Epigenetics, the Role of DNA Methylation in Tree Development

During development of multicellular organisms, cells become differentiated by modulating different programs of gene expression. Cells have their own epigenetic signature which reflects genotype, developmental history, and environmental influences, and it is ultimately reflected in the phenotype of the cells and the organism. However, in normal development or disease situations, such as adaptation to climate change or during in vitro culture, some cells undergo major epigenetic reprogramming involving the removal of epigenetic marks in the nuclei followed by the establishment of a different new set of marks. Compared with animal cells, biotech-mediated achievements are reduced in plants despite the presence of cell polypotency. In forestry, any sustainable developments using biotech tools remain restricted to the lab, without progressing to the field for application. Such barriers in the translation between development and implementation need to be addressed by organizations that have the power to integrate these two fields. However, a lack of understanding of gene regulation is also to blame for this barrier. In recent years, great progress has been made in unraveling the control of gene expression. These advances are discussed in this chapter, including the possibility of applying this knowledge in forestry practice.