Influence of induced mutagenesis on DNA methylation among mutants of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Influence of induced mutagenesis on DNA methylation was studied among the two sets of parents and their EMS-derived mutants (first set consisting of TMV 2 and its mutant TMV 2-NLM and the second set consisting of DER and its mutant VL 1). The number of methylated sites increased in the mutants over their parents in both the sets and the rate of increase was more in the first set than in the second set. B genome accumulated a greater number of DNA methylated sites in both sets. Among the various contexts (CPG, CHG and CHH) of DNA methylation, CHG regions showed the highest number of methylated sites in the first set, while the CPG regions showed a greater number of methylated sites in the second set. The first set showed a higher rate of increase in methylated sites in the intronic and while the second set showed a higher rate of increase in methylated sites in the exonic region of mutants compared to parents. Overall, the study indicated the influence of induced mutagenesis on DNAmethylation pattern among the mutants.