拟南芥幼苗超低温保存后DNA甲基化的遗传变异

运用MSAP技术分析了拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）幼苗超低温保存后DNA甲基化的遗传变异情况。结果表明,在扩增的662条带中,对照和2个处理及其第2代间完全一致的带型有598条：发生变化的带型有64条,其中能遗传给第2代的有48条,占变异条带的75％。与对照相比,经超低温保存的样品新产生的甲基化位点有14个,而去甲基化的位点有22个。经过处理但未冷冻的与冷冻处理组之间带型一致的有624条,差异条带有38条,占5.7％,而对照与未冷冻处理组的差异率是7．45％,对照与冷冻处理组之间的差异率是6。63％。可见,拟南芥在超低温保存中,无论是经液氮冷冻还是未经冷冻处理,对材料的甲基化状态均有影响,而这种甲基化变化大部分是可以遗传的。     

马铃薯（Solanum tuberosum L.）茎尖的超低温保存及其遗传变异的初步观察

研究马铃薯茎尖超低温保存技术的结果表明,4℃低温下锻炼6d,在添加二甲基亚砜（DMSO）和乙酰胺的培养基中预培养5d,60％PVS2于室温下装载30min,0℃下PVS2脱水40min时,茎尖成活率最高（71．6％）,再生植株生长分化正常。进一步对再生植株进行AFLP分析,6对引物组合共扩增出385条带,超低温保存前后的材料之间未见到明显差的异带,但用MSAP技术分析超低温保存前后植株甲基化的结果显示：超低温保存后的材料均有不同程度的甲基化。在扩增的624条带中,处理与否之间完全一致的带型为584条;有变化的带型为40条,处理2（茎尖经过完整的超低温保存过程,区别于处理1,增加了冷冻、解冻和洗涤后恢复培养）有13个位点的甲基化增加,21个位点去甲基化。     

光暗条件下大蒜DNA甲基化差异的初步研究

用甲基敏感扩增多态性(MSAP)技术分析光暗条件下生长的大蒜DNA甲基化水平差异。结果表明,用8对引物组合扩增出343条带,完全一致的带型240条,不一致的103条。在不一致的条带中,光照条件下相同的47条带与黑暗条件下相同的带型有差异,与黑暗相比光照下出现的去甲基化带28条,有56条差异带在2个处理内个体间也有差异。总的趋势是光照引起大蒜DNA去甲基化。     

大花蕙兰子房授粉前后基因组DNA 胞嘧啶甲基化状态的MSAP 分析

应用甲基化敏感扩增多态性(Methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism, MSAP) 技术分析了大花蕙兰( Cymbidium hybridium) 授粉前后子房DNA 甲基化状态的变化(甲基化水平和甲基化差异模式) 。采用72 对引物进行选择性扩增, 共得到5892 条带, 其中748 条带为甲基化多态性带。结果显示DNA 甲基化在大花蕙兰子房发育过程中发生频繁, 从授粉前后子房的总扩增位点甲基化水平(14%和11. 4%) 和全甲基化率(9.5%和7.8% ) 来看, 授粉后都略低于未授粉子房, 表明子房在授粉后的发育过程中在某些位点发生了去甲基化。除甲基化水平有变化外, 大花蕙兰子房授粉前后的DNA 甲基化模式也存在较大差异, 共检测到14 种带型, 分为两大类( Ⅰ 和Ⅱ 型)。其中, 授粉前后DNA 甲基化状态保持不变的位点少, 只占25.6% , 归为Ⅰ型; 大部分检测位点( 占74.4% , 归为Ⅱ型) 的DNA 甲基化模式在授粉前后存在显著差异。上述结果表明, 大花蕙兰子房发育过程中以DNA 甲基化为代表的表观遗传调控起重要作用。本研究的开展将促进对与大花蕙兰子房发育相关的甲基化差异片段及受DNA 甲基化调控的关键基因的克隆, 进而为从表观遗传学这一新角度揭示大花蕙兰子房发育的分子机制奠定基础。     

