Methylation of DNA in prokaryotes

Joint Analysis of Genome-wide DNA Methylation and Transcription Sequencing Identifies the Role of BAX Gene in Heat Stress-Induced-Sertoli Cells Apoptosis

The problem of male infertility is a global health crisis and poses a serious threat to the well-being of families. Under heat stress (HS), the reduction of Sertoli cells (SCs) inhibits energy transport and nutrient supply to germ cells, leading to spermatogenesis failure. DNA methylation of genes is a central epigenetic regulatory mechanism in mammalian reproduction. However, it remains unclear how DNA methylation regulates gene expression in heat-stressed SCs. In this study, we investigated whether the decrease in SC levels during HS could be related to epigenetic DNA modifications. The cells exposed to HS showed changes in differential methylation cytosines and regions (DMCs/DMRs) and differential expression genes (DEGs), but not in global DNA methylations. One of the most important biological processes affected by HS is cell apoptosis induced by the intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway (GO: 2,001,244, P < 0.05) by enrichment in the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The joint analysis showed that several gene expressions in RNA-seq and WGBS overlapped and the shortlisted genes BAX, HSPH1, HSF1B, and BAG were strongly correlated with stress response and apoptosis. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and flow cytometry (FCM) analyzes showed that reduced promoter methylation and enhanced gene expression of BAX with a consequence of apoptosis. The activity of BAX, as well as an increase in its expression, is likely to result in a reduction of SCs population which could further impair ATP supply and adversely affect membrane integrity. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms through which stressors cause male reproductive dysfunction and a new molecular etiology of male infertility.

Epigenomic Landscape of Lyme Disease Spirochetes Reveals Novel Motifs

Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease, persists in nature through an enzootic cycle consisting of a vertebrate host and an Ixodes tick vector. The sequence motifs modified by two well-characterized restriction/modification (R/M) loci of B. burgdorferi type strain B31 were recently described, but the methylation profiles of other Lyme disease Borrelia bacteria have not been characterized. Here, the methylomes of B. burgdorferi type strain B31 and 7 clonal derivatives, along with B. burgdorferi N40, B. burgdorferi 297, B. burgdorferi CA-11, B. afzelii PKo, B. afzelii BO23, and B. garinii PBr, were defined through PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing. This analysis revealed 9 novel sequence motifs methylated by the plasmid-encoded restriction/modification enzymes of these Borrelia strains. Furthermore, while a previous analysis of B. burgdorferi B31 revealed an epigenetic impact of methylation on the global transcriptome, the current data contradict those findings; our analyses of wild-type B. burgdorferi B31 revealed no consistent differences in gene expression among isogenic derivatives lacking one or more restriction/modification enzymes. IMPORTANCE The principal causative agent of Lyme disease in humans in the United States is Borrelia burgdorferi, while B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii, collectively members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex, cause Lyme disease in Europe and Asia. Two plasmid-encoded restriction/modification systems have been shown to limit the genetic transformation of B. burgdorferi type strain B31 with foreign DNA, but little is known about the restriction/modification systems of other Lyme disease Borrelia bacteria. This paper describes the methylation motifs present on genomic DNAs of multiple B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii strains. Contrary to a previous report, we did not find evidence for an epigenetic impact on gene expression by methylation. Knowledge of the motifs recognized and methylated by the restriction/modification enzymes of Lyme disease Borrelia will facilitate molecular genetic investigations of these important human pathogens. Additionally, the similar motifs methylated by orthologous restriction/modification systems of Lyme disease Borrelia bacteria and the presence of these motifs within recombinogenic loci suggest a biological role for these ubiquitous restriction/modification systems in horizontal gene transfer.

DNA Methylation in Basal Metazoans: Insights from Ctenophores

Epigenetic modifications control gene expression without altering the primary DNA sequence. However, little is known about DNA methylation in invertebrates and its evolution. Here, we characterize two types of genomic DNA methylation in ctenophores, 5-methyl cytosine (5-mC) and the unconventional form of methylation 6-methyl adenine (6-mA). Using both bisulfite sequencing and an ELISA-based colorimetric assay, we experimentally confirmed the presence of 5-mC DNA methylation in ctenophores. In contrast to other invertebrates studied, Mnemiopsis leidyi has lower levels of genome-wide 5-mC methylation, but higher levels of 5-mC methylation in promoters when compared with gene bodies. Phylogenetic analysis showed that ctenophores have distinct forms of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1); the zf-CXXC domain type, which localized DNMT1 to CpG sites, and is a metazoan specific innovation. We also show that ctenophores encode the full repertoire of putative enzymes for 6-mA DNA methylation, and these genes are expressed in the aboral organ of Mnemiopsis. Using an ELISA-based colorimetric assay, we experimentally confirmed the presence of 6-mA methylation in the genomes of three different species of ctenophores, M. leidyi, Beroe abyssicola, and Pleurobrachia bachei. The functional role of this novel epigenomic mark is currently unknown. In summary, despite their compact genomes, there is a wide variety of epigenomic mechanisms employed by basal metazoans that provide novel insights into the evolutionary origins of biological novelties.

High-resolution genome-wide DNA methylation maps of mouse primary female dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes

BACKGROUND

Genome-wide DNA methylation at a single nucleotide resolution in different primary cells of the mammalian genome helps to determine the characteristics and functions of tissue-specific hypomethylated regions (TS-HMRs). We determined genome-wide cytosine methylation maps at 91X and 36X coverage of newborn female mouse primary dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes and compared with mRNA-seq gene expression data.

RESULTS

These high coverage methylation maps were used to identify HMRs in both cell types. A total of 2.91% of the genome are in keratinocyte HMRs, and 2.15% of the genome are in fibroblast HMRs with 1.75% being common. Half of the TS-HMRs are extensions of common HMRs, and the remaining are unique TS-HMRs. Four levels of CG methylation are observed: 1) total unmethylation for CG dinucleotides in HMRs in CGIs that are active in all tissues; 2) 10% to 40% methylation for TS-HMRs; 3) 60% methylation for TS-HMRs in cells types where they are not in HMRs; and 4) 70% methylation for the nonfunctioning part of the genome. SINE elements are depleted inside the TS-HMRs, while highly enriched in the surrounding regions. Hypomethylation at the last exon shows gene repression, while demethylation toward the gene body positively correlates with gene expression. The overlapping HMRs have a more complex relationship with gene expression. The common HMRs and TS-HMRs are each enriched for distinct Transcription Factor Binding Sites (TFBS). C/EBPβ binds to methylated regions outside of HMRs while CTCF prefers to bind in HMRs, highlighting these two parts of the genome and their potential interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

Keratinocytes and fibroblasts are of epithelial and mesenchymal origin. High-resolution methylation maps in these two cell types can be used as reference methylomes for analyzing epigenetic mechanisms in several diseases including cancer. Please see related article at the following link: http://www.epigeneticsandchromatin.com/content/7/1/34.

Adenine methylation may contribute to endosymbiont selection in a clonal aphid population

BACKGROUND

The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum has two modes of reproduction: parthenogenetic during the spring and summer and sexual in autumn. This ability to alternate between reproductive modes and the emergence of clonal populations under favorable conditions make this organism an interesting model for genetic and epigenetic studies. The pea aphid hosts different types of endosymbiotic bacteria within bacteriocytes which help the aphids survive and adapt to new environmental conditions and habitats. The obligate endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola has a drastically reduced and stable genome, whereas facultative endosymbionts such as Regiella insecticola have large and dynamic genomes due to phages, mobile elements and high levels of genetic recombination. In previous work, selection toward cold adaptation resulted in the appearance of parthenogenetic A. pisum individuals characterized by heavier weights and remarkable green pigmentation.

RESULTS

Six adenine-methylated DNA fragments were isolated from genomic DNA (gDNA) extracted from the cold-induced green variant of A. pisum using deoxyadenosine methylase (Dam) by digesting the gDNA with the restriction enzymes DpnI and DpnII, which recognize the methylated and unmethylated GATC sites, respectively. The six resultant fragments did not match any sequence in the A. pisum or Buchnera genomes, implying that they came from facultative endosymbionts. The A1 fragment encoding a putative transposase and the A6 fragment encoding a putative helicase were selected for further comparison between the two A. pisum variants (green and orange) based on Dam analysis followed by PCR amplification. An association between adenine methylation and the two A. pisum variants was demonstrated by higher adenine methylation levels on both genes in the green variant as compared to the orange one.

CONCLUSION

Temperature selection may affect the secondary endosymbiont and the sensitive Dam involved in the survival and adaptation of aphids to cold temperatures. There is a high degree of adenine methylation at the GATC sites of the endosymbiont genes at 8°C, an effect that disappears at 22°C. We suggest that endosymbionts can be modified or selected to increase host fitness under unfavorable climatic conditions, and that the phenotype of the newly adapted aphids can be inherited.

Basic mechanics of DNA methylation and the unique landscape of the DNA methylome in metal-induced carcinogenesis

DNA methylation plays an intricate role in the regulation of gene expression and events that compromise the integrity of the methylome may potentially contribute to disease development. DNA methylation is a reversible and regulatory modification that elicits a cascade of events leading to chromatin condensation and gene silencing. In general, normal cells are characterized by gene-specific hypomethylation and global hypermethylation, while cancer cells portray a reverse profile to this norm. The unique methylome displayed in cancer cells is induced after exposure to carcinogenic metals such as nickel, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium (VI). These metals alter the DNA methylation profile by provoking both hyper- and hypo-methylation events. The metal-stimulated deviations to the methylome are possible mechanisms for metal-induced carcinogenesis and may provide potential biomarkers for cancer detection. Development of therapies based on the cancer methylome requires further research including human studies that supply results with larger impact and higher human relevance.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number is regulated in a tissue specific manner by DNA methylation of the nuclear-encoded DNA polymerase gamma A

DNA methylation is an essential mechanism controlling gene expression during differentiation and development. We investigated the epigenetic regulation of the nuclear-encoded, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymerase γ catalytic subunit (PolgA) by examining the methylation status of a CpG island within exon 2 of PolgA. Bisulphite sequencing identified low methylation levels (<10%) within exon 2 of mouse oocytes, blastocysts and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), while somatic tissues contained significantly higher levels (>40%). In contrast, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and somatic nuclear transfer ESCs were hypermethylated (>20%), indicating abnormal epigenetic reprogramming. Real time PCR analysis of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) immunoprecipitated DNA suggests active DNA methylation and demethylation within exon 2 of PolgA. Moreover, neural differentiation of ESCs promoted de novo methylation and demethylation at the exon 2 locus. Regression analysis demonstrates that cell-specific PolgA expression levels were negatively correlated with DNA methylation within exon 2 and mtDNA copy number. Finally, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) against RNA polymerase II (RNApII) phosphorylated on serine 2, we show increased DNA methylation levels are associated with reduced RNApII transcriptional elongation. This is the first study linking nuclear DNA epigenetic regulation with mtDNA regulation during differentiation and cell specialization.

Advances in genome-wide DNA methylation analysis

The covalent DNA modification of cytosine at position 5 (5-methylcytosine; 5mC) has emerged as an important epigenetic mark most commonly present in the context of CpG dinucleotides in mammalian cells. In pluripotent stem cells and plants, it is also found in non-CpG and CpNpG contexts, respectively. 5mC has important implications in a diverse set of biological processes, including transcriptional regulation. Aberrant DNA methylation has been shown to be associated with a wide variety of human ailments and thus is the focus of active investigation. Methods used for detecting DNA methylation have revolutionized our understanding of this epigenetic mark and provided new insights into its role in diverse biological functions. Here we describe recent technological advances in genome-wide DNA methylation analysis and discuss their relative utility and drawbacks, providing specific examples from studies that have used these technologies for genome-wide DNA methylation analysis to address important biological questions. Finally, we discuss a newly identified covalent DNA modification, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), and speculate on its possible biological function, as well as describe a new methodology that can distinguish 5hmC from 5mC.

The neuronal pentraxin II gene (NPTX2) inhibit proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro

The neuronal pentraxin II gene (NPTX2) is expressed in numerous tissues, such as the pancreas and the liver. While its activity in the brain is known to be regulated by neuronal activity, its function in the pancreas is unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of NPTX2 on the proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and cell cycle of the pancreatic cancer cells. The expression levels of NPTX2 and their relation to the methylation level of the NPTX2 gene promoter in five pancreatic cancer cell lines were observed. The lower expression of NPTX2 in the cells was restored after the treatment of DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine). Additionally, a full-length NPTX2 cDNA was transfected into pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1) and we obtained the stably transfected cells (PANC-1-NPTX2). The ectopic NPTX2 expression significantly promoted G0-G1 arrest and cell apoptosis, and reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Notably, the pro-apoptotic gene bax expression was significantly up-regulated while pro-survival gene bcl-2 did not significantly change in the stably transfected cells. Meanwhile, Cyclin D1 was significantly down-regulated. This study suggests that NPTX2, as a tumor-suppressor, plays an anti-tumor effect on pancreatic cancer and its low expression, due to promoter hypermethylation, may play a role in the tumorigenesis of pancreatic cancer.

Enzyme-mediated individual nanoparticle release assay

Numerous methods have been developed to measure the presence of macromolecular species in a sample; however, the number of methods that detect functional activity or modulators of that activity is more limited. To address this limitation, an approach was developed that uses the optical detection of nanoparticles as a measure of enzyme activity. Nanoparticles are increasingly being used as biological labels in static binding assays; here, we describe their use in a release assay format, where the enzyme-mediated liberation of individual nanoparticles from a surface is measured. A double-stranded fragment of DNA is used as the initial tether to bind the nanoparticles to a solid surface. The nanoparticle spatial distribution and number are determined using dark-field optical microscopy and digital image capture. Site-specific cleavage of the DNA tether results in nanoparticle release. The methodology and validation of this approach for measuring enzyme-mediated, individual DNA cleavage events, rapidly, with high specificity, and in real-time are described. This approach was used to detect and discriminate between nonmethylated and methylated DNA, and demonstrates a novel platform for high-throughput screening of modulators of enzyme activity.

Oral immunization with a dam mutant of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis protects against plague

Inactivation of the gene encoding DNA adenine methylase (dam) has been shown to attenuate some pathogens such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and is a lethal mutation in others such as Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain YPIII. In this study the dam methylase gene in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain IP32953 was inactivated. Unlike the wild-type, DNA isolated from the mutant could be digested with MboI, which is consistent with an altered pattern of DNA methylation. The mutant was sensitive to bile salts but not to 2-aminopurine. The effect of dam inactivation on gene expression was examined using a DNA microarray. In BALB/c mice inoculated orally or intravenously with the dam mutant, the median lethal dose (MLD) was at least 10(6)-fold higher than the MLD of the wild-type. BALB/c mice inoculated with the mutant were protected against a subcutaneous challenge with 100 MLDs of Yersinia pestis strain GB and an intravenous challenge with 300 MLDs of Y. pseudotuberculosis IP32953.

GATC-specific restriction and modification systems in treponemes

AIMS

To investigate the presence of GATC-specific modification and restriction activities in rumen isolates of Treponema sp.

METHODS

The presence of N6-methyladenine within GATC (Dam) sequences was analysed using isoschizomeric restriction endonucleases having different sensitivities to the methylation of the target sequence. A fast screening method was used for testing of site-specific endonuclease activities directly in crude cell extracts. Three out of six rumen isolates of Treponema sp. showed restriction activities. Restriction endonucleases were further purified by Heparin-Sepharose chromatography. Using PCR and specific primers, no sequence homologous to the T. pallidum dam gene was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Three rumen treponemal strains were documented to possess MboI isoschizomeric restriction-modification systems.

SIGNIFICANCE

This is the first report on restriction activity in rumen treponemes.

Tetra-amino-acid tandem repeats are involved in HsdS complementation in type IC restriction-modification systems

All known type I restriction and modification (R-M) systems of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica belong to one of four discrete families: type IA, IB, IC or ID. The classification of type I systems from a wide range of other genera is mainly based on complementation and molecular evidence derived from the comparison of the amino acid similarity of the corresponding subunits. This affiliation was seldom based on the strictest requirement for membership of a family, which depends on relatedness as demonstrated by complementation tests. This paper presents data indicating that the type I NgoAV R-M system from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, despite the very high identity of HsdM and HsdR subunits with members of the type IC family, does not show complementation with E. coli type IC R-M systems. Sequence analysis of the HsdS subunit of several different potential type IC R-M systems shows that the presence of different tetra-amino-acid sequence repeats, e.g. TAEL, LEAT, SEAL, TSEL, is characteristic for type IC R-M systems encoded by distantly related bacteria. The other regions of the HsdS subunits potentially responsible for subunit interaction are also different between a group of distantly related bacteria, but show high similarity within these bacteria. Complementation between the NgoAV R-M system and members of the EcoR124 R-M family can be restored by changing the tetra-amino-acid repeat within the HsdS subunit. The authors propose that the type IC family of R-M systems could consist of several complementation subgroups whose specificity would depend on differences in the conserved regions of the HsdS polypeptide.

Analysis of type I restriction modification systems in the Neisseriaceae: genetic organization and properties of the gene products

The hsd locus (host specificity of DNA) was identified in the Neisseria gonorrhoeae genome. The DNA fragment encoding this locus produced an active restriction and modification (R/M) system when cloned into Escherichia coli. This R/M system was designated NgoAV. The cloned genomic fragment (7800 bp) has the potential to encode seven open reading frames (ORFs). Several of these ORFs had significant homology with other proteins found in the databases: ORF1, the hsdM, a methylase subunit (HsdM); ORF2, a homologue of dinD; ORF3, a homologue of hsdS; ORF4, a homologue of hsdS; and ORF5, an endonuclease subunit hsdR. The endonuclease and methylase subunits possessed strongest protein sequence homology to the EcoR124II R/M system, indicating that NgoAV belongs to the type IC R/M family. Deletion analysis showed that only ORF3 imparted the sequence specificity of the RM.NgoAV system, which recognizes an interrupted palindrome sequence (GCAN(8-)TGC). The genetic structure of ORF3 (208 amino acids) is almost identical to the structure of the 5' truncated hsdS genes of EcoDXXI or EcoR124II R/M systems obtained by in vitro manipulation. Genomic sequence analysis allowed us to identify hsd loci with a very high homology to RM.NgoAV in two strains of Neisseria meningitidis. However, significant differences in the organization and structure of the hsdS genes in both these systems suggests that, if functional, they would possess recognition sites that differ from the gonococcus and from themselves.

Specificities of eleven different DNA methyltransferases of Helicobacter pylori strain 26695

Methyltransferases (MTases) of procaryotes affect general cellular processes such as mismatch repair, regulation of transcription, replication, and transposition, and in some cases may be essential for viability. As components of restriction-modification systems, they contribute to bacterial genetic diversity. The genome of Helicobacter pylori strain 26695 contains 25 open reading frames encoding putative DNA MTases. To assess which MTase genes are active, strain 26695 genomic DNA was tested for cleavage by 147 restriction endonucleases; 24 were found that did not cleave this DNA. The specificities of 11 expressed MTases and the genes encoding them were identified from this restriction data, combined with the known sensitivities of restriction endonucleases to specific DNA modification, homology searches, gene cloning and genomic mapping of the methylated bases m(4)C, m(5)C, and m(6)A.

Restriction and modification systems of ruminal bacteria

A high frequency of type II restriction endonuclease activities was detected in Selenomonas ruminantium but not in other rumen bacteria tested. Eight different restriction endonucleases were characterized in 17 strains coming from genetically homogeneous local population. Chromosomal DNA isolated from S. ruminantium strains was found to be refractory to cleavage by various restriction enzymes, implying the presence of methylase activities additional to those required for protection against the cellular endonucleases. The presence of Dam methylation was detected in S. ruminantium strains as well as in several other species belonging to the Sporomusa subbranch of low G + C Gram-positive bacteria (Megasphaera elsdenii, Mitsuokella multiacidus).

The relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia hermsii contains multiple, antigen-encoding circular plasmids that are homologous to the cp32 plasmids of Lyme disease spirochetes

Borrelia hermsii, an agent of tick-borne relapsing fever, was found to contain multiple circular plasmids approximately 30 kb in size. Sequencing of a DNA library constructed from circular plasmid fragments enabled assembly of a composite DNA sequence that is homologous to the cp32 plasmid family of the Lyme disease spirochete, B. burgdorferi. Analysis of another relapsing fever bacterium, B. parkeri, indicated that it contains linear homologs of the B. hermsii and B. burgdorferi cp32 plasmids. The B. hermsii cp32 plasmids encode homologs of the B. burgdorferi Mlp and Bdr antigenic proteins and BlyA/BlyB putative hemolysins, but homologs of B. burgdorferi erp genes were absent. Immunoblot analyses demonstrated that relapsing fever patients produced antibodies to Mlp proteins, indicating that those proteins are synthesized by the spirochetes during human infection. Conservation of cp32-encoded genes in different Borrelia species suggests that their protein products serve functions essential to both relapsing fever and Lyme disease spirochetes. Relapsing fever borreliae replicate to high levels in the blood of infected animals, permitting direct detection and possible functional studies of Mlp, Bdr, BlyA/BlyB, and other cp32-encoded proteins in vivo.

Type I restriction systems: sophisticated molecular machines (a legacy of Bertani and Weigle)

Restriction enzymes are well known as reagents widely used by molecular biologists for genetic manipulation and analysis, but these reagents represent only one class (type II) of a wider range of enzymes that recognize specific nucleotide sequences in DNA molecules and detect the provenance of the DNA on the basis of specific modifications to their target sequence. Type I restriction and modification (R-M) systems are complex; a single multifunctional enzyme can respond to the modification state of its target sequence with the alternative activities of modification or restriction. In the absence of DNA modification, a type I R-M enzyme behaves like a molecular motor, translocating vast stretches of DNA towards itself before eventually breaking the DNA molecule. These sophisticated enzymes are the focus of this review, which will emphasize those aspects that give insights into more general problems of molecular and microbial biology. Current molecular experiments explore target recognition, intramolecular communication, and enzyme activities, including DNA translocation. Type I R-M systems are notable for their ability to evolve new specificities, even in laboratory cultures. This observation raises the important question of how bacteria protect their chromosomes from destruction by newly acquired restriction specifities. Recent experiments demonstrate proteolytic mechanisms by which cells avoid DNA breakage by a type I R-M system whenever their chromosomal DNA acquires unmodified target sequences. Finally, the review will reflect the present impact of genomic sequences on a field that has previously derived information almost exclusively from the analysis of bacteria commonly studied in the laboratory.

M.(phi)BssHII, a novel cytosine-C5-DNA-methyltransferase with target-recognizing domains at separated locations of the enzyme

In all cytosine-C5-DNA-methyltransferases (MTases) from prokaryotes and eukaryotes, remarkably conserved amino acid sequence elements responsible for general enzymatic functions are arranged in the same canonical order. In addition, one variable region, which includes the target-recognizing domain(s) (TRDs) characteristic for each enzyme, has been localized in one region between the same blocks of these conserved elements. This conservation in the order of conserved and variable sequences suggests stringent structural constraints in the primary structure to obtain the correct folding of the enzymes. Here we report the characterization of a new type of a multispecific MTase, M.(phiphi)BssHII, which is expressed as two isoforms. Isoform I is an entirely novel type of MTase which has, in addition to the TRDs at the conventional location, one TRD located at a non-canonical position at its N-terminus. Isoform II is represented by the same MTase, but without the N-terminal TRD. The N-terminal TRD provides HaeII methylation specificity to isoform I. The TRD is fully functional when engineered into either the conventional variable region of M.(phiphi)BssHII or the related monospecific M.phi3TII MTase. The implications of this structural plasticity with respect to the evolution of MTases are discussed.

Synthesis of FinP RNA by plasmids F and pSLT is regulated by DNA adenine methylation

DNA adenine methylase mutants of Salmonella typhimurium contain reduced amounts of FinP, an antisense RNA encoded by the virulence plasmid pSLT. Lowered FinP levels are detected in both Dam- FinO+ and Dam- FinO- backgrounds, suggesting that Dam methylation regulates FinP production rather than FinP half-life. Reduced amounts of F-encoded FinP RNA are likewise found in Dam- mutants of Escherichia coli. A consequence of FinP RNA scarcity in the absence of DNA adenine methylation is that Dam- mutants of both S. typhimurium and E. coli show elevated levels of F plasmid transfer. Inhibition of F fertility by the S. typhimurium virulence plasmid is also impaired in a Dam- background.

Molecular characterization of the Lactococcus lactis LlaKR2I restriction-modification system and effect of an IS982 element positioned between the restriction and modification genes

The nucleotide sequence of the plasmid-encoded LlaKR2I restriction-modification (R-M) system of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis KR2 was determined. This R-M system comprises divergently transcribed endonuclease (llaKR2IR) and methyltransferase (llaKR2IM) genes; located in the intergenic region is a copy of the insertion element IS982, whose putative transposase gene is codirectionally transcribed with llaKR2IM. The deduced sequence of the LlaKR2I endonuclease shared homology with the type II endonuclease Sau3AI and with the MutH mismatch repair protein, both of which recognize and cleave the sequence 5' GATC 3'. In addition, M. LlaKR2I displayed homology with the 5-methylcytosine methyltransferase family of proteins, exhibiting greatest identity with M. Sau3AI. Both of these proteins shared notable homology throughout their putative target recognition domains. Furthermore, subclones of the native parental lactococcal plasmid pKR223, which encode M. LlaKR2I, all remained undigested after treatment with Sau3AI despite the presence of multiple 5' GATC 3' sites. The combination of these data suggested that the specificity of the LlaKR2I R-M system was likely to be 5' GATC 3', with the cytosine residue being modified to 5-methylcytosine. The IS982 element located within the LlaKR2I R-M system contained at its extremities two 16-bp perfect inverted repeats flanked by two 7-bp direct repeats. A perfect extended promoter consensus, which represented the likely original promoter of the llaKR2IR gene, was shown to overlap the direct repeat sequence on the other side of IS982. Specific deletion of IS982 and one of these direct repeats via a PCR strategy indicated that the LlaKR2I R-M determinants do not rely on elements within IS982 for expression and that the efficiency of bacteriophage restriction was not impaired.

The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 expresses a DNA methyltransferase specific for the recognition sequence of the restriction endonuclease PvuI

By use of restriction endonucleases, the DNA of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 was analyzed for DNA-specific methylation. Three different recognition sites of methyltransferases, a dam-like site including N6-methyladenosine and two other sites with methylcytosine, were identified, whereas no activities of restriction endonucleases could be detected in this strain. slr0214, a Synechocystis gene encoding a putative methyltransferase that shows significant similarities to C5-methylcytosine-synthesizing enzymes, was amplified by PCR and cloned for further characterization. Mutations in slr0214 were generated by the insertion of an aphII gene cassette. Analyses of chromosomal DNAs of such mutants demonstrated that the methylation pattern was changed. The recognition sequence of the methyltransferase was identified as 5'-CGATCG-3', corresponding to the recognition sequence of PvuI. The specific methyltransferase activity was significantly reduced in protein extracts obtained from mutant cells. Mutation of slr0214 also led to changed growth characteristics of the cells compared to wild-type cells. These alterations led to the conclusion that the methyltransferase Slr0214 might play a regulatory role in Synechocystis. The Slr0214 protein was also overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the purified protein demonstrated methyltransferase activity and specificity for PvuI recognition sequences in vitro. We propose the designation M.Ssp6803I [corrected] (Synechocystis methyltransferase I) for the slr0214-encoded enzyme.

DNA METHYLATION IN PLANTS

Methylation of cytosine residues in DNA provides a mechanism of gene control. There are two classes of methyltransferase in Arabidopsis; one has a carboxy-terminal methyltransferase domain fused to an amino-terminal regulatory domain and is similar to mammalian methyltransferases. The second class apparently lacks an amino-terminal domain and is less well conserved. Methylcytosine can occur at any cytosine residue, but it is likely that clonal transmission of methylation patterns only occurs for cytosines in strand-symmetrical sequences CpG and CpNpG. In plants, as in mammals, DNA methylation has dual roles in defense against invading DNA and transposable elements and in gene regulation. Although originally reported as having no phenotypic consequence, reduced DNA methylation disrupts normal plant development.

A gene essential for de novo methylation and development in Ascobolus reveals a novel type of eukaryotic DNA methyltransferase structure

Molecular mechanisms determining methylation patterns in eukaryotic genomes still remain unresolved. We have characterized, in Ascobolus, a gene for de novo methylation. This novel eukaryotic gene, masc1, encodes a protein that has all motifs of the catalytic domain of eukaryotic C5-DNA-methyltransferases but is unique in that it lacks a regulatory N-terminal domain. The disruption of masc1 has no effect on viability or methylation maintenance but prevents the de novo methylation of DNA repeats, which takes place after fertilization, through the methylation induced premeiotically (MIP) process. Crosses between parents harboring the masc1 disruption are arrested at an early stage of sexual reproduction, indicating that the activity of Masc1, the product of the gene, is crucial in this developmental process.

Cloning of the BssHII restriction-modification system in Escherichia coli : BssHII methyltransferase contains circularly permuted cytosine-5 methyltransferase motifs

BssHII restriction endonuclease cleaves 5'-GCGCGC-3' on double-stranded DNA between the first and second bases to generate a four base 5'overhang. BssHII restriction endonuclease was purified from the native Bacillus stearothermophilus H3 cells and its N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined. Degenerate PCR primers were used to amplify the first 20 codons of the BssHII restriction endonuclease gene. The BssHII restriction endonuclease gene (bssHIIR) and the cognate BssHII methyltransferase gene (bssHIIM) were cloned in Escherichia coli by amplification of Bacillus stearothermophilus genomic DNA using PCR and inverse PCR. BssHII methyltransferase (M.BssHII) contains all 10 conserved cytosine-5 methyltransferase motifs, but motifs IX and X precede motifs I-VIII. Thus, the conserved motifs of M. BssHII are circularly permuted relative to the motif organizations of other cytosine-5 methyltransferases. M.BssHII and the non-cognate multi-specific phiBssHII methyltransferase, M.phiBss HII [Schumann,J. et al . (1995) Gene, 157, 103-104] share 34% identity in amino acid sequences from motifs I-VIII, and 40% identity in motifs IX-X. A conserved arginine is located upstream of a TV dipeptide in the N-terminus of M.BssHII that may be responsible for the recognition of the guanine 5' of the target cytosine. The BssHII restriction endonuclease gene was expressed in E.coli via a T7 expression vector.

Molecular characterization of the restriction endonuclease gene (scrFIR) associated with the ScrFI restriction/modification system from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris UC503

The nucleotide sequence of the chromosomally encoded type II ScrFI restriction/modification system from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris UC503 was completed. The ScrFI restriction endonuclease (ENase) has previously been shown to specifically recognize 5' CCNGG 3' sites, cleaving after the second cytosine and the degenerate central base. The ENase gene (scrFIR; 362 bp) was located between, and co-directionally transcribed with, two formerly characterized 5-methylcytosine methyltransferase genes, which encodes proteins that independently confer protection against ScrFI digestion. scrFIR codes for a protein of 272 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 31470 Da, which agrees favourably with a previously estimated molecular mass of 34 kDa for this enzymes. The deduced sequence of this protein did not show any significant homology with known protein sequences, including the isoschizomeric Ssoll ENase from Shigella sonnei. The ENase gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and Lactococcus; however, no in vivo restriction of phage was observed, suggesting that expression of the ENase gene may be repressed, or that the appropriate expression signals may be absent in the cloned constructs. The ability of ScrFI to cleave non-canonically modified 5' CCNGG 3' sequences suggested that some ScrFI sites may require complex modifications to fully impair digestion by this enzyme.

Novel pattern of DNA methylation in Neurospora crassa transgenic for the foreign gene hph

It has previously been reported that multiple copies of the hph gene integrated into the genome of Neurospora crassa are methylated at Hpa II sites (CCGG) during the vegetative life cycle of the fungus, while hph genes integrated as single copies are not methylated. Furthermore, methylation is correlated with silencing of the gene. We report here the methylation state of cytosine residues of the major part of the promoter region of the hph gene integrated into the genome of the multiple copy strain HTA5.7 during the vegetative stage of the life cycle. Cytosine methylation is sequence dependent, but the sequence specificity is complex and is different from the sequence specificity known for mammals and plants (CpG and CpNpG). The pattern of DNA methylation reported here is very different from that measured after meiosis in Neurospora or in Ascobulus . After the sexual cycle in those two fungi all the cytosines of multiple stretches of DNA are heavily methylated. This indicates that the still unknown methyltransferase in Neurospora has a different specificity in the sexual and the vegetative stages of the life cycle or that there are different methyltransferases. The pattern of methylation reported here is also different from the pattern of cytosine methylation of transgenes of Petunia , the only pattern published until now in plants that has DNA methylation at cytosines which are not in the canonical sequences CpG and CpNpG.

DNA methylation and genetic instability in colorectal cancer cells

Apparent alterations in DNA methylation have been observed in many cancers, but whether such alterations represent a persistent alteration in the normal methylation process is not known. In this study, we report a striking difference in the expression of exogenously introduced retroviral genes in various colorectal cancer cell lines. Extinguished expression was associated with DNA methylation and could be reversed by treatment with the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. A striking correlation between genetic instability and methylation capacity suggested that methylation abnormalities may play a role in chromosome segregation processes in cancer cells.

Chemistry and biology of DNA methyltransferases

Recognition of a specific DNA sequence by a protein is probably the best example of macromolecular interactions leading to various events. It is a prerequisite to understanding the basis of protein-DNA interactions to obtain a better insight into fundamental processes such as transcription, replication, repair, and recombination. DNA methyltransferases with varying sequence specificities provide an excellent model system for understanding the molecular mechanism of specific DNA recognition. Sequence comparison of cloned genes, along with mutational analyses and recent crystallographic studies, have clearly defined the functions of various conserved motifs. These enzymes access their target base in an elegant manner by flipping it out of the DNA double helix. The drastic protein-induced DNA distortion, first reported for HhaI DNA methyltransferase, appears to be a common mechanism employed by various proteins that need to act on bases. A remarkable feature of the catalytic mechanism of DNA (cytosine-5) methyltransferases is the ability of these enzymes to induce deamination of the target cytosine in the absence of S-adenosyl-L-methionine or its analogs. The enzyme-catalyzed deamination reaction is postulated to be the major cause of mutational hotspots at CpG islands responsible for various human genetic disorders. Methylation of adenine residues in Escherichia coli is known to regulate various processes such as transcription, replication, repair, recombination, transposition, and phage packaging.

DNA methylation in mycobacteria: absence of methylation at GATC (Dam) and CCA/TGG (Dcm) sequences

The presence of 6-methyladenine and 5-methylcytosine at Dam (GATC) and Dcm (CCA/TGG) sites in DNA of mycobacterial species was investigated using isoschizomer restriction enzymes. In all species examined, Dam and Dcm recognition sequences were not methylated indicating the absence of these methyltransferases. On the other hand, high performance liquid chromatographic analysis of genomic DNA from Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed significant levels of 6-methyladenine and 5-methylcytosine suggesting the presence of DNA methyltransferases other than Dam and Dcm. Occurrence of methylation was also established by a sensitive genetic assay.

CpNpG methylation in mammalian cells

In vertebrate DNA, 3% to 5% of cytosine residues are present as 5-methylcytosine, and it is generally accepted that essentially all of this methylation occurs at cytosines which are contained in the symmetrical dinucleotide CpG. In this report we demonstrate, using bisulphite genomic sequencing, that the methylation machinery of mammalian cells is capable of both maintenance and de novo methylation at CpNpG sites. The existence of inherited CpNpG methylation in mammalian cells has important implications in gene regulation and in the aetiology of disease.

DsaV methyltransferase and its isoschizomers contain a conserved segment that is similar to the segment in Hhai methyltransferase that is in contact with DNA bases

The methyltransferase (MTase) in the DsaV restriction--modification system methylates within 5'-CCNGG sequences. We have cloned the gene for this MTase and determined its sequence. The predicted sequence of the MTase protein contains sequence motifs conserved among all cytosine-5 MTases and is most similar to other MTases that methylate CCNGG sequences, namely M.ScrFI and M.SsoII. All three MTases methylate the internal cytosine within their recognition sequence. The 'variable' region within the three enzymes that methylate CCNGG can be aligned with the sequences of two enzymes that methylate CCWGG sequences. Remarkably, two segments within this region contain significant similarity with the region of M.HhaI that is known to contact DNA bases. These alignments suggest that many cytosine-5 MTases are likely to interact with DNA using a similar structural framework.

The DNA (cytosine-5) methyltransferases

The m5C-MTases form a closely-knit family of enzymes in which common amino acid sequence motifs almost certainly translate into common structural and functional elements. These common elements are located predominantly in a single structural domain that performs the chemistry of the reaction. Sequence-specific DNA recognition is accomplished by a separate domain that contains recognition elements not seen in other structures. This, combined with the novel and unexpected mechanistic feature of trapping a base out of the DNA helix, makes the m5C-MTases an intriguing class of enzymes for further study. The reaction pathway has suddenly become more complicated because of the base-flipping and much remains to be learned about the DNA recognition elements in the family members for which structural information is not yet available.

Biology of DNA restriction

Our understanding of the evolution of DNA restriction and modification systems, the control of the expression of the structural genes for the enzymes, and the importance of DNA restriction in the cellular economy has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years. This review documents these advances for the three major classes of classical restriction and modification systems, describes the discovery of a new class of restriction systems that specifically cut DNA carrying the modification signature of foreign cells, and deals with the mechanisms developed by phages to avoid the restriction systems of their hosts.