A DNA molecule that is methylated on both strands on the center cytosine WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CHRISTOPH BOCK (MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATICS)
1 and 4. Accumulation of DNA methylation
Two studies examine the accumulation of DNA methylation changes in lineages of Arabidopsis thaliana plants over 30 generations. The results demonstrate rates of new heritable methylation changes that were at least 1000-fold higher than the expected DNA mutation rate. Such differences in methylation patterns can affect transcription and morphology, driving phenotypic diversity in the absence of genetic mutations.
R.J. Schmitz et al., “Transgenerational epigenetic instability is a source of novel methylation variants,” Science, 334:369-73, 2011. Free F1000 Evaluation
C. Becker et al., “Spontaneous epigenetic variation in the Arabidopsis thaliana methylome,” Nature, doi: 10.1038/nature10555, 2011. Free F1000 Evaluation
2. Bacterial DNA to host
Both the conjugative sharing of DNA between bacteria and the [don’t know] transfer of bacterial DNA ...
