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| Open AccessFundamental equations linking methylation dynamics to maximum lifespan in mammals
The mystery of mammalian lifespan is examined through DNA methylation dynamics, revealing an inverse relationship between lifespan and average methylation rate changes in bivalent promoter regions. Results vary depending on chromatin context.
- Steve Horvath
- , Joshua Zhang
- & Zhe Fei
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Article
| Open AccessTargeted transcriptional downregulation of MYC using epigenomic controllers demonstrates antitumor activity in hepatocellular carcinoma models
Development of targeted MYC inhibitors for cancer therapy remains challenging. Here, the authors design an mRNA medicine which downregulates MYC gene transcription via epigenetic modification of MYC regulatory elements, showing significant antitumor activity in preclinical models of hepatocellular carcinoma.
- William Senapedis
- , Kayleigh M. Gallagher
- & Thomas G. McCauley
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| Open AccessBurkholderia cenocepacia epigenetic regulator M.BceJIV simultaneously engages two DNA recognition sequences for methylation
Crystal structures of DNA methyltransferase M.BceJIV in complex with DNA and sinefungin reveal an unusual mode of DNA binding and methylation, wherein each M.BceJIV monomer contributes to the recognition of two DNA sequences.
- Richard Quintana-Feliciano
- , Jithesh Kottur
- & Aneel K. Aggarwal
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| Open AccessPramel15 facilitates zygotic nuclear DNMT1 degradation and DNA demethylation
Epigenetic reprogramming involves global loss of DNA methylation, but how this is regulated is not completely understood. Here, Tan et al. run a reverse genetic screen and report that nuclear DNMT1 is finetuned by maternal factor Pramel15 through proteasomal degradation in mouse zygotes.
- Jiajun Tan
- , Yingfeng Li
- & Bing Zhu
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| Open AccessMulti-layered heterochromatin interaction as a switch for DIM2-mediated DNA methylation
DIM2-mediated DNA methylation contributes to heterochromatin formation in Neurospora. This study identifies that HP1 protein and the H3K9me3 mark synergistically control DIM2 activity, providing a mechanism for heterochromatin-guided DNA methylation.
- Zengyu Shao
- , Jiuwei Lu
- & Jikui Song
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| Open AccessDiagnostic utility of DNA methylation analysis in genetically unsolved pediatric epilepsies and CHD2 episignature refinement
Aberrant changes in DNA methylation have been implicated in various neurodevelopmental disorders but remain under studied in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. Here, the authors demonstrate the diagnostic utility of genome-wide DNA methylation analyses toward identifying molecular etiologies in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies.
- Christy W. LaFlamme
- , Cassandra Rastin
- & Heather C. Mefford
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| Open AccessA genetic-epigenetic interplay at 1q21.1 locus underlies CHD1L-mediated vulnerability to primary progressive multiple sclerosis
This study identifies distinct genetic-epigenetictranscriptional interplay at the 1q21.1 locus in relation to neuronal deficits in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).
- Majid Pahlevan Kakhki
- , Antonino Giordano
- & Maja Jagodic
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| Open AccessStructural basis for the H2AK119ub1-specific DNMT3A-nucleosome interaction
DNMT3A-nucleosome interaction underpins the genomic DNA methylation landscape. Here, the authors investigate how an N-terminal fragment of DNMT3A recognizes the H2AK119ub1-marked nucleosome, providing insights into the chromatin-targeting mechanism of DNMT3A.
- Xinyi Chen
- , Yiran Guo
- & Jikui Song
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Article
| Open AccessSymmetric and asymmetric DNA N6-adenine methylation regulates different biological responses in Mucorales
Here, Lax et al characterise the role and distribution of an epigenetic mark, adenine methylation (6mA), in the genomes of early diverging fungi and find the enzymes that write symmetric and asymmetric 6mA in their DNA.
- Carlos Lax
- , Stephen J. Mondo
- & Victoriano Garre
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Article
| Open AccessIntegrating muti-omics data to identify tissue-specific DNA methylation biomarkers for cancer risk
The relationship between tissue-specific DNA methylation and cancer risk remains to be elucidated. Here, the authors predict DNA methylation at CpG sites for seven cancer types and investigate how these influence cancer risk.
