The Complex Epigenetic Panorama in the Multipartite Genome of the Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti.

ABSTRACT: In prokaryotes, DNA methylation plays roles in DNA repair, gene expression, cell cycle progression, and immune recognition of foreign DNA. Genome-wide methylation patterns can vary between strains, influencing phenotype, and gene transfer. However, broader evolutionary studies on bacterial epigenomic variation remain limited. In this study, we conducted an epigenomic analysis using single-molecule real-time sequencing on 21 strains of Sinorhizobium meliloti, a facultative plant nitrogen-fixing alphaproteobacterium. This species is notable for its multipartite genome structure, consisting of a chromosome, chromid, and megaplasmid, leading to significant genomic and phenotypic diversity. We identified 16 palindromic and nonpalindromic methylated DNA motifs, including N4-methylcytosine and N6

SUBMITTER: Passeri I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11711589 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature