Epigenetic modifications that regulate cellular plasticity are prime candidates to convey environmental information into ideally suited organismal phenotypes. However, their potential contributions to phenotypic plasticity are still largely unknown. We use the mouth-form polyphenism of Pristionchus pacificus to 1) uncover the identity of epigenetic information carriers that contribute to alternative phenotypes, and (2) determine how these modifications communicate environmental information to transcription, and ultimately physiological and morphological phenotypes.

Relevant Publications:

• Jung, J. & Werner, M.S., The histone code at a crossroads: history, context, and new approaches. Trends in Genetics. 2025 [link]]

• Reich et al., Developmental transcriptomics in Pristionchus reveals the environmental responsiveness of a plasticity gene-regulatory network. Genome Research. 2025 [link]

• Brown et al., Characterization of the Pristionchus pacificus epigenetic toolkit reveals the evolutionary loss of the histone methyltransferase complex PRC2. Genetics. 2023. [link]

• Werner et al. Histone 4 lysine 5/12 acetylation enables developmental plasticity of Pristionchus mouth form. Nat Commun. 14, 2095. 2023. [link] 

We recently discovered that 'new' genes, otherwise known as taxon restricted, or 'orphan' genes, have distinct chromatin signatures at their 5' ends - resembling enhancers, rather than traditional promoters. We are interested in examining the generality of this phenomenon, and the process of enhancer-promoter evolutionary turnover.

Relevant Publications:

• Werner, et al.. Young genes have distinct gene structure, epigenetic profiles, and transcriptional regulation. Genome Res. 28, 1675–1687. 2018.  [link]