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Dynamic Changes of DNA Methylcytosine in Arabidopsis Root Stem Cells and Their Responses to γ-aminobutyric Acid
Wang Shengjie, Cui Guopeng, Qin Rui, Liu Hong, Gong Hanyu, Li Gang, Yu Guanghui*
Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in Wuling Area of China,Engineering Research Centre for the Protection and Utilization of Bioresource in Ethnic Area of Southern China,College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China
Abstract: In order to study γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on cytosine methylation (5mC) in genomic DNA and its possible regulatory mechanisms， we use Arabidopsis roots and root calluses as the research materials to analyze 5mC content and its responding mechanism to GABA signal. The results showed that GABA (1.0 mmol/L) treatment significantly decreased 5mC content in Arabidopsis root， and concurrently increased 5-hydroxymethyl cytosine (5hmC) content. In contrast， GABA had increased the content of 5mC in the calluses arising from roots，and reduced the product of 5mC demethylation (via 5hmC). This phenomenon was also observed and validated in the subculture of callus deriving from quiescent centre cells (pWOX5-GFP marker) and their surrounding stem cells.Our results demonstrated time that the dynamic changes of DNA methylation triggered by exogenous GABA signal had different patterns in Arabidopsis growing roots and their calluses. These different patterns are possibly linked with cell division and the maintenance of stem cell fate.
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