Gene expression and DNA methylation alterations in chemically induced male sterility anthers in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

DNA methylation plays an important role in gene expression regulation during biological development in plants. To explore the mechanism of chemically induced male sterility (CIMS) in wheat, using cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) and methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) approaches, 6.66 and 3.42 % of the sequences showed changes in gene expression and DNA methylation in 1376-CIMS as compared to its fertility line 1376. We sequenced 54 fragments that differed in cDNA-AFLP and 26 DNA fragments which differentially displayed in MSAP comparisons of CIMS and 1376. Our results provided evidences for genome-wide changes in gene expression and DNA methylation occurring in the development of the 1376-CIMS system induced by chemical hybridizing agent SQ-1, and its counterpart fertility line 1376. Moreover, this study contributed to the elucidation of CIMS effects on responses of transcriptome and methylome in the development of the anther.