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Plant epigenetic mechanisms: role in abiotic stress and their generational heritability

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Abstract

Plants have evolved various defense mechanisms including morphological adaptations, cellular pathways, specific signalling molecules and inherent immunity to endure various abiotic stresses during different growth stages. Most of the defense mechanisms are controlled by stress-responsive genes by transcribing and translating specific genes. However, certain modifications of DNA and chromatin along with small RNA-based mechanisms have also been reported to regulate the expression of stress-responsive genes and constitute another line of defense for plants in their struggle against stresses. More recently, studies have suggested that these modifications are heritable to the future generations as well, thereby indicating their possible role in the evolutionary mechanisms related to abiotic stresses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biotechnology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Chatha, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Jebi Sudan, Meenakshi Raina & Ravinder Singh

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  1. Jebi Sudan
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  2. Meenakshi Raina
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  3. Ravinder Singh
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Correspondence to Ravinder Singh.

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Sudan, J., Raina, M. & Singh, R. Plant epigenetic mechanisms: role in abiotic stress and their generational heritability. 3 Biotech 8, 172 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-018-1202-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-018-1202-6

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