{"database":"GEO","file_versions":[{"headers":{"Content-Type":["application/json"]},"body":{"files":{"Other":["ftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/series/GSE296nnn/GSE296957/"]},"type":"primary"},"statusCode":"OK","statusCodeValue":200}],"scores":null,"additional":{"omics_type":["Methylation profiling"],"species":["Arabidopsis thaliana"],"gds_type":["Methylation profiling by high throughput sequencing"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE296957"],"repository":["GEO"],"entry_type":["GSE"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"Mapping genetic modifiers of epimutation rates identifies VIM2/4 as dosage-sensitive negative regulators of CG methylation maintenance [WGBS]","description":"Spontaneous epimutations—stochastic changes in cytosine methylation—can persist across generations in plants and are thought to contribute to phenotypic variation. Although epimutations are increasingly studied for their potential long-term effects, it remains unclear why their accumulation varies across genotypes. Here, we tracked DNA methylation across nine generations in ~400 mutation accumulation lineages derived from ~70 Arabidopsis Ler × Cvi recombinant inbred lines. Treating epimutation rates as quantitative molecular traits, we mapped a major QTL to a Cvi-derived deletion near VIM2 and VIM4, two genes involved in CG methylation (mCG) maintenance. We show that this deletion rapidly reduces genome-wide methylation to a lower steady-state and compromises mCG maintenance fidelity across generations, resulting in a ~1.5-fold increase in epimutation rates. Genotypes with elevated rates exhibited accelerated epigenetic drift and phenotypic divergence. Our findings support a punctuated-equilibrium model of mCG evolution, in which sudden disruptions to methylation homeostasis can destabilize epigenetic inheritance over longer time-scales.","dates":{"publication":"2026/07/18"},"accession":"GSE296957","cross_references":{"GSM":["GSM8980700","GSM8980702","GSM8980710","GSM8980713","GSM8980712","GSM8980708","GSM8980709","GSM8980703","GSM8980706","GSM8980705","GSM8980601","GSM8980722","GSM8980721","GSM8980600","GSM8980603","GSM8980724","GSM8980602","GSM8980723","GSM8980720","GSM8980719","GSM8980718","GSM8980715","GSM8980714","GSM8980717","GSM8980716","GSM8980612","GSM8980733","GSM8980732","GSM8980611","GSM8980735","GSM8980614","GSM8980734","GSM8980613","GSM8980731","GSM8980610","GSM8980730","GSM8980609","GSM8980729","GSM8980608","GSM8980726","GSM8980605","GSM8980604","GSM8980725","GSM8980728","GSM8980607","GSM8980606","GSM8980727","GSM8980623","GSM8980744","GSM8980502","GSM8980622","GSM8980501","GSM8980743","GSM8980625","GSM8980504","GSM8980746","GSM8980503","GSM8980624","GSM8980745","GSM8980740","GSM8980500","GSM8980621","GSM8980742","GSM8980741","GSM8980620","GSM8980619","GSM8980737","GSM8980616","GSM8980615","GSM8980736","GSM8980618","GSM8980739","GSM8980738","GSM8980617","GSM8980755","GSM8980513","GSM8980634","GSM8980512","GSM8980633","GSM8980754","GSM8980515","GSM8980757","GSM8980636","GSM8980635","GSM8980756","GSM8980514","GSM8980630","GSM8980751","GSM8980750","GSM8980632","GSM8980753","GSM8980511","GSM8980752","GSM8980631","GSM8980510","GSM8980509","GSM8980506","GSM8980627","GSM8980748","GSM8980626","GSM8980747","GSM8980505","GSM8980629","GSM8980508","GSM8980749","GSM8980507","GSM8980628","GSM8980760","GSM8980524","GSM8980766","GSM8980645","GSM8980523","GSM8980644","GSM