title: Macronuclear DNA demethylation is involved in the encystment process of the ciliate Colpoda inflata.
abstract: Ciliate encystment is an eukaryotic cell differentiation process which involves a specific gene expression, to form the resting stage. In this study, we investigate, for first time, the DNA methylation pattern changes during encystment in the ciliate Colpoda inflata, and the 5-azacytidine effect on growing cells and encystment. Results indicate that 5-methylcytosine is present in macronuclear DNA of this ciliate and the 5-azacytidine treatment induces encystment in growth conditions. From restriction enzyme digestion and 5-azacytidine experiments, we conclude that a specific DNA demethylation is probably involved in the encystment gene expression of this ciliate.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología-III, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense (UCM), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin-Gonzalez
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D008745:Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016800:Trichostomatida / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D001374:Azacitidine