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Methylation‐Sensitive Amplification Polymorphism in Date Palms ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) and their Off‐Shoots
Author(s) -
Fang J.G.,
Chao C. T.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1055/s-2007-964934
Subject(s) - biology , shoot , dna methylation , methylation , botany , phoenix dactylifera , gene , palm , genetics , gene expression , physics , quantum mechanics
DNA methylation plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes. In this study, the extent and patterns of DNA methylation were assessed in date palm mother‐plants and their off‐shoots using the methylation‐sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) technique. Three types of bands were generated using 12 pairs of primers. Type I were present in both Eco R I + Hpa II and Eco R I + Msp I lanes; type II were present in Eco R I + Hpa II lanes, but not in Eco R I + Msp I lanes; and type III bands were present in Eco R I + Msp I lanes, but not in Eco R I + Hpa II lanes. The total numbers of these three types of bands were 782, 55, and 34, respectively. Among these three types of bands, the polymorphic bands were, respectively, 37, 10, and 0. The distribution of polymorphic bands among mother‐plants and off‐shoots suggests the methylation variation was present in both the mother‐plants and off‐shoots. Forty‐ four out of these 47 polymorphic bands show clear difference between mother‐plant and off‐shoots: 38 were present only in off‐shoots and 6 in both mother‐plants and off‐shoots. Compared to methylation status in mother‐plants, the methylation variation during off‐shoot growth of date palm can be characterized as a process involving primarily de‐methylation. Hypomethylation of DNA in off‐shoots, compared with mother‐plants, reflects the marked expression of this molecular feature, which may be related to gene expression during off‐shoot development. The methylation or de‐methylation status of specific loci in the mother‐plants and their off‐shoots were probably random events.