Ben P. Williams

DNA demethylases constrain multigenerational methylome and transcriptome divergence

This study shows that DNA demethylases limit multigenerational methylation and transcriptome divergence by showing that their loss leads to increased methylation gains and transcriptome divergence in Arabidopsis.

Complete vegetative propagation via an epigenetic state change

This study shows that Arabidopsis mutants with impaired DNA demethylase pathways can regenerate whole plants from cuttings without hormones, accompanied by specific DNA methylation changes at pluripotency-related genes.

Aging drives a program of DNA methylation decay in plant organs

This study shows that aging in Arabidopsis thaliana causes DNA methylation decay and transposable element expression, with a gene regulatory program controlling the rate of epigenetic loss.

Dynamic DNA methylation turnover in gene bodies is associated with enhanced gene expression plasticity in plants

The paper identifies a new type of gene body methylation in plants that is dynamically regulated and linked to increased gene expression plasticity.