Antioxidant Regulation and DNA Methylation Dynamics During Mikania micrantha Seed Germination Under Cold Stress

Abstract

As a primary goal, adaptation to cold climate could expand an invasion range of exotic plants. Here, we aimed to explore the regulation strategy of M. micrantha seed development under cold stress through molecular physiology and multi-omics analysis. Significant increase of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage observed under cold stress revealed that oxidative damage within M. micrantha seed cells was induced in the initial germination phase. Proteomic data underscored an activation of antioxidant activity to maintain redox homeostasis, with a cluster of antioxidant proteins identified. Genomic-wide transcriptome, in combination with time-series whole-genome bisulfite sequencing mining, elucidated that seven candidate genes, which were the target of DNA demethylation-dependent ROS scavenging, were possibly associated with an M. micrantha germ break. Progressive gain of CHH context DNA methylation identified in an early germination phrase suggested a role of a DNA methylation pathway, while an active DNA demethylation pathway was also initiated during late seed development, which was in line with the expression trend of methylation and demethylation-related genes verified through qRT-PCR. These data pointed out that cold-dependent DNA demethylation and an antioxidant regulatory were involved together in restoring seed germination. The expression level of total 441 genes presented an opposite trend to the methylation divergence, while the expression of total 395 genes was proved to be negatively associated with their methylation levels. These data provided new insights into molecular reprograming events during M. micrantha seed development.

The Molecular Evidence for Invasive Climber Echinocystis lobata (Michx.) Torr. & A. Gray in Eastern and Central Europe

“…Valuable information elucidating the adaptive potential and rapid growth has been obtained by analyzing the epigenetic differentiation of other invasive climbers and creepers Mikania micrantha, Pueraria montana var. lobata, and Fallopia japonica [84,[119][120][121]. The coverage was a more important variable of the Lithuanian populations of Impatiens parviflora compared to the AFLP and other molecular data or parameters of the abiotic environment [98].…”

Vegetation development in post-gold mining revegetation area in Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

“…Seedlings grow swiftly with a high seed germination rate, and the juvenile period is short, so the time between sowing and reproduction is short. Mikania micrantha, for example, has a robust vegetative reproductive potential and can grow into plants from plant remnants of underground rhizomes (Cui et al 2022). The presence of a soil seed bank, rock concentration, and topsoil composition, proximity to native forest stands that serve as seed sources, availability of seed dispersal animals, tree spacing, age of stands, understorey management, and protection against fire and other nuisance agents are all factors that influence the rate of herbaceous colonization (MacDonald et al 2015;Nero 2021).…”