Plant cytosine-5 DNA methyltransferases: Structure, function, and molecular evolution

Pavlopoulou A., Kossida S.

GENOMICS, vol.90, no.4, pp.530-541, 2007 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 90 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2007
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2007.06.011
  • Journal Name: GENOMICS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.530-541
  • Keywords: C5-DNA methyltransferase, CMT family, Dnmt2 family, DRM family, METI family, methylation, TRD, TARGET RECOGNITION DOMAIN, ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA, ENDOGENOUS GENE, TOBACCO PLANTS, PISUM-SATIVUM, METHYLATION, MAINTENANCE, SEQUENCES, DRM, LOCALIZATION
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: No

Abstract

A detailed analysis of the structure and function, along with evolutionary aspects, of the main plant cytosine-5 DNA methyltransferases (C5-MTases) is presented. The evolutionary relationships between the already known and four candidate plant C5-MTases identified in this work were investigated using the distance, maximum-parsimony, and maximum-likelihood approaches. The topologies of the trees were overall congruent: four monophyletic groups corresponding to the four plant C5-MTase families were clearly distinguished. In addition, sequence analyses of the plant C5-MTase target recognition domain sequences were performed and phylogenetic trees were reconstructed showing that there is good conservation among but not within the plant C5-MTase families. Furthermore, a conserved dipeptide that plays an important role in flipping the target base into the catalytic site of the C5-MTases was identified in all plant C5-MTases under study. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.