Climate Resilient Crops: Epigenetics Mechanisms of Plant Stress Tolerance

Dear Colleagues,

Changing climate has seriously hampered crop productivity. Biotic (such as weeds, insects, and fungi) and abiotic (such as temperature, drought, salinity, heavy metals, etc.) stresses seriously impact crop yield. To combat the harmful effects of these stresses, plants trigger a network of regulatory elements that regulate the expression of genes involved in plant tolerance against these stresses. Epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, histone variants, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs, act as major drivers for the regulation of gene expression in plants. Epigenetic marks not only play an active role in the plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses by controlling the expression of several resistance genes but also provide a mechanistic basis for stress memory, which helps plants to respond more efficiently to recurring stress and prepare offspring for potential future stress. Therefore, it is important to understand how different epigenetic modifications regulate the expression of genes essential for sustainable crop production and tolerance to biotic and abiotic challenges. Identifying epigenetic modifiers in crop plants that are important for crop yield and tolerance against stresses is also highly desirable.

Authors are invited to submit all types of articles (original research, methods, opinions, and reviews) with a focus on producing climate resilient crops using model or crop plants. Areas to be covered in this Special Issue may include, but are not limited to:

• Epigenetics/epigenomics modifications and their role in plant stress tolerance
• In silico analysis, and genomic identification of epigenetic modifiers in plants
• Epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression regulation in plants

Dr. Sarfraz Shafiq
Dr. Emilie Widemann
Guest Editors

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• plants
• epigenetics modifications
• DNA methylation
• histone modifications
• chromatin remodeling
• non-coding RNA
• gene expression
• biotic stresses
• abiotic stresses