Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025
10:29
Measuring Gene Expression in Bombarded Barley Aleurone Layers with Increased Throughput
Published on: March 30, 2018
6.5K
Drought-Stress-Related Reprogramming of Gene Expression in Barley Involves Differential Histone Modifications at
Charlotte Ost1, Hieu Xuan Cao2, Thuy Linh Nguyen1
1Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, 06120 Halle, Germany.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|August 12, 2023
Summary
Barley plants subjected to drought exhibit significant gene expression changes, particularly in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways. Epigenetic modifications like H3K9 acetylation are sensitive drought indicators, revealing key regulatory genes involved in plant stress response.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Plants activate complex gene expression programs to survive environmental stresses like drought.
- The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is a critical signaling molecule in drought response.
- Understanding these responses at epigenetic and transcriptomic levels is crucial for crop improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epigenome and transcriptome-level drought responses in barley (Hordeum vulgare).
- To identify genes modified by euchromatic marks (H3K4me3, H3K9ac) during drought stress.
- To correlate epigenetic changes with gene expression and ABA signaling pathways.
Main Methods:
- Drought treatment applied to barley plants (cv. Morex) for ten days.
- Measurement of physiological parameters: chlorophyll content and photosystem II efficiency.
- Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) to identify H3K4me3 and H3K9ac modifications.
- Differential gene expression analysis.
Main Results:
- Drought reduced chlorophyll content and photosystem II efficiency by approximately 10%.
- Drought-induced genes (e.g., HvS40, HvA1) were observed.
- H3K9 acetylation (2008 genes) was more sensitive to drought than H3K4 trimethylation (129 genes).
- A significant proportion of epigenetically modified and induced genes are involved in ABA signaling, including two protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) family members.
Conclusions:
- H3K9ac is a sensitive epigenetic marker for drought stress in barley.
- Epigenetic reprogramming, particularly H3K9ac, plays a key role in drought-induced gene expression.
- ABA signaling pathway genes, including PP2Cs, are significantly regulated by drought at both epigenetic and transcriptomic levels.
Related Concept Videos
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
25.7K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
25.7K
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
10.7K
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.
10.7K
02:04Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata
28.4K
During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.
28.4K
01:17Gene Regulation During Sporulation
34
Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
34
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
13.2K
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.
13.2K
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
13.6K
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.
13.6K