大花蕙兰子房授粉前后基因组DNA胞嘧啶甲基化状态的MSAP分析

应用甲基化敏感扩增多态性(Metyhfion sensitive amplified polymorphism,MSAP)技术分析了大花蕙兰(Cymbidium hybridium)授粉前后子房DNA甲基化状态的变化(甲基化水平和甲基化差异模式).采用72对引物进行选择性扩增,共得到5892条带,其中748条带为甲基化多态性带.结果显示DNA甲基化在大花蕙兰子房发育过程中发牛频繁,从授粉前后子房的总扩增位点甲基化水平(14%和11.4%)和全甲基化率(9.5%和7.8%)来看,授粉后都略低于未授粉子房,表明子房在授粉后的发育过程中在某些位点发生了去甲基化.除甲基化水平有变化外,大花蕙兰子房授粉前后的DNA甲幕化模式也存在较大差异,共榆测到14种带型,分为两大类(Ⅰ和Ⅱ型).其中,授粉前后DNA甲基化状态保持不变的位点较少,只占25.6%,归为Ⅰ型;大部分榆测位点(占74.4%,归为Ⅱ型)的DNA甲基化模式在授粉前后存在显著差异.上述结果表明,大化蕙兰子房发育过程中以DNA甲基化为代表的表观遗传调控起重要作用.本研究的开展将促进对与大花蕙兰子房发育相关的甲基化差异片段及受DNA甲基化调控的关键基因的克隆,进而为从表观遗传学这一新角度揭示大花蕙兰子房发育的分子机制奠定基础.     

马哈利樱桃矮化砧的DNA甲基化水平及模式分析

该研究利用MSAP技术,对25株矮化马哈利樱桃和25株半矮化马哈利樱桃进行甲基化水平和模式分析,以探讨其矮化的表观性状与其基因组甲基化修饰的关系。结果表明:(1)从64对引物中筛选出15对引物,在半矮化组中共扩增4 577个条带,其中半甲基化336个,全甲基化1 274个;在矮化组中共扩增4 444个条带,其中半甲基化349个,全甲基化1 383个;t检验和方差分析表明,矮化组与半矮化组在总甲基化水平和全甲基化水平上差异极显著,在半甲基化水平上差异显著,矮化组甲基化水平高于半矮化组。(2)半矮化组单态性位点23个,多态性位点136个;矮化组单态性位点17个,多态性位点142个,表明矮化组多态性高于半矮化组。(3)多态性类型分析表明,矮化组出现A4类型的频率较半矮化组高,A2类型的频率较半矮化组低,即矮化组中发生超甲基化的位点多于半矮化组,且‘马哈利’基因组甲基化多态性位点主要发生在双链内侧甲基化位点以及超甲基化位点上。研究认为,马哈利樱桃矮化和半矮化的基因组甲基化水平及模式存在差异,马哈利砧木的矮化性状与其基因组甲基化修饰有关。     

基于cDNA-AFLP及MSAP技术分析西瓜同源二倍体和四倍体低温胁迫差异表达

为了研究西瓜二倍体及同源四倍体在低温胁迫下的分子机制,以西瓜‘京欣’1号母本83166（二倍体）及其同源四倍体为材料,利用MSAP及cDNA-AFLP技术研究低温处理前后基因表达的差异,并对差异带进行克隆、测序和比对。22对MSAP引物扩增得到1564个位点,其中二倍体经低温处理后总甲基化率下降2.8%,四倍体下降6.4%。将12条差异带与西瓜基因组数据库比对,有7条带确定是西瓜基因组序列。26对cDNA-AFLP引物组合扩增出1267条带,其中二倍体上调表达占48.2%,下调表达占51.8%;四倍体上调表达占58.6%,下调表达占41.4%。23条差异带在NCBI中找到了同源序列基因,包括假定蛋白（39.13%）、能量与代谢（43.48%）、物质运输（8.70%）、转录相关（4.35%）以及逆境相关（4.35%）,另有10条无同源序列。低温胁迫后,四倍体去甲基化率与上调表达量均高于二倍体,而且四倍体诱导出的差异基因参与了物质的能量代谢调控及逆境胁迫过程,说明四倍体较二倍体有更强的耐冷性。     

拟南芥MLH1基因启动子甲基化作为镉胁迫生物标记物潜力评估

应用重亚硫酸盐测序技术,研究了镉(Cd)胁迫21 d后拟南芥幼苗错配修复基因Mut L-homologue1(MLH1)启动子甲基化的变化趋势。结果显示,拟南芥MLH1启动子区域为-346~+42(391 bp),含有71个胞嘧啶:16个Cp G、6个CHG(H为C、A或T)和49个CHH位点。对照植株Cp G、CHH和CHG位点的甲基化率分别为44.8%、40.5%和52.0%。随Cd胁迫浓度的增加,MLH1启动子区胞嘧啶位点发生超甲基化和去甲基化的位点数逐渐增加;这些位点的甲基化率均呈上升趋势,且均高于对照组(除CHG位点外)。MLH1启动子区域71个胞嘧啶中,Cp G6、Cp G9、CHH44和CHG4位点的甲基化多态性对Cd胁迫更敏感,且具有剂量-效应关系;其中0.25 mg·L-1Cd胁迫下,Cp G9位点为超甲基化,其甲基化变化率为20.0%,其他3个位点为去甲基化,其甲基化变化率分别为12.0%、20.0%和20.0%。相对于幼苗的其他生物学性状(叶片数、生物量及叶绿素含量),Cd胁迫下MLH1启动子甲基化变化更显著且敏感,上述4个胞嘧啶热点的甲基化多态性可作为检测Cd胁迫对植物遗传毒性效应潜在的、有效的生物标记物。     

铜胁迫对拟南芥幼苗生长和基因组DNA甲基化的影响

通过Murashige and Skoog(MS)培养实验,利用甲基化敏感扩增多态性(methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism,MSAP)技术研究Cu2+胁迫对拟南芥幼苗基因组DNA甲基化水平与甲基化模式的变化,同时比较其与幼苗鲜重、根系生长对Cu2+胁迫的敏感性。结果表明:0、0.25、1.0 mg獉L-1Cu2+处理15 d后,幼苗根长及鲜重变化差异不显著,而幼苗基因组MSAP率随Cu2+浓度的增加呈先增高后降低的趋势,分别为15.93%、16.28%和15.83%;高浓度Cu2+胁迫下(3.0 mg獉L-1),根长显著变短,鲜重显著降低,MSAP率为14.26%;Cu2+胁迫(0.25~3.0 mg獉L-1)下,拟南芥幼苗基因组超甲基化(M型)位点及去甲基化(D型)位点数均呈显著增加趋势,Msp I酶较Hpa II酶对胁迫反应更敏感。因此,拟南芥幼苗MSAP变化对低浓度Cu2+胁迫响应敏感,可作为Cu污染的早期诊断和生态风险评价。     

氮胁迫下高羊茅基因组DNA甲基化的MSAP分析

高羊茅是一种重要的禾本科牧草,尽管其具有良好的耐寒耐热性,但其生长发育过程受外界氮素浓度的直接影响。DNA甲基化作为一种表观遗传调控方式在植物抵御逆境胁迫中起到至关重要的作用。本研究以高羊茅为试验材料,经无氮胁迫15 d后,以未经氮胁迫为对照,对基因组DNA甲基化的变化进行甲基化敏感扩增多态性(MSAP)分析。结果表明:无氮处理15 d后,植株生长受到强烈地抑制,且叶片大面积发黄;MSAP分析选用12对选扩引物,共检测到725个基因位点,其中发生甲基化和去甲基化的位点占16.4%;对照组和氮胁迫组总甲基化水平分别是65.56%和65.47%,显示氮胁迫15 d高羊茅基因组DNA总的甲基化水平未发生显著变化。对15条标记带进行克隆并测序,成功获得14条不同变化类型的序列,这些序列与禾本科植物具有较高的同源性,推测氮胁迫下的高羊茅基因组甲基化可能发生在编码区域。综上,高羊茅对环境的适应性调节可能与氮胁迫诱导的甲基化的变化有关。     

Drought-induced site-specific DNA methylation and its association with drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

