AUTHOR=Nai Yu-Shin , Huang Yu-Chun , Yen Ming-Ren , Chen Pao-Yang 

TITLE=Diversity of Fungal DNA Methyltransferases and Their Association With DNA Methylation Patterns

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.616922

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.616922

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=DNA methyltransferases (DNMtases) are a group of proteins that catalyze DNA methylation by transferring a methyl group to DNA. The genetic variation in DNMtases results in differential DNA methylation patterns associated with various biological processes. In fungal species, DNMtases and their DNA methylation profiles were found to be very diverse and have gained much research interest. We reviewed fungal DNMtases in terms of their biological functions, protein domain structures, and associated epigenetic regulations compared to those known in plant and animal systems. Specifically, we summarized recent reports on potential RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) related to DNMT5 in fungi. In addition, we surveyed up to 40 fungal species with published genome-wide DNA methylation profiles (methylomes) and presented the associations between the specific patterns of fungal DNA methylation and their DNMtases based on a phylogenetic tree of protein domain structures. For example, the main DNMtases in Basidiomycota, DNMT1 with RFD domain +DNMT5, contributing to CG methylation preference, were distinct from RID+Dim-2 in Ascomycota, resulting in a non-CG methylation preference. Last, we revealed that the dynamic methylation involved in fungal life stage changes was particularly low in mycelium and DNA methylation was preferentially located in transposable elements (TEs) and repeat regions in fungi. This review comprehensively discusses fungal DNMtases and methylomes and their connection with fungal development and taxonomy to present the diverse usages of DNA methylation in fungal genomes.