Reprogramming of DNA methylation in pollen guides epigenetic inheritance via small RNA.

Epigenetic inheritance is more widespread in plants than in mammals, in part because mammals erase epigenetic information each generation by germline reprogramming. To assess the extent of germline reprogramming in plants, we sequenced the methylome of three haploid cell types from developing pollen: the sperm cell (SC), the vegetative cell, and their precursor the post-meiotic microspore. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing of FACS-purified sperm cells, vegetative nuclei and microspores

表观遗传继承（Epigenetic inheritance）在植物中的分布范围远广于哺乳动物，其部分原因在于哺乳动物可通过生殖系重编程（germline reprogramming）在每一代中清除表观遗传信息。为评估植物中生殖系重编程的程度，我们对发育中花粉的三类单倍体细胞类型的甲基化组（methylome）开展了测序：精子细胞（sperm cell, SC）、营养细胞，以及二者的前体——减数分裂后小孢子（post-meiotic microspore）。我们对经荧光激活细胞分选（FACS, Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting）纯化的精子细胞、营养细胞核与小孢子实施了全基因组亚硫酸氢盐测序（whole genome bisulfite sequencing）。