Plant Modifications Research Articles

Hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide regulate the adaptation to iron deficiency through affecting Fe homeostasis and thiol redox modification in Glycine max seedlings

Iron (Fe) is a vital microelement required for the growth and development of plants. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nitric oxide (NO), as messenger molecules, participated in the regulation of plant physiological processes. Here, we studied the interaction effects of H2S and NO on the adaptation to Fe deficiency in Glycine max L. Physiological, biochemical and molecular approaches were conducted to analyze the role of H2S and NO in regulating the adaptation to Fe deficiency in soybean. We found that H2S and NO had obvious rescuing function on the Fe deficiency-induced the plant growth inhibition, which was significantly correlated with the increase in Fe content in the leaves, stems, and roots of soybean. Meanwhile, H+-flux, ferric chelate reductase (FCR) activity, and root apoplast Fe content were significantly affected by H2S and NO. Under Fe deficiency conditions NO and H2S regulated the expression of genes related to Fe homeostasis. Moreover, photosynthesis (Pn) and photosystem II (PSII) efficiency were enhanced by H2S and NO, and thiol redox modification was important for regulating the adaptation of Fe deficiency. The aforementioned affirmative influences caused by H2S and NO were also totally reversed by cPTIO (a NO scavenger). Our results suggested that H2S might act upstream of NO in response to Fe deficiency by affecting the Fe homeostasis enzyme activities and gene expression, and by promoting Fe accumulation in plant tissues as well as by enhancing thiol redox modification and photosynthesis in soybean plants.

On the Effectiveness of SPIDER RF System Improvements

Source for the production of ions of deuterium extracted from a radio frequency plasma (SPIDER), the full-scale prototype of the ion source of the ITER heating neutral beam (HNB) injector, started the operation in June 2018. During the first experimental phase, some issues concerned its novel and complex power supply system. Dedicated analyses and studies, carried out to understand and address them, resulted in beam source and plant modifications to be implemented during the SPIDER major shutdown, started in late 2021. To assess the validity of the conceived countermeasures, reducing the risks of introducing additional issues, partial modifications, or mitigating actions were adopted in SPIDER in 2020, as an intermediate step to confirm each intervention with experimental evidence. This article deals mainly with two problems: the stray RF currents, flowing on plant components not intended for that purpose and the mutual interaction of the oscillators supplying the RF driven plasma source. A modification of the output stage of the oscillators allowed the reduction of the stray currents to at least 25% of the original value, while the RF circuits layout improvement resulted in the reduction of the mutual inductance of the nearby circuits to 25% of the original value. The introduced improvements and the obtained experimental results are presented and discussed.

Cut–dip–budding delivery system enables genetic modifications in plants without tissue culture

Of the more than 370 000 species of higher plants in nature, fewer than 0.1% can be genetically modified due to limitations of the current gene delivery systems. Even for those that can be genetically modified, the modification involves a tedious and costly tissue culture process. Here, we describe an extremely simple cut-dip-budding (CDB) delivery system, which uses Agrobacterium rhizogene to inoculate explants, generating transformed roots that produce transformed buds due to root suckering. We have successfully used CDB to achieve the heritable transformation of plant species in multiple plant families, including two herbaceous plants (Taraxacum kok-saghyz and Coronilla varia), a tuberous root plant (sweet potato), and three woody plant species (Ailanthus altissima, Aralia elata, and Clerodendrum chinense). These plants have previously been difficult or impossible to transform, but the CDB method enabled efficient transformation or gene editing in them using a very simple explant dipping protocol, under non-sterile conditions and without the need for tissue culture. Our work suggests that large numbers of plants could be amenable to genetic modifications using the CDB method.

Anthocyanin: a review of plant sources, extraction, stability, content determination and modifications

SummaryAnthocyanins are flavonoids of the polyphenol family, which are secondary metabolites of natural products synthesised by blueberries, mulberry and other plants. As a natural edible pigment, it is not only plentiful, non‐toxic and safe, but also has high nutritional value and pharmacological effects. Several studies have shown that anthocyanins have many health benefits such as improving vision, promoting antioxidant activity, capturing free radicals and treating cancer in humans. They are becoming increasingly popular in the fields of food and medicine. However, in terms of their structures, natural anthocyanins are unstable, easily deteriorating under the influence of their own structures and external factors, which greatly limits their application. Therefore, it is particularly important to use appropriate extraction methods and techniques to enhance the stability of anthocyanins. This article summarises the current research on anthocyanins in terms of plant sources, extraction, stability, content determination and structural modifications, and provides a reference for improving their application in the fields of food and medicine.

