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Evidence of Epigenetic Mechanisms Affecting Carotenoids

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Carotenoids in Nature

Part of the book series: Subcellular Biochemistry ((SCBI,volume 79))

Abstract

Epigenetic mechanisms are able to regulate plant development by generating non-Mendelian allelic interactions. An example of these are the responses to environmenal stimuli that result in phenotypic variability and transgression amongst important crop traits. The need to predict phenotypes from genotypes to understand the molecular basis of the genotype-by-environment interaction is a research priority. Today, with the recent discoveries in the field of epigenetics, this challenge goes beyond analyzing how DNA sequences change. Here we review examples of epigenetic regulation of genes involved in carotenoid synthesis and degradation, cases in which histone- and/or DNA-methylation, and RNA silencing at the posttranscriptional level affect carotenoids in plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), A.A. 6713, Cali, Colombia

    Jacobo Arango, Jonathan Nuñez & Paul Chavarriaga

  2. Agronomy and Horticulture Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Beadle Center 1901 Vine Street, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0660, USA

    Jesús Beltrán

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  1. Jacobo Arango
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  2. Jesús Beltrán
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  3. Jonathan Nuñez
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  4. Paul Chavarriaga
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Correspondence to Jacobo Arango .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular Vegetal, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Claudia Stange

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Arango, J., Beltrán, J., Nuñez, J., Chavarriaga, P. (2016). Evidence of Epigenetic Mechanisms Affecting Carotenoids. In: Stange, C. (eds) Carotenoids in Nature. Subcellular Biochemistry, vol 79. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39126-7_11

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