Abstract 2170 The Novel DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitor CM-272 Inhibits Bacterial Growth via a DNA Methylation-Independent Mechanism

The Escherichia coli genome contains 5-methylcytosine at CCWGG sites. In eukaryotes, the role of DNA methylation is well-defined and it impacts several processes including transcription regulation. However, the role of bacterial cytosine DNA methylation is less-well understood, with our laboratory's previous studies suggesting that cytosine DNA methylation is important for the bacterial stress response. In this study, we treated bacterial cells with cytosine DNA methylation inhibitors to elucidate the role of cytosine DNA methylation.