Increasing soybean productivity by plant equidistant arrangements and modification of technology levels of cropping systems

The arrangement of soybean plants defines their ability to recognize the environment and improve their abiotic and biotic interactions with it. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of planting arrangements associated to two distinct crop systems (high technological level or conventional crop level) for the soybean varieties 8473 RSF and AS 3730, to evaluate the plant performance and productivity in the field. A double factorial scheme was used with two varieties and six spatial arrangements. Two experiments were conducted during the 2017–2018 crop season: the first was based on standard cultivation of the Brazilian Cerrado (without irrigation systems and adequate fertilizer), whereas the second utilized high technology (irrigation systems and increased fertilizer). The morphophysiological parameters, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), leaf pigment content and crop yield parameters were evaluated. Our study pointed out the positive responses for both cultivated varieties and two technological levels adopted cultivated under equidistant arrangement and high density. The leaf area index, leaf pigment content, NDVI, and crop production showed substantial responses under different equidistant arrangements. Therefore, this procedure requires adjustments in the level of cultivation technology and identification of the most suitable soybean variety.

The characteristics of mRNA m6A methylomes in allopolyploid Brassica napus and its diploid progenitors.

Genome duplication events, comprising whole-genome duplication and single-gene duplication, produce a complex genomic context leading to multiple levels of genetic changes. However, the characteristics of m6A modification, the most widespread internal eukaryotic mRNA modification, in polyploid species are still poorly understood. This study revealed the characteristics of m6A methylomes within the early formation and following the evolution of allopolyploid Brassica napus. We found a complex relationship between m6A modification abundance and gene expression level depending on the degree of enrichment or presence/absence of m6A modification. Overall, the m6A genes had lower gene expression levels than the non-m6A genes. Allopolyploidization may change the expression divergence of duplicated gene pairs with identical m6A patterns and diverged m6A patterns. Compared with duplicated genes, singletons with a higher evolutionary rate exhibited higher m6A modification. Five kinds of duplicated genes exhibited distinct distributions of m6A modifications in transcripts and gene expression level. In particular, tandem duplication-derived genes showed unique m6A modification enrichment around the transcript start site. Active histone modifications (H3K27ac and H3K4me3) but not DNA methylation were enriched around genes of m6A peaks. These findings provide a new understanding of the features of m 6A modification and gene expression regulation in allopolyploid plants with sophisticated genomic architecture.

Gasotransmitters in Plants: Mechanisms of Participation in Adaptive Responses

Plant adaptive responses to environmental stresses occur with the participation of plant hormones and a network of signaling mediators. Among these, a growing attention has been paid over the recent years to gasotransmitters (GT). This term is used to define small gaseous molecules synthesized by living organisms that perform signaling functions. The main GT in plants are nitrogen monoxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The mechanisms of GT participation in the processes of plant adaptation to unfavorable environmental conditions have not yet been studied enough, which limits the use of GT in crop production. This review summarizes the latest data on GT synthesis in plants, the ability of GT to induce post-translational protein modifications in plants and to functionally interact with each other and with other signaling mediators. Particular attention is paid to the participation of GT in the regulation of antioxidant system, the state of cytoskeleton, and stomatal reactions of plants. These effects are important for stimulation by gasotransmitters the adaptation of plants to extreme temperatures, drought, and salinity. The possibilities of using GT donors in crop production were also considered.

Natural Supra‐Molecular Structure Engineering for High‐Performance Potassium Batteries Separator

AbstractAlthough potassium batteries (KBs), such as potassium‐metal batteries and potassium‐ion batteries, promise low cost and high‐energy density, specialized separators are not available that can satisfy the KBs operations. In this work, a hierarchical porous cellulose (HPC) separator with high‐performance, by engineering of the natural supra‐molecular structure of cellulose, is reported. The supra‐molecular and hierarchical structure of cellulose provides the separator with high porosity, excellent mechanical properties, superior electrolyte wettability, and stable thermal performance. The incorporation of small pore size (0.64 µm) and suitable tortuosity (1.83) reveal that the separator enables uniform current distribution and inhibits the puncturing of K dendrites. Thus, a lifespan of more than 1000 h for a K//K symmetric cell is achieved without short‐circuiting. Benefiting from the high K+ transference number (0.69), graphite//K and Prussian blue (PB)//K cells with HPC separators exhibited pre‐eminent cycling stability (400 and 200 cycles, respectively) and high‐rate performance. Moreover, the PB//graphite full cell with HPC separator is shown to deliver a reversible capacity of 86 mAh g−1 with 100 cycles. This novel HPC separator provides a possibility for the sustainable development of KBs and other energy storage systems by the rational structural modification of plants.

Genomic landscapes of bacterial transposons and their applications in strain improvement.

Transposons are mobile genetic elements that can give rise to gene mutation and genome rearrangement. Due to their mobility, transposons have been exploited as genetic tools for modification of plants, animals, and microbes. Although a plethora of reviews have summarized families of transposons, the transposons from fermentation bacteria have not been systematically documented, which thereby constrain the exploitation for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology purposes. In this review, we summarize the transposons from the most used fermentation bacteria including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Lactococcus lactis, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Zymomonas mobilis by literature retrieval and data mining from GenBank and KEGG. We also outline the state-of-the-art advances in basic research and industrial applications especially when allied with other genetic tools. Overall, this review aims to provide valuable insights for transposon-mediated strain improvement. KEY POINTS: • The transposons from the most-used fermentation bacteria are systematically summarized. • The applications of transposons in strain improvement are comprehensively reviewed.

Genome-wide identification of the jumonji C domain- containing histone demethylase gene family in wheat and their expression analysis under drought stress.

Methylation and demethylation of histone play a crucial role in regulating chromatin formation and gene expression. The jumonji C (JmjC) domain-containing proteins are demethylases that are involved in regulating epigenetic modification in plants. In our study, the JmjC genes in Triticum aestivum L., Triticum turgidum L., Triticum dicoccoides L., Triticum urartu L., and Aegilops tauschii L. were identified. Phylogenetic relationship and colinearity analysis revealed that the wheat JmjC genes were conserved in A, B, and D subgenomes during evolution. Cis-acting elements analysis showed that elements related to stress response, hormone response, and light response were found in wheat JmjC genes. The expression of JmjC genes was affected by tissue types and developmental stages, and members of the same subfamily tended to have similar expression patterns in wheat. They also showed a unique expression pattern in root during PEG (Polyethylene glycol) treatment. In conclusion, comprehensive analysis indicated that three members (Tr-1A-JMJ2, Tr-1B-JMJ2, and Tr-1D-JMJ2) might be regulated by several hormones and function in the early stages of drought stress, while eight members (Tr-1B-JMJ3, Tr-4B-JMJ1, Tr-7A-JMJ1, etc.) displayed a significantly high expression after 24 h of PEG treatment, indicating a role in the later stages of drought stress. This research presents the first genome-wide study of the JmjC family in wheat, and lays the foundation for promoting the study of their functional characterization in wheat drought resistance.

Genome-Wide Identification and Spatial Expression Analysis of Histone Modification Gene Families in the Rubber Dandelion Taraxacum kok-saghyz.

Taraxacum kok-saghyz (Tks), also known as the Russian dandelion, is a recognized alternative source of natural rubber quite comparable, for quality and use, to the one obtained from the so-called rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis. In addition to that, Tks roots produce several other compounds, including inulin, whose use in pharmaceutical and dietary products is quite extensive. Histone-modifying genes (HMGs) catalyze a series of post-translational modifications that affect chromatin organization and conformation, which, in turn, regulate many downstream processes, including gene expression. In this study, we present the first analysis of HMGs in Tks. Altogether, we identified 154 putative Tks homologs: 60 HMTs, 34 HDMs, 42 HATs, and 18 HDACs. Interestingly, whilst most of the classes showed similar numbers in other plant species, including M. truncatula and A. thaliana, HATs and HMT-PRMTs were indeed more abundant in Tks. Composition and structure analysis of Tks HMG proteins showed, for some classes, the presence of novel domains, suggesting a divergence from the canonical HMG model. The analysis of publicly available transcriptome datasets, combined with spatial expression of different developmental tissues, allowed us to identify several HMGs with a putative role in metabolite biosynthesis. Overall, our work describes HMG genomic organization and sets the premises for the functional characterization of epigenetic modifications in rubber-producing plants.