An indica pyramiding line, DK151, and its recurrent parent, IR64, were evaluated under drought stress and non-stress conditions for three consecutive seasons. DK151 showed significantly improved tolerance to drought. The DNA methylation changes in DK151 and IR64 under drought stress and subsequent recovery were assessed using methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism analysis. Our results indicate that drought-induced genome-wide DNA methylation changes accounted for ～12.1% of the total site-specific methylation differences in the rice genome. This drought-induced DNA methylation pattern showed three interesting properties. The most important one was its genotypic specificity reflected by large differences in the detected DNA methylation/demethylation sites between DK151 and IR64, which result from introgressed genomic fragments in DK151. Second, most drought-induced methylation/demethylation sites were of two major types distinguished by their reversibility, including 70% of the sites at which drought-induced epigenetic changes were reversed to their original status after recovery, and 29% of sites at which the drought-induced DNA demethylation/methylation changes remain even after recovery. Third, the drought-induced DNA methylation alteration showed a significant level of developmental and tissue specificity. Together, these properties are expected to have contributed greatly to rice response and adaptation to drought stress. Thus, induced epigenetic changes in rice genome can be considered as a very important regulatory mechanism for rice plants to adapt to drought and possibly other environmental stresses.     

Genome-wide signatures of differential DNA methylation in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background

Although aberrant DNA methylation has been observed previously in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the patterns of differential methylation have not been comprehensively determined in all subtypes of ALL on a genome-wide scale. The relationship between DNA methylation, cytogenetic background, drug resistance and relapse in ALL is poorly understood.

Results

We surveyed the DNA methylation levels of 435,941 CpG sites in samples from 764 children at diagnosis of ALL and from 27 children at relapse. This survey uncovered four characteristic methylation signatures. First, compared with control blood cells, the methylomes of ALL cells shared 9,406 predominantly hypermethylated CpG sites, independent of cytogenetic background. Second, each cytogenetic subtype of ALL displayed a unique set of hyper- and hypomethylated CpG sites. The CpG sites that constituted these two signatures differed in their functional genomic enrichment to regions with marks of active or repressed chromatin. Third, we identified subtype-specific differential methylation in promoter and enhancer regions that were strongly correlated with gene expression. Fourth, a set of 6,612 CpG sites was predominantly hypermethylated in ALL cells at relapse, compared with matched samples at diagnosis. Analysis of relapse-free survival identified CpG sites with subtype-specific differential methylation that divided the patients into different risk groups, depending on their methylation status.

Conclusions

Our results suggest an important biological role for DNA methylation in the differences between ALL subtypes and in their clinical outcome after treatment.     

Field performance evaluation and genetic integrity assessment of cryopreserved papaya clones

This paper is the first report of field performance and evaluation of morphological traits following cryopreservation in four genotypes of Carica papaya (Z6, 97, TS2 and 35). It also describes the successful establishment of in vitro plantlets following vitrification-based cryopreservation of shoot tips and their acclimatisation through to field establishment. Cloned plants resulting from untreated controls, as well as controls taken at three other stages of the cryopreservation process (dissection, pre-treatment, plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2) treatment) and cryopreserved plants were established to ensure a rigorous appraisal of any variation. Results indicate no differences between any of the control plants or cryopreserved plants for either growth performance or morphology. In addition, both randomly amplified DNA fingerprinting and amplified DNA methylation polymorphism markers were used to assess any genomic or methylation changes in genotype 97 at four different developmental stages post cryopreservation (in vitro, acclimatisation and field). Only small genomic DNA modifications (0–8.3%) were detected in field stage plants and methylation modifications (0–4.3%) were detected at both the in vitro and field stages for samples treated with PVS2 or cryopreservation.     

DNA methylation stability in fish spermatozoa upon external constraint: Impact of fish hormonal stimulation and sperm cryopreservation

