BARC/PUB/2021/0208

 
 

N6-methyladenine and epigenetic immunity of Deinococcus radiodurans

 
     
 
Author(s)

Joshi, S.; Ujaoney, A. K.; Ghosh, P.; Basu, B.; and others
(MBD)

Source

Research in Microbiology, 2021. Vol. 172 (1): Article no. 103789

ABSTRACT

DNA methylation is ubiquitously found in all three domains of life. This epigenetic modification on adenine or cytosine residues serves to regulate gene expression or to defend against invading DNA in bacteria. Here, we report the significance of N6-methyladenine (6mA) to epigenetic immunity in Deinococcus radiodurans. Putative protein encoded by DR_2267 ORF (Dam2DR) contributed 35% of genomic 6mA in D. radiodurans but did not in fluence gene expression or radiation resistance. Dam2DR was characterized to be a functional S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent N6-adenine DNA methyltransferase (MTase) but with no endonuclease activity. Adenine methylation from Dam2DR or Dam1DR (N6-adenine MTase encoded by DR_0643) improved DNA uptake during natural transformation. To the contrary, methylation from Escherichia coli N6-adenine MTase (DamEC that methylates adenine in GATC sequence) on donor plasmid drastically reduced  DNA uptake in D. radiodurans, even in presence of Dam2DR or Dam1DR methylated adenines. With these results, we conclude that self-type N6-adenine methylation on donor DNA had a protective effect in absence of additional foreign methylation, a separate methylation-dependent Restriction Modi fication (R-M) system effectively identifies and limits uptake of G6mATC sequence containing donor DNA. This is the first report demonstrating presence of epigenetic immunity in D. radiodurans.

 
 
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