Methylation patterns of repetitive DNA sequences in germ cells of Mus musculus.
The major and the minor satellite sequences of Mus musculus were undermethylated in both sperm and oocyte DNAs relative to the amount of undermethylation observed in adult somatic tissue DNA. This hypomethylation was specific for satellite sequences in sperm DNA. Dispersed repetitive and low copy sequences show a high degree of methylation in sperm DNA; however, a dispersed repetitive sequence was undermethylated in oocyte DNA. This finding suggests a difference in the amount of total genomic DNA methylation between sperm and oocyte DNA. The methylation levels of the minor satellite sequences did not change during spermiogenesis, and were not associated with the onset of meiosis or a specific stage in sperm development.
D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004276:DNA, Satellite / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009865:Oocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D010957:Plasmids; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000032:analysis*
D004276:DNA, Satellite