DNA 6mA marks transcriptionally active chromatin in malaria parasites - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #malaria
- #epigenetics
- #DNA modification
- DNA 6mA is a low-abundance epigenetic modification in Plasmodium falciparum, present at 0.02-0.04% of adenines, with most sites stable during intra-erythrocytic development.
- 6mA is enriched at transcription start sites; genes with 6mA in their 5' and 3' UTRs have higher transcript levels, linking it to transcriptional activity.
- 6mA loci correlate positively with activating histone modifications but not with repressive marks, and do not occlude nucleosomes in P. falciparum.
- A putative methyltransferase, PfN6AMT (METTL4 family), shows in vitro activity, and its active site mutation abolishes catalysis, indicating a role in 6mA deposition.