5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine is a widely used meythylation inhibitor, which inactivates the DNA methyltransferase of animals. This chemical also works for plants. However, in terms of the methylation sites, plants are largely different from animals. Methylation of plants consists three sequence contexts: CG, CHG and CHH, while CG methylation is predominant in animals. Does anyone know how the 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine functions in plant? Does it inhibit all the methylation sites or mainly target the CG methylation? Thanks.
Hi there,
5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine is actually incorporated into DNA during replication(so basically it may be incorporated in any type of cytosine methylation site in DNA) and then reacts covalently with DNMT1 family enzymes (with the catalytic cysteine). For more info read the following:
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-642-16483-5_503/fulltext.html
Thanks Dominique. I know the mechanism of this molecular in mammalian cells. Different enzymes are used in plants for cg, chg and chh methylation. Met1 functions in a gnmt1-like way but not the other enzymes responsible for chh or chg methylation. So I can imagine the cg methylation will comprehensively reduced by application of 5-aza. I am just curious if the chemical can repress the chh and chg methylation of plant or not.
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