- Yaohua Yang
- , Yaxin Chen
- & Jirong Long
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Article
| Open AccessMolecular and structural basis of the chromatin remodeling activity by Arabidopsis DDM1
Osakabe and colleagues report the cryo-EM structures of Arabidopsis nucleosomes and how they complex with the chromatin remodeler DDM1, providing insights into how DDM1 promotes the access of chromatin writers to heterochromatin.
- Akihisa Osakabe
- , Yoshimasa Takizawa
- & Hitoshi Kurumizaka
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Article
| Open AccessEpigenetic alterations affecting hematopoietic regulatory networks as drivers of mixed myeloid/lymphoid leukemia
Leukemias with ambiguous lineage require further characterisation. Here, the authors perform epigenomic and transcriptomic analysis of a subgroup of such leukemias with CpG Island Methylator Phenotype and propose that epigenetic dysregulation and not genetic lesions explains their mixed phenotype.
- Roger Mulet-Lazaro
- , Stanley van Herk
- & Claudia Gebhard
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Article
| Open AccessRockfish: A transformer-based model for accurate 5-methylcytosine prediction from nanopore sequencing
DNA methylation is vital for various biological processes. Here, the authors present Rockfish, a deep learning algorithm that enhances 5-methylcytosine detection using Nanopore sequencing. Rockfish offers higher accuracy, lower read depth requirements, and greater confidence in crucial genomic regions.
- Dominik Stanojević
- , Zhe Li
- & Mile Šikić
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| Open AccessMaster corepressor inactivation through multivalent SLiM-induced polymerization mediated by the oncogene suppressor RAI2
CtBP is a transcriptional master co-repressor with oncogenic activity. Here, the authors use structural and biophysical methods to show that CtBP interacts with RAI2 through SLiMs that induce CtBP polymerization and inactivation.
- Nishit Goradia
- , Stefan Werner
- & Matthias Wilmanns
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Article
| Open AccessA conserved Pol II elongator SPT6L mediates Pol V transcription to regulate RNA-directed DNA methylation in Arabidopsis
How to facilitate the transcription of plant-specific RNA Pol V is largely unknown. Liu et al. find that a conserved RNA Pol II elongator, SPT6L, mediates DNA methylation by its association with Pol V and promoting the production of scaffold RNA.
- Yujuan Liu
- , Jie Shu
- & Chen Chen
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| Open AccessBenchmarking of methods for DNA methylome deconvolution
Determining the different cell types that contribute to a mixture of DNA is key for research and diagnostic applications. Here, authors comprehensively benchmark DNA methylation-based deconvolution methods, evaluating their performance and robustness to technical bias.
- Kobe De Ridder
- , Huiwen Che
- & Bernard Thienpont
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Article
| Open AccessSevere drought exposure in utero associates to children’s epigenetic age acceleration in a global climate change hot spot
The study suggests a positive association between in utero drought exposure and faster biological aging in children in a global climate change hot spot. Drought experienced during pregnancy may reduce life expectancy.
- Xi Qiao
- , Bilinda Straight
- & Belinda L. Needham
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Article
| Open AccessPrimordial germ cell DNA demethylation and development require DNA translesion synthesis
Here the authors show that DNA translesion synthesis affects primordial germ cell DNA demethylation and plays a role in the development of embryonic germ cells.
- Pranay Shah
- , Ross Hill
- & Gerry P. Crossan
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| Open AccessMultimodal analysis of cfDNA methylomes for early detecting esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and precancerous lesions
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is most commonly detected at a late stage, which limits survival and treatment options. Here, the authors utilise whole genome bisulfite sequencing to create a cfDNA framework to detect cfDNA methylation, copy number variants and fragmentation.
- Jiaqi Liu
- , Lijun Dai
- & Zhihua Liu
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Article
| Open AccessAssociations in cell type-specific hydroxymethylation and transcriptional alterations of pediatric central nervous system tumors
Cell type-specific epigenomic alterations and heterogeneity in paediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumours remain underexplored. Here, the authors integrate bulk DNA cytosine modification data with bulk and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to explore cell type-specific epigenomic alterations and gene regulation in paediatric CNS tumours.
- Min Kyung Lee
- , Nasim Azizgolshani
- & Brock C. Christensen
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| Open AccessCombined and differential roles of ADD domains of DNMT3A and DNMT3L on DNA methylation landscapes in mouse germ cells
DNMT3A and DNMT3L form a complex to deposit DNA methylation in mammalian germ cells. Here, the authors report that loss-of-function of ADD domains of DNMT3A and/or DNMT3L has various impacts on DNA methylation landscapes in mouse oocytes and sperm.
- Naoki Kubo
- , Ryuji Uehara
- & Hiroyuki Sasaki
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| Open AccessDifferentiation shifts from a reversible to an irreversible heterochromatin state at the DM1 locus
Gene-editing at the DM1 mutant locus revealed a fundamental difference between undifferentiated and differentiated cell states: abnormal epigenetic modifications cannot be repaired after differentiation.
- Tayma Handal
- , Sarah Juster
- & Rachel Eiges
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Article
| Open AccessStructure-guided functional suppression of AML-associated DNMT3A hotspot mutations
DNMT3A R882H and R882C are mutation hotspots in acute myeloid leukemia. This study describes the structural and functional consequences of the DNMT3A R882H/R882C mutations which can provide a strategy for therapy of the disease mutations.
- Jiuwei Lu
- , Yiran Guo
- & Jikui Song
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| Open AccessNon-canonical functions of UHRF1 maintain DNA methylation homeostasis in cancer cells
DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic mark in mammals. The maintenance of this mark relies on two key proteins: DNMT1 and UHRF1. Here the authors show that, beyond activating DNMT1, UHRF1 has crucial regulatory functions in cancer cells.
- Kosuke Yamaguchi
- , Xiaoying Chen
- & Pierre-Antoine Defossez
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Article
| Open AccessA negative feedback loop between TET2 and leptin in adipocyte regulates body weight
The epigenetic regulation in adipocytes during obesity remains poorly understood. Here, the authors demonstrate a negative feedback loop between TET2, a DNA demethylation enzyme, and leptin, an adipokine, in adipocytes, unveiling a compensatory mechanism by which the body counteracts the metabolic dysfunction induced by obesity.
- Qin Zeng
- , Jianfeng Song
- & Tuo Deng
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Article
| Open AccessGenetic control of DNA methylation is largely shared across European and East Asian populations
Most functional genomic resources have been based on individuals with European ancestry. Here, the authors perform DNA methylation quantitative trait locus (mQTL) analyses in 3,701 European and 2,099 East Asian individuals to identify thousands of genetic variants, a large degree of which are shared between the two populations.
- Alesha A. Hatton
- , Fei-Fei Cheng
- & Allan F. McRae
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Article
| Open AccessEpigenetic modulators link mitochondrial redox homeostasis to cardiac function in a sex-dependent manner
Efforts to treat heart failure with antioxidants have failed. Here, authors reveal a robust sex-dependent endogenous defense against oxidative damage and demonstrate antioxidative treatment’s efficacy solely in subjects with inadequate redox capacity.
- Zaher ElBeck
- , Mohammad Bakhtiar Hossain
- & Christer Betsholtz
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| Open AccessIntegrative cross-omics and cross-context analysis elucidates molecular links underlying genetic effects on complex traits
Genetic effects on functionally related ‘omic’ traits often co-occur in relevant cellular contexts, such as tissues. Here, the authors introduce X-ING, an integrative analysis method for cross-omics, cross-context associations based on summary-level data. Application to quantitative trait locus analysis yields insights into complex disease/trait mechanisms.
- Yihao Lu
- , Meritxell Oliva
- & Lin S. Chen
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| Open AccessQTL mapping of human retina DNA methylation identifies 87 gene-epigenome interactions in age-related macular degeneration
Here, the authors perform genome-wide mapping of DNA methylation and expression quantitative trait loci, revealing associations among genotype, epigenome and transcriptome, uncovering genes and gene-environment interactions contributing to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
- Jayshree Advani
- , Puja A. Mehta
- & Anand Swaroop
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Article
| Open AccessExtensive DNA methylome rearrangement during early lamprey embryogenesis
DNA methylation plays a major role in establishing cell identity, but the dynamics of DNA methylation patterns are highly variable across species. Here, the authors discover extensive DNA methylation reprogramming during embryonic development of the sea lamprey, a jawless fish with a distinctive, highly disordered methylome.
- Allegra Angeloni
- , Skye Fissette
- & Ozren Bogdanovic
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Article
| Open AccessEpiallelic variation of non-coding RNA genes and their phenotypic consequences
This study uncovers abundant DNA methylation variations of non-coding RNA genes in the natural Arabidopsis population and shows the importance of epigenetic variations in plant phenotypic plasticity and diversity.
- Jie Liu
- & Xuehua Zhong
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| Open AccessAltered DNA methylation within DNMT3A, AHRR, LTA/TNF loci mediates the effect of smoking on inflammatory bowel disease
Cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease. The authors suggest that smoking may affect the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis by modulating the DNA methylation status of the DNMT3A, LTA/TNF, and AHRR region, respectively.
- Han Zhang
- , Rahul Kalla
- & Xue Li
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Article
| Open AccessBlood DNA methylation profiling identifies cathepsin Z dysregulation in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a complex disease characterised by high morbidity and mortality. Here, the authors report methylation profiling of patients, finding disease associations in genes CTSZ, COG6 and ZNF678.
- Anna Ulrich
- , Yukyee Wu
- & Christopher J. Rhodes
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Article
| Open AccessMaternal dominance contributes to subgenome differentiation in allopolyploid fishes
Cyprinids fish species contain multiple subgenomes as a result of past duplications. Here, Xu et al. report new genomes of 21 cyprinid fish and conclude that observed subgenome dominance patterns are likely due to both maternal dominance and transposable element densities in each polyploid.
- Min-Rui-Xuan Xu
- , Zhen-Yang Liao
- & Hua-Hao Zhang
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Article
| Open Access5mC modification orchestrates choriogenesis and fertilization by preventing prolonged ftz-f1 expression
The mechanism by which DNA methylation regulates female reproduction in insects is largely unknown. Here Zhao et al. demonstrate that the 5mC modification orchestrates timely choriogenesis and proper fertilization by preventing prolonged ftz-f1 expression in the German cockroach.
- Zheng Zhao
- , Liang Li
- & Chonghua Ren
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| Open AccessGenes with epigenetic alterations in human pancreatic islets impact mitochondrial function, insulin secretion, and type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by hyperglycemia caused by insufficient insulin release from pancreatic islets, often in combination with insulin resistance. Here the authors present an epigenetic case-control study in human pancreatic islets revealing changes that contribute to type 2 diabetes development, e.g., epigenetic downregulation of RHOT1.
- Tina Rönn
- , Jones K. Ofori
- & Charlotte Ling
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Article
| Open AccessNitric oxide controls shoot meristem activity via regulation of DNA methylation
The authors show that gaseous Nitric Oxide (NO) promotes transit amplifying cell fate in the Arabidopsis shoot meristem. NO acts by modifying AGO4-WUSCHEL protein interactions in stem cells, directly linking NO signaling with DNA methylation.
- Jian Zeng
- , Xin’Ai Zhao
- & Jan U. Lohmann
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Article
| Open AccessOVOL2 sustains postnatal thymic epithelial cell identity
The molecular mechanisms that maintain thymic epithelial cell (TEC) identity throughout life are incompletely understood. Here, the authors demonstrate that the transcription factor, Ovol2, maintains post-natal TECs by preventing their epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
- Xue Zhong
- , Nagesh Peddada
- & Bruce Beutler
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Article
| Open AccessThe rate of epigenetic drift scales with maximum lifespan across mammals
Epigenetic drift has been hypothesized to contribute to epigenetic clock signals and variation in lifespan across species. Here, the authors show that an empirical measure of epigenetic drift scales with maximum lifespan across four mammal species and accumulates in non-random genomic locations.
- Emily M. Bertucci-Richter
- & Benjamin B. Parrott
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Article
| Open AccessMegakaryocyte- and erythroblast-specific cell-free DNA patterns in plasma and platelets reflect thrombopoiesis and erythropoiesis levels
Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has diagnostic potential, and clarifying its origins will aid in the minimally-invasive detection and monitoring of disease. Here, authors find that physiologically, megakaryocytes are major sources of cfDNA, while erythroblasts also release small amounts of cfDNA.
- Joshua Moss
- , Roni Ben-Ami
- & Yuval Dor
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Article
| Open AccessDNMT and HDAC inhibition induces immunogenic neoantigens from human endogenous retroviral element-derived transcripts
Epigenetic therapies are known to synergize with immunotherapies through the de-repression of endogenous retroviral element (ERV)-encoded promoters. Here the authors identify treatment-induced neoantigens and validate their ability to induce T cell response and anti-tumor effects in vitro and in patient samples.
- Ashish Goyal
- , Jens Bauer
- & Christoph Plass
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Article
| Open AccessPaternal DNA methylation is remodeled to maternal levels in rice zygote
Liu et al. show that zygotic remodelling of paternal DNA methylation is matched to maternal levels in hybrids and that parental-specific epigenomes are re-established during embryogenesis, highlighting genetic control of epigenetic inheritance.
- Qian Liu
- , Xuan Ma
- & Dao-Xiu Zhou
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Article
| Open AccessTET2 lesions enhance the aggressiveness of CEBPA-mutant acute myeloid leukemia by rebalancing GATA2 expression
TET2 and GATA2 are two frequently co-mutated genes in CEBPA double mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here the authors show that the underlying mechanism for this cooccurrence is for TET2 loss-of-function mutation to counteract the increase in GATA2 expression, which is disadvantageous to these type of AML cells.
- Elizabeth Heyes
- , Anna S. Wilhelmson
- & Bo T. Porse
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Article
| Open AccessDNA methylation profiling to determine the primary sites of metastatic cancers using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues
Molecular tests that can determine the tissue of origin of cancers of unknown primary (CUP) are still needed. Here, the authors develop a DNA methylation profiling assay and a machine learning classifier to predict the origin of metastatic tumours in CUP patients using formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded samples.
- Shirong Zhang
- , Shutao He
- & Hongcang Gu
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Article
| Open AccessGerminal center output is sustained by HELLS-dependent DNA-methylation-maintenance in B cells
Loss-of-function mutations in the chromatin remodelling protein HELLS result in humoral immune deficiency. Authors here show in a conditional knockout mouse model that HELLS controls the kinetics of a typical germinal center response by DNA methylation, its absence leading to either the appearance of memory-B cell markers or a metabolic state change typical of plasma cells.
- Clara Cousu
- , Eléonore Mulot
- & Sébastien Storck
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Article
| Open AccessEpigenome-wide association analysis of infant bronchiolitis severity: a multicenter prospective cohort study
DNA methylation patterns that are associated with disease can reveal genes involved in disease etiology. Here, the authors identify blood DNA methylation signatures that are associated with bronchiolitis severity and play important roles in tissues, cells, and pathways.
- Zhaozhong Zhu
- , Yijun Li
- & Kohei Hasegawa
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Article
| Open AccessEpigenetic inheritance is unfaithful at intermediately methylated CpG sites
Here the authors question the prevalent view of DNA methylation as a stably inherited epigenetic mark, revealing that the existing model does not apply when considering genomic loci that are intermediately methylated.
- Amir D. Hay
- , Noah J. Kessler
- & Anne C. Ferguson-Smith
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Article
| Open AccessDownregulation of transposable elements extends lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans
Transposable elements in somatic cells become increasingly mobile during ageing. Here, the authors show that in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, downregulation of transposable elements extends lifespan, and that their increases with age are coupled with progressively growing N6-adenine methylation in these genetic loci.
- Ádám Sturm
- , Éva Saskői
- & Tibor Vellai
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Article
| Open AccessExtrachromosomal circular DNA and structural variants highlight genome instability in Arabidopsis epigenetic mutants
Epigenetic control of extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) compartment and the relationships between eccDNA and plant genome stability remain unclear. Here, the authors investigate eccDNA and structural variations in Arabidopsis epigenetic mutants to reveal the eccDNA repertoire and its impact on genome stability.
- Panpan Zhang
- , Assane Mbodj
- & Marie Mirouze