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DNA adenine methylation changes dramatically during establishment of symbiosis
Author(s) -
Ichida Hiroyuki,
Matsuyama Tomoki,
Abe Tomoko,
Koba Takato
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the febs journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.981
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1742-4658
pISSN - 1742-464X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2007.05643.x
Subject(s) - dna methylation , symbiosis , methylation , dna , computational biology , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene , bacteria , gene expression
The DNA adenine methylation status on specific 5′‐GANTC‐3′ sites and its change during the establishment of plant–microbe interactions was demonstrated in several species of α‐proteobacteria. Restriction landmark genome scanning (RLGS), which is a high‐resolution two dimensional DNA electrophoresis method, was used to monitor the genomewide change in methylation. In the case of Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099, real RLGS images obtained with the restriction enzyme Mbo I, which digests at GATC sites, almost perfectly matched the virtual RLGS images generated based on genome sequences. However, only a few spots were observed when the restriction enzyme Hin fI was used, suggesting that most GANTC ( Hin fI) sites were tightly methylated and specific sites were unmethylated. DNA gel blot analysis with the cloned specifically unmethylated regions (SUMs) showed that some SUMs were methylated differentially in bacteroids compared to free‐living bacteria. SUMs have also been identified in other symbiotic and parasitic bacteria. These results suggest that DNA adenine methylation may contribute to the establishment and/or maintenance of symbiotic and parasitic relationships.