Abstract
The genome of the invertebrate chordate Ciona intestinalis was found to be a stable mosaic of methylated and nonmethylated domains. Multiple copies of an apparently active long terminal repeat retrotransposon and a long interspersed element are nonmethylated and a large fraction of abundant short interspersed elements are also methylation free. Genes, by contrast, are predominantly methylated. These data are incompatible with the genome defense model, which proposes that DNA methylation in animals is primarily targeted to endogenous transposable elements. Cytosine methylation in this urochordate may be preferentially directed to genes.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Ciona intestinalis / genetics*
-
Cosmids
-
Cytosine / metabolism
-
DNA Methylation*
-
DNA Transposable Elements*
-
Dinucleoside Phosphates / metabolism
-
Genome*
-
Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements
-
Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid*
-
Retroelements*
-
Short Interspersed Nucleotide Elements
-
Terminal Repeat Sequences
Substances
-
DNA Transposable Elements
-
Dinucleoside Phosphates
-
Retroelements
-
cytidylyl-3'-5'-guanosine
-
Cytosine
Associated data
-
GENBANK/AJ226133
-
GENBANK/AJ226134
-
GENBANK/AJ226135
-
GENBANK/AJ226136
-
GENBANK/AJ226137
-
GENBANK/AJ226138
-
GENBANK/AJ226139
-
GENBANK/AJ226140
-
GENBANK/AJ226141
-
GENBANK/AJ226142
-
GENBANK/AJ226143
-
GENBANK/AJ226144
-
GENBANK/AJ226145
-
GENBANK/AJ226146
-
GENBANK/AJ226147
-
GENBANK/AJ226148
-
GENBANK/AJ226149
-
GENBANK/AJ226150
-
GENBANK/AJ226151
-
GENBANK/AJ226152
-
GENBANK/AJ226153
-
GENBANK/AJ226154
-
GENBANK/AJ226155
-
GENBANK/AJ226156
-
GENBANK/AJ226157
-
GENBANK/AJ226159
-
GENBANK/AJ226160
-
GENBANK/AJ226161
-
GENBANK/AJ226162
-
GENBANK/AJ226163