DNA demethylation strategies and targets in crops

Epigenetic mechanisms regulate a range of fundamental biological processes and contribute to the control of gene expression and genome stability in response to changing environmental conditions. Methylation of cytosines is a key epigenetic mark, which is found in all higher eukaryotes. The project aims to use recombinant technologies to alter DNA methylation and demethylation functions. Proof-of-concept work in Arabidopsis will be applied to tomato, in collaboration with a large breeding company, to exploit DNA methylation changes in order to enhance epigenetic diversity facilitating the adaptation of crops to quickly changing environmental conditions.
The project combines the interest of the academic partner in developing demethylation strategies to identify methylation targets, with the interest of the industrial collaborator to exploit demethylation to introduce epigenetic variation.The project will provide a comprehensive training programme in molecular biology (cloning, RT-PCR, high throughput RNA profiling, restriction based and bisulphite methylation analysis), plant breeding (transformation, tissue culture) and physiology (analysis of plant phenotype, health and growth performance).