中国科学家揭示水稻冷适应调控机制 实证“获得性遗传”理论

Core Viewpoint - The research conducted by the team led by Academician Cao Xiaofeng from the Chinese Academy of Sciences provides direct molecular evidence supporting the theory of "acquired inheritance" by demonstrating that environmentally induced epigenetic variations can mediate adaptive traits across generations in rice [2][10]. Group 1: Research Findings - The study established a multi-generational cold stress screening system, successfully obtaining rice strains with significantly enhanced cold resistance that exhibit stable inheritance over at least five generations after the removal of cold stress [4][7]. - The research identified a key variation site in the promoter region of the Arabidopsis galactin gene ACT1, where the loss of methylation allows for the expression of ACT1 to no longer be suppressed by low temperatures [5][8]. - The findings revealed a complete regulatory pathway for cold adaptation, where low-temperature stress downregulates the expression of DNA methyltransferase MET1b, leading to the loss of DNA methylation at the ACT1 promoter, which activates ACT1 expression and confers cold resistance to rice [7][10]. Group 2: Implications for Agriculture - The research introduces a new breeding strategy termed "adversity domestication-epigenetic variation identification-precise editing," which offers innovative solutions for agricultural production challenges posed by global climate change [2]. - The study's analysis of DNA methylation in 131 local rice varieties from three major rice-growing regions in China indicates a "south high, north low" gradient in DNA methylation status of ACT1, suggesting that epigenetic variation is a key domestication site for cold adaptation in rice as it migrates northward [8].