Elucidation of stress memory inheritance through epigenome alterations in Brassica rapa plants [small RNA-seq]. Brassica rapa

In the current study we have profiled changes in the smRNome of somatic and reproductive tissues of B.rapa plants following heat shock stress exposure. For this we used Illumina GAIIx platform. We have demonstrated that the highest tissue-specific alterations in the smRNome profile are detected in tissues that were not directly exposed to stress, namely, in the endosperm and pollen. The progeny of exposed plants also exhibited significant alterations in the smRNA as compared to progeny of control plants. Overall design: The smRNome profile was assessed after heat shock treatment in the following tissues of Brassica rapa plants: parental leaves, inflorescence meristem, pollen, unfertilized ovules, 24-hour post-fertilization ovules, embryo, endosperm and leaf tissues of progeny plants.