DNA methylation changes in Medicago sativa under salt-alkaline stress and the function of 5-azacytidine in enhancing stress tolerance.

ABSTRACT: Salt-alkali soils severely affect the yield and quality of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), yet the epigenetic mechanisms underlying salt-alkali tolerance remain poorly understood in forage plants. Here, we integrate transcriptome profiling with a chemical demethylation approach to reveal how 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) remodels the methylome and enhances stress performance. Our research revealed that salt-alkali stress induced a decrease in methylation levels at CG and CHG sites, while methylation at CHH sites increased, with notable differences observed particularly in promoter and transposable element regions. The DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) enhanced alfalfa's tolerance to salt-alkali stress. Transcriptome analysis showed that this was associated with upregulation of gen

SUBMITTER: Gao R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12538822 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature