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The Epigenetic Regulation of Agronomic Traits and Environmental Adaptability in Brassicas
Daolei Zhang1,2,3, Yin Lu1, Wei Ma1
1State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Hebei, Ministry of Education of China-Hebei Province Joint Innovation Center for Efficient Green Vegetable Industry, International Joint R & D Center of Hebei Province in Modern Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, College of Horticulture, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China.
Abstract:
As essential sources of vegetables, oilseeds, and forage, Brassica crops exhibit complex epigenetic regulation mechanisms involving histone modifications, DNA modifications, RNA modifications, noncoding RNAs, and chromatin remodelling. The agronomic traits and environmental adaptability of crops are regulated by both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, while epigenetic variation can affect plant phenotypes without changing gene sequences. Furthermore, the impact of epigenetic modifications on plant phenotype has accelerated the crop breeding process. This review highlights the epigenetic mechanisms underlying agronomic and stress-related traits in Brassica crops, while systematically identifying and categorising RNA modification-associated proteins within these species. We further propose an innovative strategy for improving Brassica crops yield through epigenome editing technology. Finally, we discuss the prospects and challenges for the future application of epigenetics-mediated crop breeding (epibreeding) strategies in Brassica crops.
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Transcription
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.
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