DNA methylation is an important type of epigenetic modification in eukaryotes. In order to research genome-wide methylation levels and patterns in foxtail millet (Setaria italica), the Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) analysis (employing double digestion with EcoR I and Hpa II/Msp I) was established and applied in two foxtail millet cultivars (Chaogu 58 and Yugu 1). The results showed that 32 pairs of MSAP primers were selected from 100 MSAP primers, and 1 615 and 1 482 clearly distinguishable and reproducible bands were amplified from Chaogu 58 and Yugu 1 respectively, including 3 types of methylation patterns. Cytosine methylation levels of CCGG context in Chaogu 58 and Yugu 1 were characterized as 6.93% and 8.77% respectively. Such different genomic DNA methylation levels between two foxtail millet varieties may provide a preliminary reference for the cultivation of this crop from a novel epigenetic viewpoint.
DNA 甲基化是真核生物一种重要的表观修饰形式。为了探讨谷子基因组DNA 胞嘧啶甲基化的水平和模式，以谷子 Setaria italica 的两个品种朝谷 58 号和豫谷 1 号为实验材料，利用 EcoRⅠ和 HpaⅡ/MspⅠ双酶切建立适合于谷子基因组的甲基化敏感扩增多态性 (MSAP) 分析体系。结果表明，从100 对MSAP 选扩引物中，筛选出32 对MSAP 引物组合，在朝谷58 号和豫谷1 号中分别扩增产生1 615、1 482 条清晰可辨且可重复的DNA 条带，其中包括3 种类型的甲基化条带，朝谷58 号和豫谷1 号的基因组中CCGG序列胞嘧啶甲基化水平分别为6.93%和8.77%。这种谷子不同品种间甲基化水平和分布位点的差异为从表观遗传学的角度培育新品种提供了初步的理论依据和参考。.
Keywords: DNA methylation; foxtail millet (Setaria italica); methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP).