title: DNA methylation inhibits expression and transposition of the Neurospora Tad retrotransposon.
abstract: Tad is a LINE-like retrotransposon of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. We have analyzed both expression and transposition of this element using strains with a single copy of Tad located in the 5' noncoding sequences of the am (glutamate dehydrogenase) gene. Tad in this position has been shown to carry a de novo cytosine methylation signal which causes reversible methylation of both Tad and am upstream sequences. Here we find that methylation of the Tad sequences inhibits both Tad expression and transposition. This inhibition can be relieved by the use of 5-azacytidine, a drug which reduces cytosine methylation, or by placing the Tad/am sequences in a dim-2 genetic background.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Cambareri
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kinsey
mesh_terms: D001374:Azacitidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000187:drug effects; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007763:Lac Operon; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000235:genetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D018626:Retroelements; D001374:Azacitidine