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Key message <p>Seed priming with dopamine reduced fluoride-bioaccumulation, induced endogenous dopamine level, thereby orchestrating phytohormone homeostasis and biogenic amine metabolism, and modulating osmolyte and antioxidant machinery to enhance fluoride- tolerance in rice.</p> Abstract <p>DNA methylation plays a critical role in plant immunity, yet its regulatory mechanism in cotton Verticillium wilt (VW) resistance remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that dynamic DNA methylation is essential for cotton defense against <i>Verticillium dahliae</i>. Silencing of methyltransferase and demethylase genes via VIGS both compromised VW resistance, indicating that resistance depends on a balanced methylation homeostasis. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed asymmetric methylation patterns between A and D subgenomes and significant CHH hypermethylation upon pathogen infection, particularly in euchromatic regions. Integrated methylome and transcriptome analyses showed that methylation status, especially in promoter regions, inversely correlates with gene expression. The RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway emerged as a central regulator, with <i>AGO4</i> silencing enhancing VW resistance and affecting methylation of key defense genes, including phenylpropanoid and pectin methylesterase genes. Specifically, <i>GhCYP71</i>, a negative regulator of VW resistance, exhibited CHH methylation differences in its 5'UTR between resistant and susceptible varieties, and its expression was directly regulated by DNA methylation. Yeast two-hybrid identified AGO4-interacting proteins including ADH1, suggesting crosstalk between epigenetic regulation and metabolic status. Our findings establish that RdDM-mediated DNA methylation reprogramming precisely modulates defense gene expression, providing a mechanistic framework for epigenetic immunity and potential targets for breeding VW-resistant cotton.</p>

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The landscape of cotton DNA methylation and its epigenetic regulation in Verticillium wilt resistance

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月19日

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  • Zixu Zhang,
  • Jin Zhang,
  • Zhicheng Wang,
  • Xinyu Zhang,
  • Weiyi Chen,
  • Mengjia Jiao,
  • Meixia Xie,
  • Jun Yang,
  • Dongmei Zhang,
  • Xingfen Wang,
  • Zhiying Ma,
  • Yan Zhang

摘要

Key message

Seed priming with dopamine reduced fluoride-bioaccumulation, induced endogenous dopamine level, thereby orchestrating phytohormone homeostasis and biogenic amine metabolism, and modulating osmolyte and antioxidant machinery to enhance fluoride- tolerance in rice.

Abstract

DNA methylation plays a critical role in plant immunity, yet its regulatory mechanism in cotton Verticillium wilt (VW) resistance remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that dynamic DNA methylation is essential for cotton defense against Verticillium dahliae. Silencing of methyltransferase and demethylase genes via VIGS both compromised VW resistance, indicating that resistance depends on a balanced methylation homeostasis. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed asymmetric methylation patterns between A and D subgenomes and significant CHH hypermethylation upon pathogen infection, particularly in euchromatic regions. Integrated methylome and transcriptome analyses showed that methylation status, especially in promoter regions, inversely correlates with gene expression. The RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway emerged as a central regulator, with AGO4 silencing enhancing VW resistance and affecting methylation of key defense genes, including phenylpropanoid and pectin methylesterase genes. Specifically, GhCYP71, a negative regulator of VW resistance, exhibited CHH methylation differences in its 5'UTR between resistant and susceptible varieties, and its expression was directly regulated by DNA methylation. Yeast two-hybrid identified AGO4-interacting proteins including ADH1, suggesting crosstalk between epigenetic regulation and metabolic status. Our findings establish that RdDM-mediated DNA methylation reprogramming precisely modulates defense gene expression, providing a mechanistic framework for epigenetic immunity and potential targets for breeding VW-resistant cotton.