Mapping the epigenetic basis of complex traits

Sandra Cortijo; René Wardenaar; Maria Colomé-Tatché; Arthur Gilly; Mathilde Etcheverry; Karine Labadie; Erwann Caillieux; Fréderic Hospital; Jean Marc Aury; Patrick Wincker; François Roudier; Ritsert C. Jansen; Vincent Colot; Frank Johannes

doi:10.1126/science.1248127

Mapping the epigenetic basis of complex traits

Sandra Cortijo, René Wardenaar, Maria Colomé-Tatché, Arthur Gilly, Mathilde Etcheverry, Karine Labadie, Erwann Caillieux, Fréderic Hospital, Jean Marc Aury, Patrick Wincker, François Roudier, Ritsert C. Jansen, Vincent Colot, Frank Johannes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

385 Scopus citations

Abstract

Quantifying the impact of heritable epigenetic variation on complex traits is an emerging challenge in population genetics. Here, we analyze a population of isogenic Arabidopsis lines that segregate experimentally induced DNA methylation changes at hundreds of regions across the genome. We demonstrate that several of these differentially methylated regions (DMRs) act as bona fide epigenetic quantitative trait loci (QTL^epi), accounting for 60 to 90% of the heritability for two complex traits, flowering time and primary root length. These QTL^epi are reproducible and can be subjected to artificial selection. Many of the experimentally induced DMRs are also variable in natural populations of this species and may thus provide an epigenetic basis for Darwinian evolution independently of DNA sequence changes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1145-1148
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	343
Issue number	6175
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1248127
State	Published - 2014
Externally published	Yes

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abstract = "Quantifying the impact of heritable epigenetic variation on complex traits is an emerging challenge in population genetics. Here, we analyze a population of isogenic Arabidopsis lines that segregate experimentally induced DNA methylation changes at hundreds of regions across the genome. We demonstrate that several of these differentially methylated regions (DMRs) act as bona fide epigenetic quantitative trait loci (QTLepi), accounting for 60 to 90% of the heritability for two complex traits, flowering time and primary root length. These QTLepi are reproducible and can be subjected to artificial selection. Many of the experimentally induced DMRs are also variable in natural populations of this species and may thus provide an epigenetic basis for Darwinian evolution independently of DNA sequence changes.",

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AU - Cortijo, Sandra

AU - Wardenaar, René

AU - Colomé-Tatché, Maria

AU - Gilly, Arthur

AU - Etcheverry, Mathilde

AU - Labadie, Karine

AU - Caillieux, Erwann

AU - Hospital, Fréderic

AU - Aury, Jean Marc

AU - Wincker, Patrick

AU - Roudier, François

AU - Jansen, Ritsert C.

AU - Colot, Vincent

AU - Johannes, Frank

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Quantifying the impact of heritable epigenetic variation on complex traits is an emerging challenge in population genetics. Here, we analyze a population of isogenic Arabidopsis lines that segregate experimentally induced DNA methylation changes at hundreds of regions across the genome. We demonstrate that several of these differentially methylated regions (DMRs) act as bona fide epigenetic quantitative trait loci (QTLepi), accounting for 60 to 90% of the heritability for two complex traits, flowering time and primary root length. These QTLepi are reproducible and can be subjected to artificial selection. Many of the experimentally induced DMRs are also variable in natural populations of this species and may thus provide an epigenetic basis for Darwinian evolution independently of DNA sequence changes.

AB - Quantifying the impact of heritable epigenetic variation on complex traits is an emerging challenge in population genetics. Here, we analyze a population of isogenic Arabidopsis lines that segregate experimentally induced DNA methylation changes at hundreds of regions across the genome. We demonstrate that several of these differentially methylated regions (DMRs) act as bona fide epigenetic quantitative trait loci (QTLepi), accounting for 60 to 90% of the heritability for two complex traits, flowering time and primary root length. These QTLepi are reproducible and can be subjected to artificial selection. Many of the experimentally induced DMRs are also variable in natural populations of this species and may thus provide an epigenetic basis for Darwinian evolution independently of DNA sequence changes.

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Mapping the epigenetic basis of complex traits

Abstract

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