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Prospects and challenges of epigenomics in crop improvement

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Abstract

Background

The advent of high-throughput epigenome mapping techniques has ushered in a new era of multiomics with powerful tools now available to map and record genomic output at different levels. Integrating the different components of the epigenome from these multiomics measures allows investigations of cis-regulatory elements on a genome-scale. Mapping of chromatin state, chromatin accessibility dynamics, and higher-order chromatin structure enables a new level of understanding of cell fate determination, identity and function in normal growth and development, disease resistance, and yield.

Objective

In this paper, the recent advances in epigenomics research of rice, maize, and wheat are reviewed, and the development trends of epigenomics of major crops in the coming years are projected.

Methods

We highlight the role of epigenomics in regulating growth and development and identifying potential distal cis-regulatory elements in three major crops, and discuss the prospects and challenges for new epigenetics-mediated breeding technologies in crop improvement.

Conclusion

In this review, we summarize and analyze recent epigenomic advances in three major crops epigenomics and discuss possibilities and challenges for future research in the field.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31920103006 and 31630049) and a National Science Foundation plant genome grant (IOS-1444514).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Yuhong Huang, Yang Liu, Chang Liu & Fangpu Han

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yuhong Huang, Chang Liu & Fangpu Han

  3. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri at Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    James A. Birchler

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  1. Yuhong Huang
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  2. Yang Liu
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  3. Chang Liu
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  5. Fangpu Han
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Correspondence to Fangpu Han.

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Huang, Y., Liu, Y., Liu, C. et al. Prospects and challenges of epigenomics in crop improvement. Genes Genom 44, 251–257 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13258-021-01187-9

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