The cultivated potato Solanum tuberosum subsp. tuberosum L. retains an important reservoir of genetic diversity in its secondary gene pool. More than 100 wild species of potato, with ploidies from 2x to 6x, grow in the Americas. These species are adapted to contrasting environments, showing wide phenotypic diversity in leaf, floral, and tuber morphology. The taxonomic relationship among species is not clear, mainly due to little chromosomal differentiation and pervasive interspecific hybridization. This review summarizes data from more than 20 years of studies on genetic and epigenetic variability of potato species, highlighting the importance of epigenetic variability, hybridization, and polyploidization in the evolution and diversification of this group. The epigenetic diversity of these species remains poorly characterized. This review addresses the ecological implications of epigenetic variation, emphasizing its role in plant adaptation to changing environments. Finally, the study proposes a model that integrates epigenetic variability into the evolution of natural potato populations, highlighting its potential for rapid adaptation and phenotypic differentiation.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/plb.70003 | DOI Listing |
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) describes the process whereby distinct epigenetic states are transmitted between generations, resulting in heritable gene expression and phenotypic differences that are independent of DNA sequence variation. Chromatin modifications have been demonstrated to be important in TEI; however, the extent to which they require other signals to establish and maintain epigenetic states is still unclear. Here we investigate whether small non-coding RNAs contribute to different epigenetic states of the Fab2L transgene in triggered by transient long-range chromosomal contacts, which requires Polycomb complex activity to deposit the H3K27me3 modification for long-term TEI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Behav Immun
March 2025
Center for Healthy Aging, Penn State University, United States; Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State University, United States; Population Research Institute, Penn State University, United States.
Introduction: Chronological age is a particularly well-known indicator of variability in systemic inflammation. Other pertinent aspects of age (or "age proxies") - subjective or epigenetic age - may offer nuanced information about age and inflammation associations. Using the Midlife in the United States Study, we explored how chronological, subjective, and epigenetic age were associated with inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMult Scler Relat Disord
February 2025
Laboratorio de Neuroinmunobiología Molecular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas (IICB), Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Electronic address:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex, neurodegenerative and autoimmune disease with a multifactorial etiology. Epigenetic changes can influence the onset and development of the disease, and miRNAs, small RNAs that play a key role in post-transcriptional gene regulation, act as important modulators of the inflammatory process and the central nervous system´s response. The objective of this work is to compare and identify the expression of the miR-143/145 cluster, namely miR-143-5p and miR-145-5p.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenomics
March 2025
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Background: Immigrant status and citizenship influence health and well-being, yet their associations with DNA methylation (DNAm)-based biomarkers of aging - key predictors of healthspan and lifespan, also known as epigenetic aging - remain underexplored.
Methods: Using a representative sample of 2,336 United States (U.S.
The pace of aging varies between individuals and is marked by changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) including an increase in randomness or entropy. Here, we computed epigenetic scores of aging and entropy using DNAm datasets from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). We investigated how different epigenetic aging metrics relate to demographic and health variables, and mortality risk.
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