Macronuclear DNA demethylation is involved in the encystment process of the ciliate Colpoda inflata.

✍ Scribed by Gemma Palacios; A. Martin-Gonzalez; Juan C. Gutierrez

• Book ID: 102563738
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 321 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1065-6995
• DOI: 10.1006/cbir.1994.1067

✦ Synopsis

ABSTRACT

Ciliate encystment is an eukaryotic cell differentiation process which involves a specific gene expression, to form the resting stage. In this study, we investigate, for first time, the DNA methylation pattern changes during encystment in the ciliate Colpoda inflata, and the 5‐azacytidine effect on growing cells and encystment. Results indicate that 5‐methylcytosine is present in macronuclear DNA of this ciliate and the 5‐azacytidine treatment induces encystment in growth conditions. From restriction enzyme digestion and 5‐azacytidine experiments, we conclude that a specific DNA demethylation is probably involved in the encystment gene expression of this ciliate.