Work

DNA methylation is a reversible biological signal

Year: 1999

Type: article

Abstract: The pattern of DNA methylation plays an important role in regulating different genome functions. To test the hypothesis that DNA methylation is a reversible biochemical process, we purified a DNA demethylase from human cells that catalyzes the cleavage of a methyl residue from 5-methyl cytosine and its release as methanol. We show that similar to DNA methyltransferase, DNA demethylase shows CpG dinucleotide specificity, can demethylate mdCpdG sites in different sequence contexts, and demethylates both fully methylated and hemimethylated DNA. Thus, contrary to the commonly accepted model, DNA methylation is a reversible signal, similar to other physiological biochemical modifications.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.96.11.6107

Authors: Shyam Ramchandani, Sanjoy K. Bhattacharya, Nadia Cervoni, Moshe Szyf

Institution: McGill University

Language: English

Topic: Epigenetics and DNA Methylation

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2052665087

FWCI: 4.884

Cites: 34

Cited by: 349

Related to: 10