Gene body methylation shows distinct patterns associated with different gene origins and duplication modes and has a heterogeneous relationship with gene expression in Oryza sativa (rice).
Whole-genome duplication (WGD) has been recurring and single-gene duplication is also widespread in angiosperms. Recent whole-genome DNA methylation maps indicate that gene body methylation (i.e. of coding regions) has a functional role. However, whether gene body methylation is related to gene origins and duplication modes has yet to be reported. In rice (Oryza sativa), we computed a body methylation level (proportion of methylated CpG within coding regions) for each gene in five tissues. Body methylation levels follow a bimodal distribution, but show distinct patterns associated with transposable element-related genes; WGD, tandem, proximal and transposed duplicates; and singleton genes. For pairs of duplicated genes, divergence in body methylation levels increases with physical distance and synonymous (Ks) substitution rates, and WGDs show lower divergence than single-gene duplications of similar Ks levels. Intermediate body methylation tends to be associated with high levels of gene expression, whereas heavy body methylation is associated with lower levels of gene expression. The biological trends revealed here are consistent across five rice tissues, indicating that genes of different origins and duplication modes have distinct body methylation patterns, and body methylation has a heterogeneous relationship with gene expression and may be related to survivorship of duplicated genes.
Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.|Computational Biology Service Unit, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Yupeng
Y
Wang
Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.|Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Hebei United University, Tangshan, Hebei, 063000, China.
Xiyin
X
Wang
Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Tae-Ho
TH
Lee
Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Shahid
S
Mansoor
Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Andrew H
AH
Paterson
D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D020440:Gene Duplication / Q000235:genetics*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020131:Genes, Duplicate / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics*