ArticleFASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology2020
DNA sequence repeats identify numerous Type I restriction-modification systems that are potential epigenetic regulators controlling phase-variable regulons; phasevarions.
Article in FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- ThemBio · 2026Article
- Epigenetic Phase Variation in Bacterial Adaptation to Environmental Stress: A Narrative Review.Current microbiology · 2026Review
- Phase variation inEngineering microbiology · 2026Article
- How to Unmask an Unknown: The Restriction-Modification SystemInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Biology of host-dependent restriction-modification in prokaryotes.EcoSal Plus · 2025Review
- Lactococcal mobile genetic elements harbour a diverse phage defensome rich in restriction-modification systems.Nucleic acids research · 2025Article
- BlihIA-A Novel Type I Restriction-Modification System fromInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Understanding prokaryotic adaptation through advanced DNA methylation detection techniques.The ISME journal · 2025Review
- Comparative genomic study of non-typeableiScience · 2024Article
- Article
- The defensome of complex bacterial communities.Nature communications · 2024Article
- Phasevarions inMicrobiology spectrum · 2024Article
- A Survey of Archaeal Restriction-Modification Systems.Microorganisms · 2023Article
- Characterisation of Type II DNA Methyltransferases ofMicroorganisms · 2023Article
- Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae encodes multiple phase-variable DNA methyltransferases that control distinct phasevarions.Nucleic acids research · 2023Article
- Natural Recombination among Type I Restriction-Modification Systems Creates Diverse Genomic Methylation Patterns among Xylella fastidiosa Strains.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2023Article
- Characterization of theFrontiers in microbiology · 2023Article
- Barriers to genetic manipulation of Enterococci: Current Approaches and Future Directions.FEMS microbiology reviews · 2022Review
- From genome structure to function: insights into structural variation in microbiology.Current opinion in microbiology · 2022Review
- Impacts ofMicrobial genomics · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Over recent years several examples of randomly switching methyltransferases, associated with Type III restriction-modification (R-M) systems, have been described in pathogenic bacteria. In every case examined, changes in simple DNA sequence repeats result in variable methyltransferase expression and result in global changes in gene expression, and differentiation of the bacterial cell into distinct phenotypes. These epigenetic regulatory systems are called phasevarions, phase-variable regulons, and are widespread in bacteria, with 17.4% of Type III R-M system containing simple DNA sequence repeats. A distinct, recombination-driven random switching system has also been described in Streptococci in Type I R-M systems that also regulate gene expression. Here, we interrogate the most extensive and well-curated database of R-M systems, REBASE, by searching for all possible simple DNA sequence repeats in the hsdRMS genes that encode Type I R-M systems. We report that 7.9% of hsdS, 2% of hsdM, and of 4.3% of hsdR genes contain simple sequence repeats that are capable of mediating phase variation. Phase variation of both hsdM and hsdS genes will lead to differential methyltransferase expression or specificity, and thereby the potential to control phasevarions. These data suggest that in addition to well characterized phasevarions controlled by Type III mod genes, and the previously described Streptococcal Type I R-M systems that switch via recombination, approximately 10% of all Type I R-M systems surveyed herein have independently evolved the ability to randomly switch expression via simple DNA sequence repeats.
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