Emerging Technologies and Methodologies in Epigenetics Research

Epigenetics refers to DNA sequence-independent, mitotically stable, molecular changes that are typically attributed to chromatin modification. These modifications have been linked to DNA methylation and histone modifications, working independently or in tandem. Regulation of non-coding RNAs has also been found to be involved. This mechanism holds the key to understanding, and therefore modulating, a large number of complex, orchestrated developmental changes in animals and plants. The emergence of epigenetics as a tool in the elucidation of complex epigenetic regulatory networks in plants has been of prime importance in the development of specific agronomic traits. The development of novel traits by the creation of new epialleles and epimutants, followed by the selection of advantageous epigenetic states, has been an exciting direction of research. Efficient and locus-specific tools like CRISPR/Cas9 have been used for epistatic modification due to their high editing efficiency and rapid translation of results. Methodologies like chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays have been developed to study the dynamics of histone modifications. The study of the 3D spatial structure of chromatin, which links chromatin organization to its biological functions, has also been used in combination with ChIP to understand the working of epialleles. These technologies have been further augmented by accurate computational approaches in bioinformatics, which aid the identification of genes that may trigger chromatin modifications to control gene expression. In this chapter, we aim to encapsulate the enormously emerging arena of epigenetic research, with special reference to plant-based traits and developmental processes that underlie the phenotypic plasticity of plants in response to environmental factors.