title: Is DNA methylation modulated by wounding-induced oxidative burst in maize?
abstract: Plants respond to environmental changes by modifying gene expression. One of the mechanisms regulating gene expression is methylation of cytosine to 5-methylcytosine (m(5)C) which modulates gene expression by changing chromatin structure. Methylation/demethylation processes affect genes that are controlled upon environmental stresses. Here, on account of the regulatory role of m(5)C, we evaluate the content of m(5)C in DNA from normal and wound-damaged maize leaves. Wounding leads to a transient decrease of the global DNA methylation level ca 20-30% 1 h after the treatment followed by a return to the initial level within the next hours. Similar results were obtained using of radio-labeled nucleotides separated by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) or using m(5)C-specific Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Wounding induced in maize leaves a two-step oxidative stress, an early one just after wounding and the second two hours later. It coincides with the transient changes of the cytosine methylation level. In the stress-inducible maize calcium-dependent protein kinase ZmCPK11 gene wounding transiently reduced methylation of cytosines 100 and 126 in the first exon.
authors: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Elżbieta
authors: E
authors: Lewandowska-Gnatowska
authors: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Lidia
authors: L
authors: Polkowska-Kowalczyk
authors: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Jadwiga
authors: J
authors: Szczegielniak
authors: Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznań, Poland.
authors: Mirosława
authors: M
authors: Barciszewska
authors: Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznań, Poland.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Barciszewski
authors: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: muszynsk@ibb.waw.pl.
authors: Grażyna
authors: G
authors: Muszyńska
mesh_terms: D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Abiotic stress; DNA methylation; Maize; Oxidative stress; ZmCPK11 maize calcium-dependent protein kinase