C2-mediated decrease in DNA methylation, accumulation of siRNAs, and increase in expression for genes involved in defense pathways in plants infected with beet severe curly top virus.

Cytosine methylation is one of epigenetic information marked on the DNA sequence. In plants, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) target homologous genomic DNA sequences for cytosine methylation. This process, known as RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), plays an important role in transposon control, regulation of gene expression and virus resistance.