Open AccessDNA from Aspergillus flavus contains 5‐methylcytosine
Author(s) -
Gowher Humaira,
Ehrlich Kenneth C.,
Jeltsch Albert
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2001.tb10939.x
Subject(s) - aspergillus flavus , 5 methylcytosine , dna , genomic dna , cytosine , biology , aspergillus nidulans , methyltransferase , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , dna methylation , chemistry , methylation , gene , gene expression , mutant
DNA from Aspergillus sp. has been reported not to contain 5‐methylcytosine. However, it has been found that Aspergillus nidulans responds to 5‐azacytidine, a drug that is a strong inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases. Therefore, we have re‐examined the occurrence of 5‐methylcytosine in DNA from Aspergillus flavus by using a highly sensitive and specific method for detection of modified bases in genomic DNA comprising high‐performance liquid chromatography separation of nucleosides, labeling of the nucleoside with deoxynucleoside kinase and two‐dimensional thin‐layer chromatography. Our results show that 5‐methylcytosine is present in DNA from A. flavus . We estimate the relative amounts of 5‐methylcytosine to cytosine to be approximately 1/400.