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Updated: May 11, 2026
08:10
Environmentally Induced Heritable Changes in Flax
Published on: January 27, 2011
Transgeneration memory of stress in plants
Jean Molinier1, Gerhard Ries, Cyril Zipfel
1Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
Nature
|August 8, 2006
Summary
Environmental stress can induce lasting genomic changes in plants. These changes, including enhanced homologous recombination, are passed to offspring even without continued stress, potentially aiding adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Genetics
- Environmental science
Background:
- Plants face environmental stresses like light, water, salt, temperature, and pathogens.
- Stress can alter plant physiology and genome, but transgenerational inheritance of genomic changes was unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if stress-induced genomic changes in plants are heritable across generations.
- To determine if environmental factors can increase genomic flexibility in subsequent, untreated generations.
Main Methods:
- Arabidopsis thaliana were treated with ultraviolet-C radiation or flagellin.
- Somatic homologous recombination in a transgenic reporter was measured.
- Heritability of recombination changes through maternal and paternal lines was assessed.
Main Results:
- Ultraviolet-C or flagellin treatment increased somatic homologous recombination.
- Increased recombination levels persisted in subsequent, untreated generations.
- This epigenetic trait was transmitted maternally and paternally and was dominant.
Conclusions:
- Environmental factors induce genomic flexibility that persists across generations.
- This heritable hyper-recombination state may enhance plant adaptation potential.
- Genomic changes are not dependent on the continued presence of the stress or the transgenic allele.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Transcription
Overview
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
01:27Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Stress is a multifaceted response to events perceived as challenging or threatening, highlighting physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions. Physically, stress can lead to fatigue, sleep disruptions, and various health issues such as frequent colds, chest pains, and nausea. Emotionally, it can manifest as anxiety, depression, irritability, and anger triggered by both minor and major life events. Cognitively, it may result in difficulty in concentration, memory, and...
01:20Psychological Responses to Stress
Psychological responses to stress encompass the various cognitive and emotional reactions individuals experience when faced with challenging or threatening situations, such as a job loss. Prolonged exposure to stressors can disturb emotional balance, increasing negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and sadness) and diminishing positive emotions (e.g., joy and satisfaction). These persistent emotional shifts are associated with an increased risk of both physical illness and mental health issues, such...