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12 pages, 2339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genomic Prediction across Structured Hybrid Populations and Environments in Maize

by Dongdong Li, Zhenxiang Xu, Riliang Gu, Pingxi Wang, Jialiang Xu, Dengxiang Du, Junjie Fu, Jianhua Wang, Hongwei Zhang and Guoying Wang

Plants 2021, 10(6), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061174 - 9 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2232

Abstract

Genomic prediction (GP) across different populations and environments should be enhanced to increase the efficiency of crop breeding. In this study, four populations were constructed and genotyped with DNA chips containing 55,000 SNPs. These populations were testcrossed to a common tester, generating four [...] Read more.

Genomic prediction (GP) across different populations and environments should be enhanced to increase the efficiency of crop breeding. In this study, four populations were constructed and genotyped with DNA chips containing 55,000 SNPs. These populations were testcrossed to a common tester, generating four hybrid populations. Yields of the four hybrid populations were evaluated in three environments. We demonstrated by using real data that the prediction accuracies of GP across structured hybrid populations were lower than those of within-population GP. Including relatives of the validation population in the training population could increase the prediction accuracies of GP across structured hybrid populations drastically. G × E models (including main and genotype-by-environment effect) had better performance than single environment (within environment) and across environment (including only main effect) GP models in the structured hybrid population, especially in the environment where yields had higher heritability. GP by implementing G × E models in two cross-validation schemes indicated that, to increase the prediction accuracy of a new hybrid line, it would be better to field-test the hybrid line in at least one environment. Our results would be helpful for designing training population and planning field testing in hybrid breeding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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16 pages, 3827 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Association and Prediction of Male and Female Floral Hybrid Potential Traits in Elite Spring Bread Wheat Genotypes

by Samira El Hanafi, Souad Cherkaoui, Zakaria Kehel, Ayed Al-Abdallat and Wuletaw Tadesse

Plants 2021, 10(5), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050895 - 29 Apr 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2714

Abstract

Hybrid wheat breeding is one of the most promising technologies for further sustainable yield increases. However, the cleistogamous nature of wheat displays a major bottleneck for a successful hybrid breeding program. Thus, an optimized breeding strategy by developing appropriate parental lines with favorable [...] Read more.

Hybrid wheat breeding is one of the most promising technologies for further sustainable yield increases. However, the cleistogamous nature of wheat displays a major bottleneck for a successful hybrid breeding program. Thus, an optimized breeding strategy by developing appropriate parental lines with favorable floral trait combinations is the best way to enhance the outcrossing ability. This study, therefore, aimed to dissect the genetic basis of various floral traits using genome-wide association study (GWAS) and to assess the potential of genome-wide prediction (GP) for anther extrusion (AE), visual anther extrusion (VAE), pollen mass (PM), pollen shedding (PSH), pollen viability (PV), anther length (AL), openness of the flower (OPF), duration of floret opening (DFO) and stigma length. To this end, we employed 196 ICARDA spring bread wheat lines evaluated for three years and genotyped with 10,477 polymorphic SNP. In total, 70 significant markers were identified associated to the various assessed traits at FDR ≤ 0.05 contributing a minor to large proportion of the phenotypic variance (8–26.9%), affecting the traits either positively or negatively. GWAS revealed multi-marker-based associations among AE, VAE, PM, OPF and DFO, most likely linked markers, suggesting a potential genomic region controlling the genetic association of these complex traits. Of these markers, Kukri_rep_c103359_233 and wsnp_Ex_rep_c107911_91350930 deserve particular attention. The consistently significant markers with large effect could be useful for marker-assisted selection. Genomic selection revealed medium to high prediction accuracy ranging between 52% and 92% for the assessed traits with the least and maximum value observed for stigma length and visual anther extrusion, respectively. This indicates the feasibility to implement genomic selection to predict the performance of hybrid floral traits with high reliability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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17 pages, 3565 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Versatile Peroxidase from the Fungus Bjerkandera adusta Confers Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

by Nancy Sofia Hernández-Bueno, Ramón Suárez-Rodríguez, Edgar Balcázar-López, Jorge Luis Folch-Mallol, José Augusto Ramírez-Trujillo and Gabriel Iturriaga

Plants 2021, 10(5), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050859 - 23 Apr 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2642

Abstract

White-rot fungi are efficient lignin degraders due to the secretion of lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, laccase, and versatile peroxidase (VP) on decayed wood. The VP is a high-redox-potential enzyme and could be used to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS), which accumulate in plants [...] Read more.

