Genomic methylation patterns in archaeological barley show de-methylation as a time-dependent diagenetic process.

ABSTRACT: Genomic methylation is variable under biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. In particular, viral infection is thought to significantly increase genomic methylation with particularly high activity around transposable elements. Here we present the genomic methylation profiles of grains of archaeological barley (Hordeum vulgare) from several strata from a site in southern Egypt, from the Napatan to the Islamic periods (800 BCE - 1812 CE). One sample tested positive for viral infection and exhibits an unusually high degree of genomic methylation compared to the rest. A decreasing trend in global methylation levels according to deposition date shows in-situ de-methylation of 5-methylcytosine, which can be described as a diagenetic process. This is most likely a deamination mediated de-methylat

SUBMITTER: Smith O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4081896 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature