The DNA methyltransferase-2 gene in the prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii: characteristics and expression patterns during ovarian and embryonic development.
DNA methylation plays important roles in eukaryotic development. However, studies of DNA methylation in Crustacea are very limited. In the present study, we isolated and identified a DNA methyltransferase 2 (Mar-Dnmt2) gene from the prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. The cDNA of Mar-Dnmt2 contained an 1,191-bp open reading frame that encoded a putative Dnmt2 protein of 396 amino acids with the ten motifs characteristic of DNA methyltransferases and exhibiting high identities with other known Dnmt2 homologs (30%-42%). By real-time PCR, an especially high level of Mar-Dnmt2 mRNA was found in the ovary, approximately 5-16 times higher than in other tissues. Moreover, Mar-Dnmt2 mRNA obviously decreased during embryonic development. On the other hand, DNA methylation was detected in this study; about 0.05% of cytosine residues were found to be methylated in the DNA of M. rosenbergii.
Feng
Chen-Zhuo
CZ
Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, PR China.
Ding
Xia
X
Li
Ye
Y
Chen
Su
S
Yang
Fan
F
Yang
Wei-Jun
WJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000737:chemistry; D033541:Palaemonidae / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D000906:Antibodies; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases