcriptome changes were induced by temperature conditions during asexual reproduction in Woodland strawberry for all ecotypes.

===============================================

Heikki Helanterä

Professor

Ekologian ja genetiikan tutkimusyksikkö / Ecology and Genetics Research Unit

Oulun Yliopisto / University of Oulu / Finland

heikki.helantera@oulu.fi
+358-40-7507 334