These results, together with the evidence presented in the previous sections, highlight the crucial role not only of the de novo DRM2/1 methylation mediated by sRNAs (RdDM) and direct methylation maintenance (MET1, CMT3), but also of the demethylation mediated by ROS1 activity during M. javanica infection, in line with the DNA methylation dynamics observed at early and late infection stages (Figs 1, 2, 3, 4). The gene discussed is ROS1; the disease is infection.