DNA Methylation Plays Pivotal Role in Regulating Gene Expression in Plants

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Researchers at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University have found that DNA methylation plays a critical role in regulating gene expression and secondary metabolism in plants. The study, published in The Plant Journal, analyzed the effects of DNA methylation on tanshinone production in Salvia miltiorrhiza and Salvia bowleyana, two traditional Chinese medicinal plants. The research revealed that DNA methylation controls the expression of tanshinone synthesis genes and the tanshinone accumulation in these plants.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that DNA methylation levels were significantly higher in Salvia miltiorrhiza than in Salvia bowleyana, potentially due to the upregulation of methylation-related genes.
  • The researchers identified four genes involved in tanshinone biosynthesis that showed lower methylation levels in their promoters and higher methylation levels in their gene bodies in Salvia miltiorrhiza, leading to their high expression and accumulation of tanshinones.
  • Overexpression of SmCMT3 in Salvia miltiorrhiza significantly reduced the contents of cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I, and tanshinone IIA, suggesting a regulatory role of DNA methylation in tanshinone biosynthesis.
  • Transcriptomic and methylome analyses confirmed that the expression levels of tanshinone biosynthesis-related genes were correlated with their promoter or gene body DNA methylation levels.

Statistics:

  • 30-day-old hairy roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza showed significantly higher tanshinone content than those of Salvia bowleyana.
  • DNA methylation levels were 25% higher in Salvia miltiorrhiza than in Salvia bowleyana.
  • 4 genes involved in tanshinone biosynthesis showed 15-20% lower DNA methylation levels in their promoters and 10-15% higher methylation levels in their gene bodies in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Sources:

  • The Plant Journal, 2025;123(6)
  • Zhejiang Sci-Tech University
  • Xin-Ru Du, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University
  • The citation for this news report is: NewsRx. Findings on Science Reported by Researchers at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (DNA methylation controls the expression of tanshinone synthesis genes and the tanshinone accumulation in Salvia miltiorrhiza and Salvia bowleyana). Science Letter. October 17, 2025; p 656.