Epigenetic Diversity of Clonal White Poplar (Populus alba L.) Populations: Could Methylation Support the Success of Vegetative Reproduction Strategy?

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 6;10(7):e0131480. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131480. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The widespread poplar populations of Sardinia are vegetatively propagated and live in different natural environments forming large monoclonal stands. The main goals of the present study were: i) to investigate/measure the epigenetic diversity of the poplar populations by determining their DNA methylation status; ii) to assess if and how methylation status influences population clustering; iii) to shed light on the changes that occur in the epigenome of ramets of the same poplar clone. To these purposes, 83 white poplar trees were sampled at different locations on the island of Sardinia. Methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism analysis was carried out on the genomic DNA extracted from leaves at the same juvenile stage. The study showed that the genetic biodiversity of poplars is quite limited but it is counterbalanced by epigenetic inter-population molecular variability. The comparison between MspI and HpaII DNA fragmentation profiles revealed that environmental conditions strongly influence hemi-methylation of the inner cytosine. The variable epigenetic status of Sardinian white poplars revealed a decreased number of population clusters. Landscape genetics analyses clearly demonstrated that ramets of the same clone were differentially methylated in relation to their geographic position. Therefore, our data support the notion that studies on plant biodiversity should no longer be restricted to genetic aspects, especially in the case of vegetatively propagated plant species.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA Methylation*
  • DNA, Plant*
  • Environment
  • Epigenesis, Genetic*
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Italy
  • Populus / genetics*
  • Reproduction / genetics

Substances

  • DNA, Plant

Grants and funding

The research was financed by the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea Protection within the project "Research and development in biotechnology applied to the protection of the environment" in collaboration with the People's Republic of China to SC, and by the Italian Ministry for Education, University and Research (PRIN 2003077418) to SC and to FG for the PhD course in System biology of University of Salerno. Financial support by the Transnational Access to Research Infrastructures activity in the 7th Framework Programme of the EC under the Trees4Future project (no. 284181) for conducting the research is gratefully acknowledged to FG.