Experimental DNA Demethylation Associates with Changes in Growth and Gene Expression of Oak Tree Seedlings.

Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, where methyl groups are added to cytosine base pairs, have the potential to impact phenotypic variation and gene expression, and could influence plant response to changing environments. One way to test this impact is through the application of chemical demethylation agents, such as 5-Azacytidine, which inhibit DNA methylation and lead to a partial reduction in DNA methylation across the genome. In this study, we treated 5-month-old seedlings of the tree, , with foliar application of 5-Azacytidine to test whether a reduction in genome-wide methylation would cause differential gene expression and change phenotypic development.