Epigenetic studies of two Dioscorea polystachya tuber shape variants

Two different tuber shape variants of clonal origin were compared by whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) technique. The variant F60 has a thin and long shape, the variant F2000 (which derived from F60 upon vegetative selection for several decades) has a thicker and shorter tuber shape. Here, we compared DNA methylation profiles of both tuber variants using 3 biological replicates of the middle tuber part tissue to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs). In the corresponding study, DMR-associated genes between the tuber shape variants were identified that are potentially involved in tuber shaping in yam.