Analysis of the relationship between heterosis and the epigenetic modification of DNA and histones in Arabidopsis thaliana

以表现生物量杂种优势的拟南芥Col-0和C24及其正反交F1为模型，研究了杂种优势中染色质结构与基因调控之间的复杂关系。为了达到我们的目标，组蛋白修饰和DNA甲基化正在比较亲本和杂交植物之间的单基因和基因组水平。特定基因的分析集中在7个选定的基因，在表达分析中，已证明了正或负显性效应。将使用ChIP-PCR来比较基因启动子处的表观遗传修饰的程度，以定量组蛋白甲基化和甲基化敏感性限制性切割，然后使用PCR来确定DNA甲基化。基因组水平的研究将通过4号染色体的芯片上芯片分析（合作）和可选的甲基化敏感性AFLP进行。这些结果有望确定与杂种优势基因调控相关的表观遗传修饰，从而为组蛋白和DNA修饰的重要性提供新的见解。

Arabidopsis accessions Col-0 and C24 and their reciprocal F1 hybrids exhibiting biomass heterosis are employed as a model system to investigate the complex relationship between chromatin structure and gene regulation in heterosis. To reach our goal, histone modifications and DNA methylation are being compared between parental and hybrid plants at the single gene and the genomic level. The analysis of specific genes is focused on 7 selected genes for which in expression analysis a positive or negative dominance effect has been demonstrated. The extent of epigenetic modifications at gene promoters will be compared using ChlP-PCR to quantify histone methylation and methylation-sensitive restriction cleavage followed by PCR to determine DNA methylation. Genomic level studies will be performed by Chip on chip analysis of chromosome 4 (in collaboration) and optionally by methylation-sensitive AFLP. The results are expected to identify epigenetic modifications correlated to gene regulation in heterosis and thereby will provide new insights to the importance of histone and DNA modifications in general.