Intragenome distribution of 5-methylcytosine in DNA of healthy and wilt-infected cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.).
Fractionation of DNA of healthy and wilt-infected cotton plants has been carried out according to the reassociation kinetics and the content of GC and 5-methylcytosine in the resulting fractions has been studied. The genome of cotton plant was found to be methylated quite unevenly. The GC rich (GC equals 64.7 mole%) fraction of highly reiterated sequences (Cot equals 0-3.7 times 10- minus 2) has a high content of 5-methylcytosine (5.8 mole%), whereas the methylation degree of the fraction of unique sequences (Cot larger than or equal to 487) is very low (the 5-methylcytosine content is about 0.5 mole%). In plants being infected with wilt, the 5-methylcytosine content in DNA or cotton leaves decreases two-fold; no changes in the structure and molecular population of DNA has been found. The sharp change in the 5-methylcytosine content in DNA of infected plants takes place at the expense of the decrease in the 5-methylcytosine content in fractions of highly reiterated sequences. The methylation degree of unique sequences (structural genes) remains unchanged.
D001483:Base Sequence; D003596:Cytosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis*; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005796:Genes; D003368:Gossypium / Q000032:analysis; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010935:Plant Diseases; D010944:Plants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology
D003596:Cytosine; D004247:DNA