DNA methylation: a molecular lock.
In mammals, the promoters of expressed genes are generally unmethylated, whereas those of genes that are not expressed are methylated. Two recent papers help to explain the mechanism by which methylation modulates gene expression.
Siegfried
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Z
Department of Cellular Biochemistry, The Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
Cedar
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H
D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008322:Mammals; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; D008961:Models, Structural; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA