Deviant DNA methylation play a key role in the pollen abortion of Gossypium barbadense L. cytoplasmic male sterility

DNA methylation is a conserved epigenetic modification mechanism in higher plants that affects several biological processes by regulating gene expression without alteration in DNA sequence. Although, gene expression of cotton cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) line H276A has been conducted but its regulation mechanism of gene expression is unknown. Therefore, a bisulfite sequencing (BS-Seq) technology was utilized to evaluate genome wide relative study of DNA methylation of the cotton CMS line H276A and its maintainer line H276B. Data showed that 1498 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and 5762 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were observed between two samples, respectively. The KEGG pathway analysis exhibited that 139 DMGs were highly enriched in eight pathways, i.e. starch and sucrose metabolism, ABC transporters and oxidative phosphorylation. Moreover, 74 DMGs were identified as encoding transcription factors (TFs). Eight DMGs were randomly selected to confirm the correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression using qRT-PCR. Results indicated that 6 of 8 DMGs showed a negative relationship between gene expression and DNA methylation. Twelve key DMGs, which involved in carbohydrate and energy metabolism, TFs and male gametophyte development, potentially related to cotton CMS were also identified. These data will provide better understanding of DNA methylation alteration and their potential roles in cotton CMS.