Progresses in mass spectrometry-based plant N-glycomics and N-glycoproteomics

N-glycosylation is a common post-translational modification (PTM) in plants that possesses important biological functions including protein folding, protein quality control, protein stability and protein-protein interactions. Nowadays, the interest in analysis of glycoproteins using mass spectrometry is increasing because of advances in instrumentation and automatic data analysis tools. Here, we describe the progresses in mass spectrometry-based N-glycomics and N-glycoproteomics in plants. We also provide a comprehensive summary of N-glycan structures in plants according to the biosynthetic rules and up-to-date reports, which serves as a theoretical database for all N-glycan-related search engines.

Hairy root transformation system as a tool for CRISPR/Cas9-directed genome editing in oilseed rape (Brassica napus).

Our study examined the mutation efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 method for tryptophan aminotransferase BnaTAA1 genes involved in the auxin biosynthesis pathway. We made nine CRISPR/Cas9 constructs with various promoters driving the expression of a Cas9 from Staphylococcus aureus (SaCas9) or a plant-codon-optimized Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (pcoCas9). We developed a fast and efficient system for evaluating the variety and frequency of mutations caused by each construct using Brassica napus hairy roots. We showed that pcoCas9 is more efficient in mutating the targeted loci than SaCas9 and the presence of the NLS signal enhanced the chance of mutagenesis by 25%. The mutations were studied further in regenerated lines, and we determined the BnaTAA1 gene expression and heritability of the gene modifications in transgenic plants. Hairy root transformation combined with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing represents a fast and straightforward system for studying target gene function in the important oilseed crop B. napus.

Risk Impact of Maintenance and Other Activities with Regard to Plant Areas

In all operating modes of a nuclear power plant a lot of activities take place, including maintenance, surveillance testing and plant modifications. Some of these activities can impose temporary increase in risk level, as they may change the status of equipment important to plant safety. Such risk increases are usually controlled by risk monitoring, which considers changes in risk due to changes in the status (e.g. availability) of plant systems and functions. Risk monitors are, in many cases, designed and operated to be system-oriented (or function-oriented), as they focus on “measuring” the risk associated with different system configurations (from where comes the often used term “configuration risk management”). On the other hand, components of plant systems are placed in various locations and at various floors (elevations) of plant buildings. Piping, as well as cabling, is routed through one or more buildings. Equipment performing different functions is, sometimes, located near each other due to architectural limitations. Where required, barriers are applied in order to ensure physical separation and independency. Due to these reasons, a particular plant area (compartment, room, part of a large room,…) can contain a variety of mechanical, electrical and / or other equipment with different safety implications. As well as system components, plant areas are also related to each other, with different degrees of relative importance. Since activities performed in different plant areas can imply changes, actual or potential, in the status of associated equipment, structures and / or barriers, there is also a need that risk monitoring considers the area-oriented aspects, beside considering those which are system-oriented or function-oriented. Risk impact of an activity taking place in a particular plant area can be considered in terms of changes (potential or actual) to its three components: 1) likelihood of initiators which can be triggered by equipment in the area (but which are not mitigated by any of the equipment in the same area); 2) mitigating capability regarding the initiators which are not triggered in this area; 3) likelihood of initiators triggered in this area and mitigating capability regarding the same initiators. Activity in a particular plant area may be related to none or to any combination of the three risk impact components. Normally, risk impact under 3) is limited by the architectural engineering principles (because it may become very large risk contributor). However, it may be present in some residual form and it cannot be excluded (as demonstrated by area-related risk studies performed in the past, such as internal fire and internal flooding analyses). With activity taking place in a particular area, the relevant importance of any other plant area (and, hence, potential risk impact of any activity that may be planned to go on at the same time) is then considered in terms of, respectively: 1) whether it contains the equipment relevant for mitigation of initiators that can be triggered in the considered area; 2) whether it includes the potential for triggering an initiator which is mitigated by the equipment located in the considered area; 3) whether it contains the relevant mitigation equipment or include the potential for relevant initiators. The paper discusses these and other related issues and describes some basic concepts for the area-oriented risk management.

Co-over expression of Ascorbate Glutathione pathway enzymes improve mercury tolerance in tomato

The genetic modification of plants for the removal of inorganic pollutants from contaminated soil and water bodies is an emerging area for addressing environmental concerns. This approach is based on the ability of plants to take up and accumulate heavy metals, with efficiency being dependent on the underlying mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation and tolerance. A robust antioxidant pathway is determinantal for heavy metal uptake and accumulation and, therefore, in this study, we evaluated the transgenic tomato plants installed with Ascorbate Glutathione (ASA-GSH) pathway genes for uptake, accumulation, and response to mercury (Hg). We observed that ASA-GSH overexpressing lines were resilient to Hg stress as they displayed higher photosynthetic activity and increased photosynthetic gas exchange parameters with a concomitant decrease in ion leakage under Hg stress. Additionally, transgenic lines accumulated high osmolytes and showed enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, the results of SEM and confocal microscopy confirmed least damage to plant tissue in ASA-GSH overexpressing lines compared to wild-type under Hg-stress which was further supported by Atomic absorption study that revealed a significant decline in Hg accumulation in the leaves of transgenic lines compared to wild-type under stress conditions. In conclusion, pyramiding of ASA-GSH pathway genes in tomato plants is an efficient approach for the development of Hg-resistant tomato plants and the reclamation of Hg-contaminated sites.

Epigenetic Modifications in Plants – Impact on Phospholipid Signaling and Secondary Metabolism

Plants are considered as the "masters" of epigenetic regulation. Being exposed to many environmental factors during the vegetation period, they, have developed mechanisms on the molecular level that help them rapidly and reversibly change their epigenetic status and survive environmental stress. Recent studies document the importance of epigenetic control in plant responses to environmental stress through changes in gene activity and expression, resulting in metabolic pathways modifications as well. This brief review focuses on epigenetic modifications induced by an abiotic stress and on the effects of changes in phospholipid signalling, especially concerning the formation of secondary metabolites in plants.

NPP Krško 3 inch Cold Leg Break LOCA Calculation using RELAP5/MOD 3.3 and MELCOR 1.8.6 Codes

NPP Krško input deck developed at Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) Zagreb, for severe accident code MELCOR 1.8.6 is currently being tested. MELCOR is primarily used for the analyses of severe accidents including in-vessel and ex-vessel core melt progression as well as containment response under severe accident conditions. Accurate modelling of the plant thermal-hydraulic behaviour as well as engineering safety features, e.g., Emergency Core Cooling System, Auxiliary feedwater system and various containment systems (e.g., Passive Autocatalytic Recombiners, Fan Coolers and Containment spray) is necessary to correctly predict the plant response and operator actions. For MELCOR input data verification, the comparison of the results for small break (3 inch) cold leg Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) for NPP Krško using MELCOR 1.8.6 and RELAP5/MOD 3.3 was performed. A detailed RELAP5/MOD 3.3 model for NPP Krško has been developed at FER and it has been extensively used for accident and transient analyses. The RELAP5 model has been upgraded and improved along with the plant modernization in the year 2000. and after more recent plant modifications. The results of the steady state calculation (first 1000 seconds) for both MELCOR and RELAP5 were assessed against the referent plant data. In order to test all thermal-hydraulic aspects of developed MELCOR 1.8.6 model the accident was analysed, and comparison to the existing RELAP5 model was performed, with all engineering safety features available. After initial fast pressure drop and accumulator injection for both codes stable conditions were established with heat removal through the break and core inventory maintained by safety injection. Transient was simulated for 10000 seconds and overall good agreement between results obtained with both codes was found.

Plant-Based Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Trigger Biochemical and Proteome Modifications in Triticum aestivum L. under Biotic Stress of Puccinia striiformis.

