Journal de physiologie et pathologie végétales

DNA Methylation and Plant Stress Responses

Jianchuan Deng, Shuyan Kou, Cuiping Zhang, Qian Zou, Ping Li and Pingrong Yuan

Plants are sensitive to external environmental conditions and the mechanisms of stress tolerance in plants are complex. As one of the most significant epigenetic phenomena, DNA methylation plays a crucial role in plants’ adaptation to environmental changes. Recent research has improved our understanding of the relationship between DNA methylation and stress tolerance. Here, we review the mechanism of DNA methylation and discuss recent reports of the dynamics of DNA methylation in plants under abiotic stress conditions, including high salt concentration, drought, and extreme temperatures. The DNA methylation plays important functions during the response to stress in plants, but the differential variations of which were exhibiting in different species. The consistent or the specific mechanisms of DNA methylation need further exploration.