About this Research Topic

Background

Plants initiate tissues or organs in response to endogenous and environmental cues. Although transcription factors play essential roles in controlling plant growth and development, epigenetic factors affect gene expression by modifying DNA and histone tails or by exchanging histone variants in nucleosomes. Non-coding RNAs, including small RNAs and long non-coding RNAs, are additional epigenetic factors that silence target genes transcriptionally or post transcriptionally. Recent years have witnessed a rapid progress in epigenetic regulation of plant development; however, these studies were mainly focused on a few developmental processes.

This Research Topic aims to gather studies that elucidate molecular mechanisms by which epigenetic factors cooperate with endogenous and environmental cues to mediate plant development. Together with functional analyses and omics studies, we hope to better understand how DNA modifications, modifications on several important histone 3 residues (such as lysine 27, lysine 4, lysine 9), exchange of histone variants, and non-coding RNA are involved in regulating plant root, leaf, and flower development and developmental phase transitions associated with production of different organs. With this, the field will gain insights into how epigenetic factors affect traits in agronomic or horticultural plants.

This Research Topic will cover a broad range of studies on epigenetic regulation of plant development; therefore, we invite submissions of any types of manuscripts related to epigenetic research in plant development, including Original Research, Methods, Hypothesis & Theory, Review, Mini Review, Perspective, or Opinion. We encourage contributions related to research in model plants (Arabidopsis and rice) and horticultural crops (e.g., vegetables, fruits, wheat, maize, soybean, plum, Chrysanthemum).

This collection welcomes, but is not limited to, the following subtopics:

• Research articles or (mini) reviews on how plant development is regulated by DNA modifications or histone modifications towards a better understanding of how plants respond to endogenous and environmental cues and make changes. Work on how DNA modifications, histone modifications, and histone variant exchange regulate development in model and horticultural plants.
• Research articles or (mini) reviews on how non-coding RNAs affect plant growth and development. Non-coding RNAs, including small RNA and long non-coding RNA is a group of RNAs that silence target genes. Non-coding RNA signaling pathways or characterizing new functions of known non-coding RNAs in plant development are welcome.

Please note that submissions of descriptive collections of transcripts without relevant functional characterization of differentially expressed transcripts are outside the scope of the journal and will not be considered for review.

Image: GUS staining of SPL9_pro:SPL9-GUS reporter construct in transgenic Arabidopsis. SPL9 is subject to epigenetic regulation. Credit: Mingli Xu.

Keywords: DNA modification, Histone modification, miRNA, long non-coding RNA, Plant development

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