White-rot fungi are efficient lignin degraders due to the secretion of lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, laccase, and versatile peroxidase (VP) on decayed wood. The VP is a high-redox-potential enzyme and could be used to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS), which accumulate in plants during biotic and abiotic stresses. We cloned the VP gene and expressed it via the Agrobacterium transformation procedure in transgenic tobacco plants to assay their tolerance to different abiotic stress conditions. Thirty independent T₂ transgenic VP lines overexpressing the fungal Bjerkandera adustaVP gene were selected on kanamycin. The VP22, VP24, and VP27 lines showed significant manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity. The highest was VP22, which showed 10.87-fold more manganese peroxidase activity than the wild-type plants and led to a 34% increase in plant height and 28% more biomass. The VP22, VP24, and VP27 lines showed enhanced tolerance to drought, 200 mM NaCl, and 400 mM sorbitol. Also, these transgenics displayed significant tolerance to methyl viologen, an active oxygen-generating compound. The present data indicate that overproducing the VP gene in plants increases significantly their biomass and the abiotic stress tolerance. The VP enzyme is an effective biotechnological tool to protect organisms against ROS. In transgenic tobacco plants, it improves drought, salt, and oxidative stress tolerance. Thus, the VP gene represents a great potential for obtaining stress-tolerant crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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13 pages, 2567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Overexpression of Type 1 and 2 Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase Genes (JcDGAT1 and JcDGAT2) Enhances Oil Production in the Woody Perennial Biofuel Plant Jatropha curcas

by Tian-Tian Zhang, Huiying He, Chuan-Jia Xu, Qiantang Fu, Yan-Bin Tao, Ronghua Xu and Zeng-Fu Xu

Plants 2021, 10(4), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040699 - 5 Apr 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2461

Abstract

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) is the only enzyme that catalyzes the acyl-CoA-dependent acylation of sn-1, 2-diacylglycerol (DAG) to form triacylglycerol (TAG). The two main types of DGAT enzymes in the woody perennial biofuel plant Jatropha curcas, JcDGAT1 and JcDGAT2, were previously characterized only [...] Read more.

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) is the only enzyme that catalyzes the acyl-CoA-dependent acylation of sn-1, 2-diacylglycerol (DAG) to form triacylglycerol (TAG). The two main types of DGAT enzymes in the woody perennial biofuel plant Jatropha curcas, JcDGAT1 and JcDGAT2, were previously characterized only in heterologous systems. In this study, we investigated the functions of JcDGAT1 and JcDGAT2 in J. curcas.JcDGAT1 and JcDGAT2 were found to be predominantly expressed during the late stages of J. curcas seed development, in which large amounts of oil accumulated. As expected, overexpression of JcDGAT1 or JcDGAT2 under the control of the CaMV35S promoter gave rise to an increase in seed kernel oil production, reaching a content of 53.7% and 55.7% of the seed kernel dry weight, respectively, which were respectively 25% and 29.6% higher than that of control plants. The increase in seed oil content was accompanied by decreases in the contents of protein and soluble sugars in the seeds. Simultaneously, there was a two- to four-fold higher leaf TAG content in transgenic plants than in control plants. Moreover, by analysis of the fatty acid (FA) profiles, we found that JcDGAT1 and JcDGAT2 had the same substrate specificity with preferences for C18:2 in seed TAGs, and C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1 in leaf TAGs. Therefore, our study confirms the important role of JcDGAT1 and JcDGAT2 in regulating oil production in J. curcas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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17 pages, 1915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

QTL Mapping for Gummy Stem Blight Resistance in Watermelon (Citrullus spp.)

by Eun Su Lee, Do-Sun Kim, Sang Gyu Kim, Yun-Chan Huh, Chang-Gi Back, Ye-Rin Lee, Muhammad Irfan Siddique, Koeun Han, Hye-Eun Lee and Jundae Lee

Plants 2021, 10(3), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030500 - 8 Mar 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3122

Abstract

Watermelon (Citrulluslanatus) is an economically important fruit crop worldwide. Gummy stem blight (GSB) is one of the most damaging diseases encountered during watermelon cultivation. In the present study, we identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with GSB resistance in an [...] Read more.

Watermelon (Citrulluslanatus) is an economically important fruit crop worldwide. Gummy stem blight (GSB) is one of the most damaging diseases encountered during watermelon cultivation. In the present study, we identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with GSB resistance in an F₂ population derived from a cross between maternal-susceptible line ‘920533’ (C. lanatus) and the paternal-resistant line ‘PI 189225’ (C. amarus). The resistance of 178 F₂ plants was assessed by two different evaluation methods, including leaf lesion (LL) and stem blight (SB). To analyze the QTLs associated with GSB resistance, a linkage map was constructed covering a total genetic distance of 1070.2 cM. QTL analysis detected three QTLs associated with GSB resistance on chromosome 8 and 6. Among them, two QTLs, qLL8.1 and qSB8.1 on chromosome 8 identified as major QTLs, explaining 10.5 and 10.0% of the phenotypic variations localizing at same area and sharing the same top markers for both LL and SB traits, respectively. A minor QTL, qSB6.1, explains 9.7% of phenotypic variations detected on chromosome 6 only for the SB trait. High-throughput markers were developed and validated for the selection of resistant QTLs using watermelon accessions, and commercial cultivars. Four potential candidate genes were predicted associated with GSB resistance based on the physical location of flanking markers on chromosome 8. These findings will be helpful for the development of watermelon cultivars resistant to GSB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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14 pages, 7548 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of Sexual-Linked Genes (OGI and MeGI) on the Performance of Androecious Persimmons (Diospyros kaki Thunb.)

by Liyuan Wang, Weijuan Han, Songfeng Diao, Yujing Suo, Huawei Li, Yini Mai, Yiru Wang, Peng Sun and Jianmin Fu

Plants 2021, 10(2), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020390 - 18 Feb 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2430

Abstract

It is reported that the production of floral sexual phenotype in hexaploid monoecious persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is closely related to a pseudogene called OGI, and a short interspersed nuclear element (SINE)-like insertion (named Kali) in the OGI promoter leads [...] Read more.

It is reported that the production of floral sexual phenotype in hexaploid monoecious persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is closely related to a pseudogene called OGI, and a short interspersed nuclear element (SINE)-like insertion (named Kali) in the OGI promoter leads to the gene silence. As a result, DNA methylation level of MeGI promoter determines the development of male or female flowers. However, the molecular mechanism in androecious D. kaki, which only bear male flowers, remains elusive. Here, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), molecular cloning, and bisulfite PCR sequencing technique were carried out using 87 materials, including 56 androecious resources, 15 monoecious, and 16 gynoecious cultivars, to investigate the performance of OGI and MeGI on the specific androecious type of D. kaki in China. In conclusion, the Kali insertion was exactly located in the OGI promoter region, and the OGI gene and the Kali sequence were existing and conserved in androecious D. kaki. Meanwhile, we also demonstrated that the MeGI gene was widespread in our investigated samples. Ultimately, our result convincingly provided evidence that the low expression of OGI is probably ascribed to the presence of Kali displaying strong methylation in the OGI promoter, and low expression of MeGI, as well as high DNA methylation level, in the promoter was closely connected with the production of male flowers; this result was consistent with the monoecious persimmon model. Our findings provide predominant genetic aspects for investigation into androecious D. kaki, and future perfecting the sex-determining mechanisms in persimmon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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16 pages, 4328 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Basis of Tiller Dynamics of Rice Revealed by Genome-Wide Association Studies

by Shuyu Zhao, Su Jang, Yoon Kyung Lee, Dong-Gwan Kim, Zhengxun Jin and Hee-Jong Koh

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1695; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121695 - 2 Dec 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4905

Abstract

A tiller number is the key determinant of rice plant architecture and panicle number and consequently controls grain yield. Thus, it is necessary to optimize the tiller number to achieve the maximum yield in rice. However, comprehensive analyses of the genetic basis of [...] Read more.

A tiller number is the key determinant of rice plant architecture and panicle number and consequently controls grain yield. Thus, it is necessary to optimize the tiller number to achieve the maximum yield in rice. However, comprehensive analyses of the genetic basis of the tiller number, considering the development stage, tiller type, and related traits, are lacking. In this study, we sequence 219 Korean rice accessions and construct a high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) dataset. We also evaluate the tiller number at different development stages and heading traits involved in phase transitions. By genome-wide association studies (GWASs), we detected 20 significant association signals for all traits. Five signals were detected in genomic regions near known candidate genes. Most of the candidate genes were involved in the phase transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. In particular, HD1 was simultaneously associated with the productive tiller ratio and heading date, indicating that the photoperiodic heading gene directly controls the productive tiller ratio. Multiple linear regression models of lead SNPs showed coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.49, 0.22, and 0.41 for the tiller number at the maximum tillering stage, productive tiller number, and productive tiller ratio, respectively. Furthermore, the model was validated using independent japonica rice collections, implying that the lead SNPs included in the linear regression model were generally applicable to the tiller number prediction. We revealed the genetic basis of the tiller number in rice plants during growth, By GWASs, and formulated a prediction model by linear regression. Our results improve our understanding of tillering in rice plants and provide a basis for breeding high-yield rice varieties with the optimum the tiller number. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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15 pages, 4357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Improved Oil Palm Genome Assembly as a Valuable Resource for Crop Improvement and Comparative Genomics in the Arecoideae Subfamily

by Ai-Ling Ong, Chee-Keng Teh, Sean Mayes, Festo Massawe, David Ross Appleton and Harikrishna Kulaveerasingam

Plants 2020, 9(11), 1476; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111476 - 3 Nov 2020

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5840

Abstract

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the most traded crop among the economically important palm species. Here, we report an extended version genome of E. guineensis that is 1.2 Gb in length, an improvement of the physical genome coverage to 79% from [...] Read more.

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the most traded crop among the economically important palm species. Here, we report an extended version genome of E. guineensis that is 1.2 Gb in length, an improvement of the physical genome coverage to 79% from the previous 43%. The improvement was made by assigning an additional 1968 originally unplaced scaffolds that were available publicly into the physical genome. By integrating three ultra-dense linkage maps and using them to place genomic scaffolds, the 16 pseudomolecules were extended. As we show, the improved genome has enhanced the mapping resolution for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and permitted further identification of candidate genes/protein-coding regions (CDSs) and any non-coding RNA that may be associated with them for further studies. We then employed the new physical map in a comparative genomics study against two other agriculturally and economically important palm species—date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.)—confirming the high level of conserved synteny among these palm species. We also used the improved oil palm genome assembly version as a palm genome reference to extend the date palm physical map. The improved genome of oil palm will enable molecular breeding approaches to expedite crop improvement, especially in the largest subfamily of Arecoideae, which consists of 107 species belonging to Arecaceae. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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10 pages, 1941 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spider Silk Fibroin Protein Heterologously Produced in Rice Seeds Reduce Diabetes and Hypercholesterolemia in Mice

by Won Tae Yang, Kwang Sik Lee, Yeon Jae Hur, Bo Yeon Kim, Jianhong Li, Sibin Yu, Byung Rae Jin and Doh Hoon Kim

Plants 2020, 9(10), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101282 - 28 Sep 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2461

Abstract

Silk fibroin proteins are biomaterials with diverse applications. These spider and silkworm proteins have specific biological effects when consumed by mammals; in addition to reducing blood pressure and blood glucose and cholesterol levels, they have anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity. In the present study, [...] Read more.

Silk fibroin proteins are biomaterials with diverse applications. These spider and silkworm proteins have specific biological effects when consumed by mammals; in addition to reducing blood pressure and blood glucose and cholesterol levels, they have anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity. In the present study, rice (Oryza sativa) was engineered to produce the C-terminus of the major ampullate spidroin protein from the spider Araneus ventricosus under the control of a Prolamin promoter. Homozygous transgenic rice lines were identified, and the therapeutic effect of this spider silk fibroin protein on the lipid and glucose metabolism was analyzed in a mouse model. Feeding fat-fed mice, the transgenic rice seeds for four weeks reduced serum concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and lowered blood glucose levels. This is the first study to investigate the effects of consumption of rice seeds heterologously expressing spider silk fibroin protein in a mammalian model. Our findings suggest that functional foods containing spider silk fibroin protein might be useful as potential pharmaceutical materials for preventing and treating diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypercholesterolemia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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15 pages, 2656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

F-Box Family Genes, LTSF1 and LTSF2, Regulate Low-Temperature Stress Tolerance in Pepper (Capsicum chinense)

by Jelli Venkatesh, Min-Young Kang, Li Liu, Jin-Kyung Kwon and Byoung-Cheorl Kang

Plants 2020, 9(9), 1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091186 - 11 Sep 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3284

Abstract

The F-box proteins belong to a family of regulatory proteins that play key roles in the proteasomal degradation of other proteins. Plant F-box proteins are functionally diverse, and the precise roles of many such proteins in growth and development are not known. Previously, [...] Read more.

The F-box proteins belong to a family of regulatory proteins that play key roles in the proteasomal degradation of other proteins. Plant F-box proteins are functionally diverse, and the precise roles of many such proteins in growth and development are not known. Previously, two low-temperature-sensitive F-box protein family genes (LTSF1 and LTSF2) were identified as candidates responsible for the sensitivity to low temperatures in the pepper (Capsicum chinense) cultivar ‘sy-2’. In the present study, we showed that the virus-induced gene silencing of these genes stunted plant growth and caused abnormal leaf development under low-temperature conditions, similar to what was observed in the low-temperature-sensitive ‘sy-2’ line. Protein–protein interaction analyses revealed that the LTSF1 and LTSF2 proteins interacted with S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 (SKP1), part of the Skp, Cullin, F-box-containing (SCF) complex that catalyzes the ubiquitination of proteins for degradation, suggesting a role for LTSF1 and LTSF2 in protein degradation. Furthermore, transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants overexpressing the pepper LTSF1 gene showed an increased tolerance to low-temperature stress and a higher expression of the genes encoding antioxidant enzymes. Taken together, these results suggest that the LTSF1 and LTSF2 F-box proteins are a functional component of the SCF complex and may positively regulate low-temperature stress tolerance by activating antioxidant-enzyme activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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Review

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14 pages, 763 KiB

Open AccessReview

Genetic Improvement in Sunflower Breeding—Integrated Omics Approach

by Milan Jocković, Siniša Jocić, Sandra Cvejić, Ana Marjanović-Jeromela, Jelena Jocković, Aleksandra Radanović and Dragana Miladinović

Plants 2021, 10(6), 1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061150 - 4 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5663

Abstract

Foresight in climate change and the challenges ahead requires a systematic approach to sunflower breeding that will encompass all available technologies. There is a great scarcity of desirable genetic variation, which is in fact undiscovered because it has not been sufficiently researched as [...] Read more.

Foresight in climate change and the challenges ahead requires a systematic approach to sunflower breeding that will encompass all available technologies. There is a great scarcity of desirable genetic variation, which is in fact undiscovered because it has not been sufficiently researched as detection and designing favorable genetic variation largely depends on thorough genome sequencing through broad and deep resequencing. Basic exploration of genomes is insufficient to find insight about important physiological and molecular mechanisms unique to crops. That is why integrating information from genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics enables a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms in the background of architecture of many important quantitative traits. Omics technologies offer novel possibilities for deciphering the complex pathways and molecular profiling through the level of systems biology and can provide important answers that can be utilized for more efficient breeding of sunflower. In this review, we present omics profiling approaches in order to address their possibilities and usefulness as a potential breeding tools in sunflower genetic improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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21 pages, 737 KiB

Open AccessReview

In Response to Abiotic Stress, DNA Methylation Confers EpiGenetic Changes in Plants

by Zahida Akhter, Zhenzhen Bi, Kazim Ali, Chao Sun, Sajid Fiaz, Fasih Ullah Haider and Jiangping Bai

Plants 2021, 10(6), 1096; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061096 - 30 May 2021

Cited by 63 | Viewed by 7915

Abstract

Epigenetics involves the heritable changes in patterns of gene expression determined by developmental and abiotic stresses, i.e., drought, cold, salinity, trace metals, and heat. Gene expression is driven by changes in DNA bases, histone proteins, the biogenesis of ncRNA, and changes in the [...] Read more.

Epigenetics involves the heritable changes in patterns of gene expression determined by developmental and abiotic stresses, i.e., drought, cold, salinity, trace metals, and heat. Gene expression is driven by changes in DNA bases, histone proteins, the biogenesis of ncRNA, and changes in the nucleotide sequence. To cope with abiotic stresses, plants adopt certain changes driven by a sophisticated biological system. DNA methylation is a primary mechanism for epigenetic variation, which can induce phenotypic alterations in plants under stress. Some of the stress-driven changes in plants are temporary, while some modifications may be stable and inheritable to the next generations to allow them to cope with such extreme stress challenges in the future. In this review, we discuss the pivotal role of epigenetically developed phenotypic characteristics in plants as an evolutionary process participating in adaptation and tolerance responses to abiotic and biotic stresses that alter their growth and development. We emphasize the molecular process underlying changes in DNA methylation, differential variation for different species, the roles of non-coding RNAs in epigenetic modification, techniques for studying DNA methylation, and its role in crop improvement in tolerance to abiotic stress (drought, salinity, and heat). We summarize DNA methylation as a significant future research priority for tailoring crops according to various challenging environmental issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology)

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