Methylation of an alpha-foetoprotein gene intragenic site modulates gene activity.
By comparing the methylation pattern of Mspl/Hpall sites in the 5' region of the mouse alpha-foetoprotein (AFP) gene of different cells (hepatoma cells, foetal and adult liver, fibroblasts), we found a correlation between gene expression and unmethylation of a site located in the first intron of the gene. Other sites did not show this correlation. In transfection experiments of unmethylated and methylated AFP-CAT chimeric constructions, we then showed that methylation of the intronic site negatively modulates expression of CAT activity. We also found that a DNA segment centered on this site binds nuclear proteins; however methylation did not affect protein binding.
Département de Biologie Moléculaire, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Rhode-St-Genèse, Belgium.
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K
Opdecamp
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Rivière
M
M
Molné
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J
Szpirer
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C
Szpirer
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics*; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D004247:DNA; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase