Chemical modification of nucleotide bases in DNA provides one mechanism for conveying
information in addition to the genetic code. 5-methylcytosine (5mC) represents the most …

Reproductive tissues are a rich source of small RNAs, including several classes of short
interfering (si) RNAs that are restricted to this stage of development. In addition to RNA …

A contribution of DNA methylation to defense against invading nucleic acids and
maintenance of genome integrity is uncontested; however, our understanding of the extent …

Background DNA methylation can provide a source of heritable information that is
sometimes entirely uncoupled from genetic variation. However, the extent of this uncoupling …

DNA methylation is a ubiquitous chromatin feature, present in 25% of cytosines in the maize
genome, but variation and evolution of the methylation landscape during maize …

Plant breeding relies on crossing-over to create novel combinations of alleles needed to
confer increased productivity and other desired traits in new varieties. However, crossover …

Demethylation of transposons can activate the expression of nearby genes and cause
imprinted gene expression in the endosperm; this demethylation is hypothesized to lead to …

The CMT2 and RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathways have been proposed to
separately maintain CHH methylation in specific regions of the Arabidopsis thaliana …

Transposable elements (TEs) are self-replicating DNA elements that constitute major
fractions of eukaryote genomes. Their ability to transpose can modify the genome structure …

Abstract N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in mRNA and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in DNA have
critical functions for regulating gene expression and modulating plant growth and …