ABSTRACT
The epigenetic mechanisms include histone modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs which control gene expression independent of change in the sequence of DNA. In plants, observations have been made on the phenomena such as natural and induced epigenetic variation, inheritance of epigenetic variants in recombinant inbred lines (RILs), epigenetic quantitative trait loci (Epi-QTL) mapping, contribution of phenotypic and epigenetic variation to complex traits, chromatin three-dimensional interactions in gene expression, gene expression level prediction through quantitative models, molecular basis of genotype by environment (G × E) interactions, heritable basis of complex traits, and comparison between epigenetic mapping and linkage disequilibrium approaches, which have added to our knowledge of the factors contributing complex traits. The characteristic feature of epigenetics aims to undergo stable inheritance in the subsequent generations and holds promise in plant biotechnology and breeding. The heritable epiallelic variation linked with the trait of interest shows significant application in crop improvement programs. The in-depth knowledge of epigenetics-based approaches has the potential to detect the epigenetic effects caused by locus linked with target characteristics of interest among agricultural crops. The goal of this publication is to consolidate the existing knowledge about the architecture of complex traits of plants by focusing on the abovementioned aspects and decipher the potential of exploitation of complex traits in crop improvement.
