title: Evidence for cytosine methylation of non-symmetrical sequences in transgenic Petunia hybrida.
abstract: A considerable proportion of cytosine residues in plants are methylated at carbon 5. According to a well-accepted rule, cytosine methylation is confined to symmetrical sequences such as CpG and CpNpG, which provide the signal for faithful transmission of symmetrical methylation patterns by maintenance methylase. Using a genomic sequencing technique, we have analysed cytosine methylation patterns within a hypermethylated and a hypomethylated state of a transgene in Petunia hybrida. Examination of a part of the transgene promoter revealed that in both states m5C residues located within non-symmetrical sequences could be detected. Non-symmetrical C residues in the two states were methylated at frequencies of 5.9 and 31.9%, respectively. Methylation appeared to be distributed heterogeneously, but some DNA regions were more intensively methylated than others. Our results show that at least in a transgene, a heterogeneous methylation pattern, which does not depend on symmetry of target sequences, can be established and conserved.
authors.affiliation: Max-Delbrück-Laboratorium in der MPG, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Niedenhof
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: ten Lohuis
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003596:Cytosine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D003596:Cytosine; D004247:DNA; D008780:Methyltransferases