Study and characterization of the gene expression regulation in Fragaria Vesca mediated by dna methylated under abiotic stress condition

DNA methylation is a conserved epigenetic modification and it plays an important role on the gene expression transcriptional control. In plants up to 30% of the total cytosine are methylated and in contrast to mammals methylation occurs at cytosines in any sequence context, although it is more frequent in CG and CNG sites. Recent works showed that plants have also developed a demethylation system based on glycosylase/lyase pathway. This work was directed to demonstrate how nutritional stress induced by mineral fertilization. Two Fragaria vesca genotypes were analyzed. Plant Material was subdivided in two groups. Each group was treated with organic and mineral fertilization. DNA was analyzed applying isoschizomers (HpaII and MspI) able to detect methylated cytosine. Subsequently, Differential Display technique Was applied to identify and isolate genes differentially expressed. Results obtained from genomic analysis showed an Increase of the DNA methylation in nitrate treated plants. Expressed fragment omology analysis confirmed as mineral treatment induces hypermethylation. Relevant result comes from The presence of glycosylase activity in mineral samples. The experimental methods put in evidence the mineral fertilization effect on the physiological response and as they could be useful to devise crop management protocols.