Biomaterial Database

DNA methylation during differentiation of a lower eukaryote, Physarum polycephalum. 1994

J Fronk, and R Magiera

Institute of Biochemistry, Warsaw University, Poland.

Starvation-induced differentiation of the slime mould Physarum polycephalum is accompanied by continuous methylation of DNA. No stable changes in the overall level of DNA methylation are evident, but a gene known to be transcribed specifically during differentiation is subject to increased methylation. Inhibitors of DNA methylation preclude differentiation of P. polycephalum, although they are only marginally inhibitory to normal growth. Taken together these results indicate that methylation of DNA is involved in differentiation of this lower eukaryote.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008745	Methylation	Addition of methyl groups. In histo-chemistry methylation is used to esterify carboxyl groups and remove sulfate groups by treating tissue sections with hot methanol in the presence of hydrochloric acid. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Methylations
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D016839	Physarum polycephalum	A protozoan, previously also considered a fungus. Characteristics include sporangia that are stalked and multilobed. It is widely used in biomedical research.	Physarum polycephalums,polycephalum, Physarum