Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Detection of cytosine methylation in the maize alcohol dehydrogenase gene by genomic sequencing

Nature volume 319, pages 243–246 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

DNA methylation is believed to be involved in the control of gene expression1,2. In higher plants, up to 30% of the cytosine residues can be methylated—at C-X-G trinucleotides as well as C-G dinucleotides—compared with only 2–8% of total cytosines appearing exclusively as 5-methyl-C-5-methylcytosine in higher animals1–4. We have used the genomic sequencing technique of Church and Gilbert5 to study the methylation of an alcohol dehydrogenase gene, Adhl, from maize. Adhl is one of two unlinked maize alcohol dehydrogenase genes6,7 and appears in several tissues, including the scutellum of the kernel and the primary root of the seedling. It is further induced in primary roots subjected to anaerobiosis8–10. However, this gene is totally repressed in maize leaves11. Nonetheless, we have now found that a 900-base-pair (bp) region 5′ to the ATG is not methylated in leaves, even though it is rich in potential methylation sites. The first methylations occur 965 bp 5′ to the ATG. Thus, methylation does not appear to be involved in repressing this plant gene.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cooper, D. N. Hum. Genet. 64, 315–333 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Doefler, W. A. Rev. Biochem. 52, 93–124 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Gruenbaum, Y., Naveh-Many, T., Cedar, H. & Razin, A. Nature 292, 860–862 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Vanyushin, B. F. Curr. Topics Microbiol. Immun. 108, 99–114 (1984).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Church, G. M. & Gilbert, W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 1991–1995 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Schwartz, D. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 56, 1431–1436 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Dennis, E. S. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 12, 3983–4000 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ferl, R. J., Dlouhy, S. R. & Schwartz, D. Molec. gen. Genet. 169, 7–12 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Freeling, M. Molec. gen. Genet. 127, 215–227 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sachs, M. M., Freeling, M. & Okimoto, R. Cell 20, 761–767 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Okimoto, R., Sachs, M. M. & Freeling, M. Planta 150, 89–94 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bird, A. & Southern, E. M. J. molec. Biol. 118, 27–47 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Waalwijk, C. & Flavell, R. A. Nucleic Acids Res. 5, 4631–4641 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hepburn, A. G., Clarke, L. E., Pearson, L. & White, J. J. molec. appl Genet. 2, 315–329 (1983).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Fasman, G. D. (ed.) Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 3rd edn, Vol. 2, 284–306 (1983).

  16. Bennett, M. D. & Smith, J. B. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B274, 227–274 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Maxam, A. & Gilbert, W. Meth. Enzym. 65, 499–560 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ohmori, H., Tomizawa, J. & Maxam, A. M. Nucleic Acids Res. 5, 1479–1486 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Coulondre, C., Miller, J. H., Farabaugh, P. J. & Gilbert, W. Nature 274, 775–780 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Bird, A. Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 1499–1504 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Barker, D., Schafer, M. & White, R. Cell 36, 131–138 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Busslinger, M., Hurst, J. & Flavell, R. A. Cell 34, 197–206 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ott, M. et al. Cell 30, 825–833 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Gelvin, S. B., Karcher, S. J. & DiRita, V. J. Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 159–174 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Deumling, B. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 338–342 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Goldsbrough, P. B., Ellis, T. H. N. & Lomonossoff, G. P. Nucleic Acids Res. 10, 4501–4514 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Rivin, C., Zimmer, E. & Walbot, V. Maize for Biological Research (ed. Sheridan, W.) (University of North Dakota Press, Grand Forks, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Ephrussi, A., Church, G. M., Tonegawa, S. & Gilbert, W. Science 227, 134–146 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Harry Nick

    Present address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA

  2. Barbara Bowen & Walter Gilbert

    Present address: Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA

  3. Robert J. Ferl: Department of Botany, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biogen Research Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA

    Harry Nick, Barbara Bowen, Robert J. Ferl & Walter Gilbert

Authors
  1. Harry Nick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Barbara Bowen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert J. Ferl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Walter Gilbert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nick, H., Bowen, B., Ferl, R. et al. Detection of cytosine methylation in the maize alcohol dehydrogenase gene by genomic sequencing. Nature 319, 243–246 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/319243a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/319243a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing