Genome-wide Evidence of non-Mendelian Modes of Inheritance for DNA Methylation Variants

Cytosine DNA methylation is one avenue for passing information through cell divisions. Here, we present epigenomic analyses of soybean recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and their parents. Identification of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) revealed DMRs mostly co-segregated with the genotype from which they were derived, but examples of uncoupling of genotype and epigenotype were identified. Linkage mapping of methylation states discovered evidence for methylQTL. This epigenomics approach provides the first study of the patterns and heritability of methylation variants in a complex genetic population over multiple generations paving the way for understanding how methylation variants contribute to phenotypic variation.