The extent of methylation of the 18S-25S ribosomal RNA genes of Petunia hybrida has been investigated using methylation-sensitive restriction endonucleases and Southern hybridisation. The genes in leaves, ovaries, petals, stigmas, anthers, and seed are methylated to a similar extent, but those in roots are hypomethylated. Genes in adventitious roots formed from stem cuttings are also hypomethylated. Genes in callus cultures initiated from leaf discs vary widely in the extent of methylation, but the pattern obtained is stable during culture. Callus cells containing hypomethylated genes can give rise to shoots in which the extent of methylation has reverted to that of the original leaf explant. These results demonstrate the striking plasticity of ribosomal RNA gene methylation in Petunia.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	methylation, ribosomal RNA, Petunia hybrida, callus cultures
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Plant biology
Research Field:	Plant physiology
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
UTAS Author:	Smith, SM (Professor Steven Smith)
ID Code:	101603
Year Published:	1990
Web of Science® Times Cited:	21
Deposited By:	Plant Science
Deposited On:	2015-06-26
Last Modified:	2015-08-25
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