Gene body methylation is under selection in Arabidopsis thaliana.

ABSTRACT: In plants, mammals and insects, some genes are methylated in the CG dinucleotide context, a phenomenon called gene body methylation (gbM). It has been controversial whether this phenomenon has any functional role. Here, we took advantage of the availability of 876 leaf methylomes in Arabidopsis thaliana to characterize the population frequency of methylation at the gene level and to estimate the site-frequency spectrum of allelic states. Using a population genetics model specifically designed for epigenetic data, we found that genes with ancestral gbM are under significant selection to remain methylated. Conversely, ancestrally unmethylated genes were under selection to remain unmethylated. Repeating the analyses at the level of individual cytosines confirmed these results. Estimated selec

SUBMITTER: Muyle A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8225343 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature