Epigenetic changes in plants

Epigenetic changes contribute significantly to diversity in gene expression and, thereby, to adaptation potential. Using the model plant Arabidopsis, we investigate chromatin, gene expression, recombination, inheritance and natural variation in diploids, upon genome duplication in polyploids and after stress treatments.

Selected publications

Pecinka A, et al. (2011) Polyploidization increases meiotic recombination frequency in Arabidopsis. BMC Biol 9:24.

Pecinka A, et al. (2010) Epigenetic regulation of repetitive elements in attenuated by prolonged heat stress in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 22:3118-3129.

Baubec T, et al. (2010) Cooperation of multiple chromatin modifications can generate unanticipated stability of epigenetic states in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 22:34-47.

Pecinka A, et al. (2009) Transgenerational stress memory is not a general response in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE 4:e5202.

Baubec T, et al. (2009) Effective, homogeneous and transient interference with cytosine methylation in plant genomic DNA by zebularine. Plant J 57:542-554.