Long-read methylome profiling reveals context-specific epigenetic responses of Brassica napus to Verticillium longisporum.
- 1Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
- 2Canadian Grain Commission, Grain Research Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
- 3Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Canola (Brassica napus L.) is a commercially important oilseed crop threatened by Verticillium longisporum, a soil-borne vascular fungal pathogen. While genetic resistance has been widely studied, the role of epigenetic regulation in plant responses to vascular fungal infection remains poorly understood, particularly in polyploid crop species. This study aimed to characterize genome-wide DNA methylation dynamics in B. napus following V. longisporum infection using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing.Results
ONT sequencing enabled direct profiling of DNA methylation in infected and mock-inoculated plants. A total of 824, 267, and 19 differentially methylated windows (DMWs) were identified in CG, CHG, and CHH contexts, respectively. DMWs were distributed across both gene-associated and transposable element regions, with distinct context-specific patterns. Multiple DMWs overlapped genes associated with plant defense, including those involved in receptor-like kinase signaling, oxidative stress responses, calcium signaling, and transcriptional regulation. In addition, intergenic methylation changes proximal to defense-related genes identify candidate regulatory regions that warrant future functional validation.Conclusions
V. longisporum infection was associated with localized and context-dependent changes in DNA methylation in B. napus, with most variation occurring in CG and CHG contexts. The association of DMWs with defense-related genes suggests that DNA methylation may contribute to the regulation of plant responses during vascular fungal infection. These findings provide new insights into epigenetic responses in a complex polyploid crop and establish a foundation for future studies investigating the role of DNA methylation in plant disease responses.
Related
- High-throughput droplet-based enzymatic DNA methylome profiling enables single-cell resolution of epigenetic heterogeneity
- Epigenome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiling of Matched Primary Breast Cancers and Brain Metastases Reveals Epigenetic Markers linked to Metastatic Progression: A Preliminary Study.
- Sex-specific intergenerational epigenetic responses to real-world chemical mixture exposure in an outbred sheep model
- Label-free morphometric profiling reveals early drug responses in 3D tumor spheroids
- Spatial and single-nucleus transcriptomic profiling reveal polarity and intracellular responses to mitochondrial dysfunction
BibTeX
@article{kaur2026longread,
title = {{Long-read methylome profiling reveals context-specific epigenetic responses of Brassica napus to Verticillium longisporum.}},
author = {Gursimran Kaur and Mamta Masand and Claudio Stasolla and Sean Walkowiak and Harmeet Chawla},
journal = {BMC plant biology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12870-026-09699-w},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972260},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Long-read methylome profiling reveals context-specific epigenetic responses of Brassica napus to Verticillium longisporum.
AU - Gursimran Kaur
AU - Mamta Masand
AU - Claudio Stasolla
AU - Sean Walkowiak
AU - Harmeet Chawla
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/06
JO - BMC plant biology
DO - 10.1186/s12870-026-09699-w
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972260
AB - Background Canola (Brassica napus L.) is a commercially important oilseed crop threatened by Verticillium longisporum, a soil-borne vascular fungal pathogen. While genetic resistance has been widely studied, the role of epigenetic regulation in plant responses to vascular fungal infection remains poorly understood, particularly in polyploid crop species. This study aimed to characterize genome-wide DNA methylation dynamics in B. napus following V. longisporum infection using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing.Results ONT sequencing enabled direct profiling of DNA methylation in infected and mock-inoculated plants. A total of 824, 267, and 19 differentially methylated windows (DMWs) were identified in CG, CHG, and CHH contexts, respectively. DMWs were distributed across both gene-associated and transposable element regions, with distinct context-specific patterns. Multiple DMWs overlapped genes associated with plant defense, including those involved in receptor-like kinase signaling, oxidative stress responses, calcium signaling, and transcriptional regulation. In addition, intergenic methylation changes proximal to defense-related genes identify candidate regulatory regions that warrant future functional validation.Conclusions V. longisporum infection was associated with localized and context-dependent changes in DNA methylation in B. napus, with most variation occurring in CG and CHG contexts. The association of DMWs with defense-related genes suggests that DNA methylation may contribute to the regulation of plant responses during vascular fungal infection. These findings provide new insights into epigenetic responses in a complex polyploid crop and establish a foundation for future studies investigating the role of DNA methylation in plant disease responses.
SN - 1471-2229
ER -