8980765","GSM8980526","GSM8980647","GSM8980768","GSM8980646","GSM8980767","GSM8980525","GSM8980520","GSM8980641","GSM8980762","GSM8980761","GSM8980640","GSM8980643","GSM8980764","GSM8980522","GSM8980521","GSM8980763","GSM8980642","GSM8980638","GSM8980759","GSM8980517","GSM8980758","GSM8980516","GSM8980637","GSM8980519","GSM8980518","GSM8980639","GSM8980650","GSM8980771","GSM8980770","GSM8980535","GSM8980656","GSM8980777","GSM8980655","GSM8980776","GSM8980534","GSM8980658","GSM8980779","GSM8980537","GSM8980778","GSM8980657","GSM8980536","GSM8980773","GSM8980652","GSM8980531","GSM8980772","GSM8980651","GSM8980530","GSM8980775","GSM8980654","GSM8980533","GSM8980532","GSM8980653","GSM8980774","GSM8980649","GSM8980528","GSM8980769","GSM8980527","GSM8980648","GSM8980529","GSM8980780","GSM8980540","GSM8980782","GSM8980661","GSM8980781","GSM8980660","GSM8980546","GSM8980667","GSM8980788","GSM8980425","GSM8980666","GSM8980787","GSM8980424","GSM8980545","GSM8980669","GSM8980548","GSM8980427","GSM8980789","GSM8980426","GSM8980547","GSM8980668","GSM8980784","GSM8980421","GSM8980542","GSM8980663","GSM8980420","GSM8980541","GSM8980662","GSM8980783","GSM8980423","GSM8980544","GSM8980665","GSM8980786","GSM8980543","GSM8980664","GSM8980785","GSM8980422","GSM8980539","GSM8980538","GSM8980659","GSM8980419","GSM8980670","GSM8980791","GSM8980790","GSM8980672","GSM8980551","GSM8980793","GSM8980430","GSM8980792","GSM8980550","GSM8980671","GSM8980678","GSM8980436","GSM8980557","GSM8980435","GSM8980556","GSM8980677","GSM8980438","GSM8980559","GSM8980437","GSM8980558","GSM8980679","GSM8980795","GSM8980432","GSM8980553","GSM8980674","GSM8980552","GSM8980673","GSM8980794","GSM8980431","GSM8980555","GSM8980676","GSM8980434","GSM8980675","GSM8980554","GSM8980433","GSM8980429","GSM8980549","GSM8980428","GSM8980560","GSM8980681","GSM8980680","GSM8980441","GSM8980683","GSM8980562","GSM8980440","GSM8980561","GSM8980682","GSM8980689","GSM8980447","GSM8980568","GSM8980446","GSM8980567","GSM8980688","GSM8980449","GSM8980569","GSM8980448","GSM8980443","GSM8980564","GSM8980685","GSM8980563","GSM8980684","GSM8980442","GSM8980566","GSM8980445","GSM8980687","GSM8980686","GSM8980444","GSM8980565","GSM8980439","GSM8980692","GSM8980450","GSM8980571","GSM8980570","GSM8980691","GSM8980452","GSM8980573","GSM8980694","GSM8980572","GSM8980451","GSM8980690","GSM8980458","GSM8980579","GSM8980457","GSM8980699","GSM8980578","GSM8980459","GSM8980575","GSM8980696","GSM8980454","GSM8980695","GSM8980453","GSM8980574","GSM8980698","GSM8980577","GSM8980456","GSM8980455","GSM8980576","GSM8980461","GSM8980582","GSM8980460","GSM8980581","GSM8980463","GSM8980584","GSM8980583","GSM8980462","GSM8980580","GSM8980469","GSM8980589","GSM8980468","GSM8980586","GSM8980465","GSM8980464","GSM8980585","GSM8980467","GSM8980588","GSM8980466","GSM8980587","GSM8980593","GSM8980472","GSM8980592","GSM8980471","GSM8980595","GSM8980474","GSM8980473","GSM8980594","GSM8980470","GSM8980591","GSM8980590","GSM8980479","GSM8980476","GSM8980597","GSM8980596","GSM8980475","GSM8980478","GSM8980599","GSM8980477","GSM8980598","GSM8980483","GSM8980482","GSM8980485","GSM8980484","GSM8980481","GSM8980480","GSM8980487","GSM8980486","GSM8980489","GSM8980488","GSM8980494","GSM8980493","GSM8980496","GSM8980495","GSM8980490","GSM8980492","GSM8980491","GSM8980498","GSM8980497","GSM8980499"],"GPL":["26208"],"GSE":["296957"],"taxon":["Arabidopsis 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