Subindividual variation in plants: branch-level phenotypic and epigenetic divergence of pollen grains is correlated with the epigenetic divergence of adjacent leaves
- 1Estacion Biologica de Donana, CSIC
Abstract
The persistence across generations of somatic epigenetic mosaicism arising within plants from random drift or localized responses to the environment is an important determinant of the potential evolutionary significance of subindividual plant variation, yet practical limitations have so far precluded its study in natural plant populations. We exemplify here an indirect approach based on testing whether branch-level somatic epigenetic mosaicism exhibited by individuals of a long-lived tree (diploid sporophytes) is consistent with the phenotypic and epigenetic mosaicism exhibited by the pollen grains (haploid gametophytes) produced by the same branches. Paired samples of leaves and pollen from five distinct branches within each of five wild growing Pistacia terebinthus L. (Anacardiaceae) trees were characterized epigenetically using genome-wide DNA cytosine methylation level and multivariate epigenetic fingerprinting. Pollen was also characterized phenotypically by grain dimensions and shape. Individual trees were somatically heterogeneous with regard to cytosine methylation level and multivariate epigenetic fingerprints of leaf tissue. Phenotypic and epigenetic features of pollen grains differed significantly among branches of the same tree. Intraplant variation in pollen phenotype and multivariate epigenetic fingerprints were significantly related to intraplant variation in epigenetic leaf features. The consistency of subindividual somatic epigenetic heterogeneity of leaves with epigenetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of haploid gametophytes from the same branches suggests that epigenetic variants arising in somatic tissues over individual lifespans could eventually contribute to the phenotypic diversity represented in the next adult generation and become established in populations. This mechanism might contribute to enhance epigenetic and phenotypic diversity in natural plant populations.
Related
- Epigenetic Regulation and Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- Epigenetic nutrition in aquaculture: The emerging role of Artemia as a bioencapsulation vehicle
- Reassessing the contribution of the histone H3 tail to KRAB-DNMT3L-mediated epigenetic silencing
- Epigenetic Clocks Can Predict Age in the Largemouth Bass‐Complex Despite Spatial and Sexual Variation
- Glial cells gate small RNA transport from germline to brain during transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of behavior
BibTeX
@misc{herrera2026subindividual,
title = {{Subindividual variation in plants: branch-level phenotypic and epigenetic divergence of pollen grains is correlated with the epigenetic divergence of adjacent leaves}},
author = {C. M. Herrera and M. Medrano and P. Bazaga and C. Alonso},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.64898/2026.06.13.732073},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.13.732073v2},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Subindividual variation in plants: branch-level phenotypic and epigenetic divergence of pollen grains is correlated with the epigenetic divergence of adjacent leaves
AU - C. M. Herrera
AU - M. Medrano
AU - P. Bazaga
AU - C. Alonso
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/13
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.06.13.732073
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.13.732073v2
AB - The persistence across generations of somatic epigenetic mosaicism arising within plants from random drift or localized responses to the environment is an important determinant of the potential evolutionary significance of subindividual plant variation, yet practical limitations have so far precluded its study in natural plant populations. We exemplify here an indirect approach based on testing whether branch-level somatic epigenetic mosaicism exhibited by individuals of a long-lived tree (diploid sporophytes) is consistent with the phenotypic and epigenetic mosaicism exhibited by the pollen grains (haploid gametophytes) produced by the same branches. Paired samples of leaves and pollen from five distinct branches within each of five wild growing Pistacia terebinthus L. (Anacardiaceae) trees were characterized epigenetically using genome-wide DNA cytosine methylation level and multivariate epigenetic fingerprinting. Pollen was also characterized phenotypically by grain dimensions and shape. Individual trees were somatically heterogeneous with regard to cytosine methylation level and multivariate epigenetic fingerprints of leaf tissue. Phenotypic and epigenetic features of pollen grains differed significantly among branches of the same tree. Intraplant variation in pollen phenotype and multivariate epigenetic fingerprints were significantly related to intraplant variation in epigenetic leaf features. The consistency of subindividual somatic epigenetic heterogeneity of leaves with epigenetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of haploid gametophytes from the same branches suggests that epigenetic variants arising in somatic tissues over individual lifespans could eventually contribute to the phenotypic diversity represented in the next adult generation and become established in populations. This mechanism might contribute to enhance epigenetic and phenotypic diversity in natural plant populations.
ER -