Epimutations Define a Fast-Ticking Molecular Clock in Plants

Nan Yao, Robert J. Schmitz, Frank Johannes

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Stochastic gains and losses of DNA methylation at CG dinucleotides are a frequent occurrence in plants. These spontaneous ‘epimutations’ occur at a rate that is 100 000 times higher than the genetic mutation rate, are effectively neutral at the genome-wide scale, and are stably inherited across mitotic and meiotic cell divisions. Mathematical models have been extraordinarily successful at describing how epimutations accumulate in plant genomes over time, making this process one of the most predictable epigenetic phenomena to date. Here, we propose that their high rate and effective neutrality make epimutations a powerful new molecular clock for timing evolutionary events of the recent past and for age dating of long-lived perennials such as trees.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)699-710
Number of pages12
JournalTrends in Genetics
Volume37
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2021

Keywords

  • DNA methylation
  • aging
  • epimutations
  • evolution
  • molecular clock
  • phylogenetics

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