Highly differentiated mature spermatozoa carry not only genetic but also epigenetic information that is to be transmitted to the embryo. DNA methylation is one epigenetic actor associated with sperm nucleus compaction, gene silencing, and prepatterning of embryonic gene expression. Therefore, the stability of this mark toward reproductive biotechnologies is a major issue in animal production. The present work explored the impact of hormonal induction of spermiation and sperm cryopreservation in two cyprinids, the goldfish (Carassius auratus) and the zebrafish (Danio rerio), using LUminometric Methylation Assay (LUMA). We showed that while goldfish hormonal treatment did increase sperm production, it did not alter global DNA methylation of spermatozoa. Different sperm samples repeatedly collected from the same males for 2 months also showed the same global DNA methylation level. Similarly, global DNA methylation was not affected after cryopreservation of goldfish spermatozoa with methanol, whereas less efficient cryoprotectants (dimethylsulfoxide and 1,2‐propanediol) decreased DNA methylation. In contrast, cryopreservation of zebrafish spermatozoa with methanol induced a slight, but significant, increase in global DNA methylation. In the less compact nuclei, that is, goldfish fin somatic cells, cryopreservation did not change global DNA methylation regardless of the choice of cryoprotectant. To conclude, global DNA methylation is a robust parameter with respect to biotechnologies such as hormonal induction of spermiation and sperm cryopreservation, but it can be altered when the best sperm manipulation conditions are not met.     

Effect of cryopreservation on apple genetic resources at morphological, chromosomal, and molecular levels.

Shoot tips of three apple genotypes, namely, Malus pumila cv. M26, Gala, and Hokkaido No. 9, were successfully cryopreserved using a modified encapsulation-dehydration method. As a result, in addition to a high survival rate and regeneration rate, the capacity of shoots regenerated from cryopreserved samples to root was enhanced. Eight M26 single-bud sibling lines were used to assess genetic stability. Although cytological examination revealed a ploidy difference in the noncryopreserved control, the ploidy constitution remained relatively stable during the period of cryopreservation. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) assay was performed to detect DNA-level variation. No change in DNA fragment pattern and number was observed between the control and the cryopreserved samples. In addition, methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) assay was carried out to investigate the DNA methylation status during the period of cryopreservation. It was found that cryopreservation induced a decrease in DNA methylation level.     

Detection of changes in DNA methylation induced by low-energy ion implantation in Arabidopsis thaliana

This study evaluated changes in DNA methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown from seeds implanted with low-energy N(+) and Ar(+) ions. Methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) testing revealed altered DNA methylation patterns after ion implantation at doses of 1 × 10(14) to 1 × 10(16) ions/cm(2). Comparison of the MSAP electrophoretic profiles revealed nine types of polymorphisms in ion-implanted seedlings relative to control seedlings, among which four represented methylation events, three represented demethylation events, and the methylation status of two was uncertain. The diversity of plant DNA methylation was increased by low-energy ion implantation. At the same time, total genomic DNA methylation levels at CCGG sites were unchanged by ion implantation. Moreover, a comparison of polymorphisms seen in N(+) ion-implanted, Ar(+) ion-implanted, and control DNA demonstrated that the species of incident ion influenced the resulting DNA methylation pattern. Sequencing of eight isolated fragments that showed different changing patterns in implanted plants allowed their mapping onto variable regions on one or more of the five Arabidopsis chromosomes; these segments included protein-coding genes, transposon and repeat DNA sequence. A further sodium bisulfite sequencing of three fragments also displayed alterations in methylation among either different types or doses of incident ions. Possible causes for the changes in methylation are discussed.     

Global DNA methylation profiles of somatic embryos of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) are influenced by cryoprotectants and droplet-vitrification cryopreservation

Regrowth capacity and genetic stability of plants recovered following cryopreservation are associated with changes in DNA epigenetics, particularly in DNA methylation levels. In this study, global DNA methylation profiles associated with frequency of regrowth of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) somatic embryos following cryopreservation using droplet-vitrification were investigated. Somatic embryo clusters (SEC) subjected to plant vitrification solution 3 (PVS3) for different durations (0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min) were evaluated for regrowth capacity. The highest frequency of regrowth (52.4 %) was obtained when SEC were incubated in PVS3 for 120 min prior to droplet-vitrification cryopreservation. Global DNA methylation profiles were influenced by both cryoprotectants and droplet-vitrification cryopreservation. Incubation of SEC in PVS3 for limited durations not only reduced frequency of regrowth, but also increased DNA methylations levels when compared with proliferating SEC grown in a temporary immersion system. Although SEC subjected to cryopreservation exhibited the highest DNA methylation variation, 120 min SEC incubation in a PVS3 solution resulted in the recovery of initial global methylation profiles after 24 weeks of regrowth.