Abstract
The relationship between DNA methylation and dwarfism in maize ( Zea mays) was examined. The amount of 5-methylcytosine (m 5C) in the DNA of a single-gene dwarf mutant, d5, was found to be about 8% lower than that of its tall, near-isogenic counterpart. In order to establish whether DNA undermethylation was at all correlated with dwarfism, germinated seeds of a common tall strain (honey bantum) were treated for 16 h with 5-azacytidine (azaC), a strong inhibitor of DNA methylation in vivo. After the chemical had been removed by repeated washing, seedlings were planted and the growth rate was measured. At maturity, a 28% reduction in the total stem length of treated plants was observed in comparison with untreated controls. Genomic DNA, isolated from an azaC-treated plant, showed about an 8% reduction in m 5C content. Southern hybridization analysis also showed demethylation in repeated sequences. Therefore, azaC treatment was found to induce both dwarfism and DNA demethylation. Although the direct relationship between demethylation of genomic DNA and dwarfism has not been fully clarified, the results suggest that DNA methylation may be involved in the control of genes regulating plant height.
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