RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Chromatin landscape dynamics in development of the plant parasitic nematode Meloidogyne incognita JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2021.05.11.443567 DO 10.1101/2021.05.11.443567 A1 Rahim Hassanaly-Goulamhoussen A1 Ronaldo De Carvalho Augusto A1 Nathalie Marteu-Garello A1 Arthur Péré A1 Bruno Favery A1 Martine Da Rocha A1 Etienne G.J. Danchin A1 Pierre Abad A1 Christoph Grunau A1 Laetitia Perfus-Barbeoch YR 2021 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/11/2021.05.11.443567.abstract AB In model organisms, epigenome dynamics underlies a plethora of biological processes. The role of epigenetic modifications in development and parasitism in nematode pests remains unknown. The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita adapts rapidly to unfavorable conditions, despite its asexual reproduction. However, the mechanisms underlying this remarkable plasticity and their potential impact on gene expression remain unknown. This study provides the first insight into contribution of epigenetic mechanisms to this plasticity, by studying histone modifications in M. incognita. The distribution of five histone modifications revealed the existence of strong epigenetic signatures, similar to those found in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We investigated their impact on chromatin structure and their distribution relative to transposable elements (TE) loci. We assessed the influence of the chromatin landscape on gene expression at two developmental stages: eggs, and pre-parasitic juveniles. H3K4me3 histone modification was strongly correlated with high levels of expression for protein-coding genes implicated in stage-specific processes during M. incognita development. We provided new insights in the dynamic regulation of parasitism genes kept under histone modifications silencing. In this pioneering study, we establish a comprehensive framework for the importance of epigenetic mechanisms in the regulation of the genome expression and its stability in plant-parasitic nematodes.Author summary The nematode Meloidogyne incognita is one of the most destructive plant parasites worldwide. Its ability to infect a wide range of hosts and its high adaptability contribute to its parasitic success. We investigated the role of epigenetic mechanisms — specifically post-translational histone modifications — in the parasitic life cycle. We showed these modifications are linked to gene expression regulation and likely contribute to nematode development and pathogenicity.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.