title: Specificity of DNA methylation changes during fungal dimorphism and its relationship to polyamines.
abstract: We utilized our modification of the amplified fragment length polymorphism technique for the determination of changes occurring in the DNA methylation patterns during the dimorphic transition of the fungi Mucor rouxii, Yarrowia lipolytica, and Ustilago maydis. To determine the specificity of differential methylation in regards to dimorphism, we obtained the yeast-like form of the three fungi under conditions that induced mycelial growth, by addition of 1,4-diaminobutanone (DAB), an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase in the case of M. rouxii and Y. lipolytica. In an odc null mutant of U. maydis, repression of the dimorphic transition was brought about by limitation in the amounts of exogenous putrescine. Yeasts from the three fungi thus obtained conserved a significant number of the differential DNA fragments with the methylation pattern displayed by normal yeasts, indicating their true correlation with dimorphism. Our results also confirm a role of polyamines in differential DNA methylation and fungal dimorphic transition.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apartado Postal 629, Irapuato, Gto. 36500, Mexico.
authors.forename: Georgina E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Reyna-López
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Herrera
mesh_terms: D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009089:Mucor / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D025282:Mycelium / Q000254:growth & development; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics; D065108:Ornithine Decarboxylase Inhibitors; D011073:Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D011700:Putrescine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014588:Ustilago / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D025062:Yarrowia / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D065108:Ornithine Decarboxylase Inhibitors; D011073:Polyamines; C014458:1,4-diaminobutanone; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase; D011700:Putrescine