Wei Tong-Lu, Wan Yu-Tong, Liu Hai-Nan, Pei Mao-Song, He Guang-Qi, Guo Da-Long
College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China.
Henan Engineering Technology Research Center of Quality Regulation of Horticultural Plants, Luoyang 471023, China.
Hortic Res. 2024 Oct 14;12(1):uhae285. doi: 10.1093/hr/uhae285. eCollection 2025 Jan.
DNA methylation is a stable epigenetic mark that plays a crucial role in plant life processes. However, the specific functions of DNA methylation in grape berry development remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on 'Kyoho' grape and its early-ripening bud mutant 'Fengzao' at different developmental stages. Our results revealed that transposons (TEs) and gene flanking regions exhibited high levels of methylation, particularly in 'Fengzao', attributed to CHH site methylation. Interestingly, the methylation patterns in these two cultivars showed distinct dynamics during berry development. While methylation levels of genes and TEs increased gradually in 'Kyoho' throughout berry development, 'Fengzao' did not display consistent changes. Notably, 'Fengzao' exhibited higher methylation levels in promoters compared to 'Kyoho', suggesting that hypermethylation of promoters may contribute to its early ripening phenotype. Integration of methylome and transcriptome data highlighted differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and expressed genes (DEGs) associated with secondary metabolite biosynthesis, with 38 genes identified as potential candidates involved in grape berry development. Furthermore, the study identified a jasmonate-induced oxygenase gene () as a negative regulator of ripening in and grapes, indicating that hypermethylation of may play a role in the early ripening of 'Fengzao'. Overall, our findings provide insights into the distinct DNA methylation patterns during grape berry development, shedding light on the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying the early-ripening bud mutant.
DNA甲基化是一种稳定的表观遗传标记，在植物生命过程中起着关键作用。然而，DNA甲基化在葡萄果实发育中的具体功能仍 largely未知。在本研究中，我们对‘巨峰’葡萄及其早熟芽变品种‘峰早’在不同发育阶段进行了全基因组亚硫酸氢盐测序。我们的结果表明，转座子（TEs）和基因侧翼区域表现出高水平的甲基化，尤其是在‘峰早’中，这归因于CHH位点甲基化。有趣的是，这两个品种在果实发育过程中的甲基化模式表现出明显的动态变化。在‘巨峰’整个果实发育过程中，基因和TEs的甲基化水平逐渐增加，而‘峰早’则没有表现出一致的变化。值得注意的是，与‘巨峰’相比，‘峰早’在启动子区域表现出更高的甲基化水平，这表明启动子的高甲基化可能有助于其早熟表型。甲基化组和转录组数据的整合突出了与次生代谢物生物合成相关的差异甲基化基因（DMGs）和表达基因（DEGs），其中38个基因被确定为参与葡萄果实发育的潜在候选基因。此外，该研究确定了一个茉莉酸诱导的加氧酶基因（）作为和葡萄成熟的负调控因子，这表明的高甲基化可能在‘峰早’的早熟中起作用。总体而言，我们的研究结果为葡萄果实发育过程中独特的DNA甲基化模式提供了见解，揭示了早熟芽变品种潜在的表观遗传调控机制。
