Growth condition-dependent differences in methylation imply transiently differentiated DNA methylation states in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: DNA methylation in bacteria frequently serves as a simple immune system, allowing recognition of DNA from foreign sources, such as phages or selfish genetic elements. However, DNA methylation also affects other cell phenotypes in a heritable manner (i.e. epigenetically). While there are several examples of methylation affecting transcription in an epigenetic manner in highly localized contexts, it is not well-established how frequently methylation serves a more general epigenetic function over larger genomic scales. To address this question, here we use Oxford Nanopore sequencing to profile DNA modification marks in three natural isolates of Escherichia coli. We first identify the DNA sequence motifs targeted by the methyltransferases in each strain. We then quantify the frequency of methy

SUBMITTER: Breckell GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9911048 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature