Can crops be bred using epigenetics?

In traditional cultivation, plants with desirable genetic characteristics are crossed, but researchers have recently discovered that the quality of plants can also be influenced by epigenetic changes. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Frank Johannes will investigate the potential of epigenetics and whether it can be used to make crops more efficient.

It is well known that genetic mutations alter the DNA sequence, and that such changes can affect the characteristics of an individual or a plant. Epigenetic mutations, on the other hand, alter the way genes are expressed without changing the underlying DNA sequence. For example, methyl groups can be linked to DNA so that genes are turned off.

Dr. Frank Johannes, at the Technical University of Munich, has artificially produced DNA methylation alterations in plants. This has influenced characteristics such as flowering period and root length and these changes have then been inherited through several generations.

As a Wallenberg Academy Fellow, Frank Johannes will investigate how naturally occurring epigenetic mutations can affect adaptation in plants. He will expose thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) to environmental stressors for many generations and then study how its epigenetics are affected. The next step is to cross flowers that withstand stress well and, after a few generations, to examine whether the epigenetic changes that adapt the flower to stress have been selected.

One long-term aim of the project is to investigate whether epigenetics can be used when breeding crops. Frank Johannes will conduct his research at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala. 

Photo: Markus Marcetic