Investigation of bacterial rna-directed DNA methylation via Dcm and Hfq

摘要: INVESTIGATION OF BACTERIAL RNA-DIRECTED DNA METHYLATION VIA DCM AND HFQ by DANDAN LI May 2013 Advisor: Dr Andrew Feig Major: Chemistry (Biochemistry) Degree: Master of Science Bacterial small RNAs and the RNA chaperone Hfq play crucial roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation, often as parts stress-response pathways, but little is known about their regulation transcription. A recent report showed that changes methylation patterns caused cytosine methyltransferase (Dcm) were linked to occurring during transition stationary phase. Here, we show Dcm involves stress responses under nutrient starvation cold stress. together mediate expression promotes Dcm-catalyzed at specific sites near rpoS promoter, which consistent with genome-wide analysis linking response pathways altered methylation. Overexpressing DsrA, an sRNA induced low temperature regulate genes required for adaptation, stimulates this behavior, showing sRNA-dependent. This represents first example RNA-directed mechanism bacteria responsible modulating expression.