The discovery of DNA as the genetic material brought great hope to scientists all over the world. It was believed that many of the lingering questions in genetics and the mechanisms of heredity would fnally be answered. However, as often is the case in science, more qu- tions arose out of this discovery. What defnes a gene? What are the mechanisms of gene regulation? Further discovery and technological innovations brought about sequencing techniques that allowed the study of complete genomes from many organisms, including Arabidopsis and humans. Despite all the excitement surrounding these technologies, many features of the genome remained unclear. Peculiar characteristics in genome composition such as signifcant redundancy consisting of many repetitive elements and noncoding sequences, active transcriptional units with no protein product, and unusual sequences in promoter regions added to the mysteries of genetic make-up and gene regulation. Indeed, the more we discovered about the genome, the more diffcult it became to understand the complexity of cellular function and regulation. Out of the study of the intricacies of the genome and gene regulation, arose a new science that was independent of actual DNA changes, but critical in maintaining gene regulation and genetic stability. Epigenetics, literally translated as "above genetics," is the science that describes the mechanisms of heritable changes in gene regulation that does not involve modifcations of DNA sequence. These changes may last through somatic cell division and, in some cases, throughout multiple generations.

This volume provides a variety of protocols to analyze various epigenetic changes, including differential expression of non-coding RNAs, changes in DNA methylation, and histone modifications in plants. Chapters detail protocols with different degrees of complexity, and describe bioinformatics approaches for data processing and analysis. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant Epigenetics: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

This volume provides a variety of protocols to analyze various epigenetic changes, including differential expression of non-coding RNAs, changes in DNA methylation, and histone modifications in plants. Chapters detail protocols with different degrees of complexity, and describe bioinformatics approaches for data processing and analysis. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant Epigenetics: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

The discovery of DNA as the genetic material brought great hope to scientists all over the world. It was believed that many of the lingering questions in genetics and the mechanisms of heredity would fnally be answered. However, as often is the case in science, more qu- tions arose out of this discovery. What defnes a gene? What are the mechanisms of gene regulation? Further discovery and technological innovations brought about sequencing techniques that allowed the study of complete genomes from many organisms, including Arabidopsis and humans. Despite all the excitement surrounding these technologies, many features of the genome remained unclear. Peculiar characteristics in genome composition such as signifcant redundancy consisting of many repetitive elements and noncoding sequences, active transcriptional units with no protein product, and unusual sequences in promoter regions added to the mysteries of genetic make-up and gene regulation. Indeed, the more we discovered about the genome, the more diffcult it became to understand the complexity of cellular function and regulation. Out of the study of the intricacies of the genome and gene regulation, arose a new science that was independent of actual DNA changes, but critical in maintaining gene regulation and genetic stability. Epigenetics, literally translated as "above genetics," is the science that describes the mechanisms of heritable changes in gene regulation that does not involve modifcations of DNA sequence. These changes may last through somatic cell division and, in some cases, throughout multiple generations.

Every species has to preserve the integrity of its genome to ensure faithful passage of genetic information to the progeny. At the same time, there are times during the life of the organism and population in general when a fine balance in genome stability and diversification has to be made to benefit the survival of the species. Genome Stability teaches the reader how various species maintain this fine balance in genome stability and genome diversification in response to their environments. Genome Stability covers a wide range of topics, including the genome stability of DNA/RNA viruses, prokaryotes, single cell eukaryotes, lower multicellular eukaryotes and mammals. Topics also include major DNA repair mechanisms, the role of chromatin in genome stability, human diseases associated with genome instability as well as changes in genome stability in response to aging. Finally, Genome Stability covers how epigenetic factors contribute to genome stability and how the species pass the memory of the encounters to the progeny, thus influencing the genome of the progeny in an indirect manner. This volume is an essential resource for geneticists, epigeneticists, and molecular biologists who are looking to gain a deeper understanding of this rapidly-expanding field, and can also be of great use to advanced students who are looking to gain additional expertise in genome stability.