In this study, we evaluated bioinspired titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) that elicited biochemical and proteome modifications in wheat plants under the biotic stress caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). Biosynthesis of TiO2 NPs was confirmed using UV–Vis spectrophotometry, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. We found that the nanoparticles with crystalline nature were smaller than 100 nm. The results of FTIR analysis showed the presence of potential functional groups exhibiting O-H, N-H, C-C, and Ti-O stretching. The TiO2 NPs of different concentrations (20, 40, 60, and 80 mg L−1) were exogenously applied to wheat plants under the biotic stress caused by Pst, which is responsible for yellow stripe rust disease. The results of the assessment of disease incidence and percent disease index displayed time- and dose-dependent responses. The 40 mg L−1 TiO2 NPs were the most effective in decreasing disease severity. The bioinspired TiO2 NPs were also evaluated for enzymatic (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT)), and nonenzymatic metabolites (total proline, phenolic, and flavonoid contents) in wheat plants under stripe rust stress. The 40 mg L−1 TiO2 NPs were effective in eliciting biochemical modifications to reduce biotic stress. We further evaluated the effects of TiO2 NPs through gel- and label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) proteome analysis. We performed proteome analysis of infected wheat leaves and leaves treated with 40 mg L−1 TiO2 NPs under stripe rust stress. The functional classification of the proteins showed downregulation of proteins related to protein and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as of photosynthesis in plants under biotic stress. An upregulation of stress-related proteins was observed, including the defense mechanisms and primary metabolic pathways in plants treated with 40 mg L−1 TiO2 NPs under stress. The experimental results showed the potential of applying biogenic TiO2 NPs to combat fungal diseases of wheat plants and provided insight into the protein expression of plants in response to biotic stress.

Evaluation of Impact of NEK Safety Upgrade Program Implementation on the Reduction of Total Core Damage Frequency

The nuclear accident in Japanese plants in 2011 has initiated a quick response from the countries utilizing a nuclear power. Krsko Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) was required by Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) to perform consequential actions to reduce the risk of severe accidents and their consequences as low as feasible. NEK have analyzed the response to the severe accidents, and based on the results of this analysis, proposed the measures to be implemented in the shortest possible time. In response to SNSA request NEK has developed the Safety Upgrade Program (SUP) which contains a comprehensive set of measures for plant safety improvements. SUP Phase 1 has been implemented during the Outage 2013. This paper presents the work done on the evaluation of impact of plant modifications planned for implementation in Phases 2 and 3 of NEK Safety Upgrade Program on the quantitative figure of merit for the plant risk significance – total core damage frequency (CDF). A significance of the most valuable measures in terms of contribution to the CDF reduction was determined and a new fractional contribution of initiators categories was obtained. The quantification of total CDF was made by employment of RiskSpectrum PSA code and running a predefined set of analytical cases for all initiator categories covered by the scope of NEK PSA model. The basis for analysis was NEK’s most recent at-power PSA model which reflects the plant status with plant modernization implemented in SUP Phase 1. The analysis was done in two steps. In the first step plant modifications planned for SUP Phase 2 were addressed and in the second step plant modernization measures and upgrades planned in SUP Phase 3 were modeled in addition to those already modelled in the first step.

Role of Epigenetics in Modulating Phenotypic Plasticity against Abiotic Stresses in Plants

Plants being sessile are always exposed to various environmental stresses, and to overcome these stresses, modifications at the epigenetic level can prove vital for their long-term survival. Epigenomics refers to the large-scale study of epigenetic marks on the genome, which include covalent modifications of histone tails (acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and the small RNA machinery). Studies based on epigenetics have evolved over the years especially in understanding the mechanisms at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels in plants against various environmental stimuli. Epigenomic changes in plants through induced methylation of specific genes that lead to changes in their expression can help to overcome various stress conditions. Recent studies suggested that epigenomics has a significant potential for crop improvement in plants. By the induction and modulation of various cellular processes like DNA methylation, histone modification, and biogenesis of noncoding RNAs, the plant genome can be activated which can help in achieving a quicker response against various plant stresses. Epigenetic modifications in plants allow them to adjust under varied environmental stresses by modulating their phenotypic plasticity and at the same time ensure the quality and yield of crops. The plasticity of the epigenome helps to adapt the plants during pre- and postdevelopmental processes. The variation in DNA methylation in different organisms exhibits variable phenotypic responses. The epigenetic changes also occur sequentially in the genome. Various studies indicated that environmentally stimulated epimutations produce variable responses especially in differentially methylated regions (DMR) that play a major role in the management of stress conditions in plants. Besides, it has been observed that environmental stresses cause specific changes in the epigenome that are closely associated with phenotypic modifications. However, the relationship between epigenetic modifications and phenotypic plasticity is still debatable. In this review, we will be discussing the role of various factors that allow epigenetic changes to modulate phenotypic plasticity against various abiotic stress in plants.