Chromatin features and epigenetic-mediated mechanisms in Helianthus annuus L. in the climate change scenario

Abstract

Drought as a major abiotic stress induces numerous, complex responses in plant cells. Those include gene expression alteration, accumulation of different metabolites, and synthesis of specific proteins. At molecular level, changes are under the control of complex regulatory pathways that include epigenetic mechanisms responsible for suitable and fast reactions to newly occurring stress conditions. Epigenetic modifications cause gene expression alteration through histone posttranscriptional modifications, DNA methylation, and small RNAs and lncRNAs expression. Some of these epigenetic modifications might pass on to the next generation, thus providing a good basis for a quicker response to drought stress. Revealing the epigenetic memory mechanisms involved in stress response could be of use in breeding programs for a prompt adaptation of plants to stress conditions. In the contest of the Cropinno project, funded under the Europe Horizon Programme, our aim is to develop an exploratory research project dedicated to the implementation of multi-omics tools for increasing the climate resilience of sunflowers.