Role of the RNA-directed DNA Methylation pathway in the regulation of maternal effects in Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination

Abstract

The RNA-directed DNA Methylation pathway (RdDM) influences progeny seed responses to different maternal environments. However, its role in the regulation of early traits in response to non-stressful environmental cues across generations, which can potentially affect life cycle adjustment to seasonal changes, has not been explored in detail. Here we show that the RdDM pathway regulates overall germination but, in some instances, it does so depending on the early life maternal environment. Altogether, our results support that epigenetic memory (mediated by RdDM) is regulating intergenerational transmission of environmental information to affect the phenotypic expression of early traits.