High-resolution DNA methylome analysis in black poplar upon biotic and abiotic stresses

It is well-established that DNA methylation is responsive to environmental factors, and this is often suggested to mediate environmental plasticity in gene expression and phenotypic traits. However, with some notable exceptions, high-resolution studies of environment-induced DNA methylation in plants have been restricted to very few species, often focusing on a single environmental factor and not always well-replicated due to the cost of analysis in species with normal-sized genomes. Consequently, many questions on the nature and functionality of environment-induced DNA methylation changes remain. Here, we provide a comprehensive characterization of the DNA methylation response in clonally propagated tree Populus nigra italica, a species that is uniquely suited for this purpose because its clonal propagation strongly limits possible confounding effects of genetic differences between experimental samples.