The DNA cytosine methylome revealed two methylation motifs in the upstream regions of genes related to morphological and physiological differentiation in Streptomyces coelicolor A(3)2 M145

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification detected in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomic DNAs. In bacteria, the importance of 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in gene expression has been less investigated than in eukaryotic systems. Through dot-blot analysis employing m5C antibodies against chromosomal DNA, we have previously demonstrated that m5C influences the differentiation of Streptomyces coelicolor A(3)2 M145 in solid sporulating and liquid non-sporulating complex media. Here, we mapped the methylated cytosines of the M145 strain growing in the defined Maltose Glutamate (MG) liquid medium. Sequencing of the M145 genome after bisulfite treatment (BS-sequencing) evidenced 3360 methylated cytosines and the two methylation motifs, GGCmCGG and GCCmCG, in the upstream regions of 321 genes. Besides, the role of cytosine methylation was investigated using the hypo-methylating agent 5′-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) in S. coelicolor cultures, demonstrating that m5C affects both growth and antibiotic biosynthesis. Finally, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis of genes containing the methylation motifs in the upstream regions showed that 5-aza-dC treatment influenced their transcriptional levels and those of the regulatory genes for two antibiotics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that reports the cytosine methylome of S. coelicolor M145, supporting the crucial role ascribed to cytosine methylation in controlling bacterial gene expression.