Dynamic DNA methylation turnover in gene bodies is associated with enhanced gene expression plasticity in plants.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In several eukaryotes, DNA methylation occurs within the coding regions of many genes, termed gene body methylation (GbM). Whereas the role of DNA methylation on the silencing of transposons and repetitive DNA is well understood, gene body methylation is not associated with transcriptional repression, and its biological importance remains unclear.

Results

We report a newly discovered type of GbM in plants, which is under constitutive addition and removal by dynamic methylation modifiers in all cells, including the germline. Methylation at Dynamic GbM genes is removed by the DRDD demethylation pathway and added by an unknown source of de novo methylation, most likely the maintenance methyltransferase MET1. We show that the Dynamic GbM state is present at homologous

SUBMITTER: Williams CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10571256 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature