We discover a new functional DNA modification in #eukaryotes, 4mC. 4mC is catalyzed by two novel methyltransferases specifically expressed in #Marchantia #sperm. 4mC covers all genes in mature sperm and is essential for sperm function! #methylation #reprogramming Please RT!

Gene body methylation mediates epigenetic inheritance of plant traits biorxiv.org/cgi/content/sh… #bioRxiv

Maize Decrease in DNA methylation 1 targets RNA-directed DNA methylation on active chromatin #PlantSci #Maize #Chromatin buff.ly/3rv7xHP

STUDY - How information beyond the genetic sequence is encoded in the plant sperm uncovered by Jincheng Long, James Walker and others in the Xiaoqi Feng lab okt.to/tkxmdK

Our work on the determination of paternal DNA methylome by nurse cell sRNA is now online Science Magazine. Congrats to my amazing postdocs Jincheng Long James Walker Wenjing She and others involved! #epigenetics #reproduction science.sciencemag.org/content/373/65…

Great work from the Feng lab! Also see my commentary for context and implications: science.sciencemag.org/content/373/65…

STUDY - “Our study could open a new avenue of crop biotechnology. For example, through the manipulation of small RNA directed DNA methylation of the cells that directly contribute to seed formation and the breeding process” - Jincheng Long okt.to/XZwaes Xiaoqi Feng

Germline defense against transposons Xiaoqi Feng John Innes Centre Dr. Rebecca Mosher Nurse cell­–derived small RNAs define paternal epigenetic inheritance in Arabidopsis science.sciencemag.org/content/373/65… Small RNAs on the move in male germ cells science.sciencemag.org/content/373/65…

Really excited to share our preprint! In plants, each pollen grain is a multicellular organism with active transcription from the haploid genome. We asked: When does pollen "come of age" and take over from its diploid parent? doi.org/10.1101/2021.0…

PSRW July 30 plantae.org/plant-science-… Convergent gene-regulatory networks & plant adaptations; Fleshy “fruits” of gymnosperms; Opinion: Plants have neither synapses nor a nervous system; Nurse cell-derived small RNAs & ♂️ inheritance; Plant prion-like proteins in stress & memory

Maize decrease in DNA methylation 1 targets RNA-directed DNA methylation on active chromatin academic.oup.com/plcell/article… surprising and interesting finding that maize DDM1 is found predominantly on euchromatin The Plant Cell

Preprint Alert! Latest from the Slotkin Lab Danforth Center. Great work from Meredith J Sigman @mccue_andrea Kaushik Panda. How does epigenetic silencing start? In plants, it’s all about Pol V recruitment. biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

Delighted to share our new work. We discover a new mechanism of transcription-compatible chromatin condensation, thereby solving a long-standing mystery of how sperm nuclei are condensed in angiosperms. Thanks for RT. Real heroes ⁦⁦Toby Buttress⁩ biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

Super excited to share the main findings from my PhD with Xiaoqi Feng John Innes Centre where we show that the flowering plant specific histone variant H2B.8 phase separates to compact sperm chromatin without affecting transcription. biorxiv.org/content/10.110… Here’s a thread…

Check out this cool new preprint from our lab - interesting genome occupancy of a H2B variant that condenses sperm! Congratulations to Toby Buttress Xiaoqi Feng and everyone else involved!

We are looking for a postdoc to join my group John Innes Centre to study plant #germline #epigenetics, a project funded by European Research Council (ERC). GARNet UK Plant Science EMBO YIP IASPRR @iasprr.bsky.social CambridgeEpigenetics Gatsby Plant Science Education Programme Please RT many thanks! okt.to/vCWm8J

Congratulations Jincheng Long 🥳👏

Putting RNA-directed DNA methylation to practical use! Improving disease resistance in plants by editing the epigenome biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

BSA in 0.06 molar NaCl

All I want is to find the original protocol 😭