A mammalian protein with specific demethylase activity for mCpG DNA.
DNA-methylation patterns are important for regulating genome functions, and are determined by the enzymatic processes of methylation and demethylation. The demethylating enzyme has now been identified: a mammalian complementary DNA encodes a methyl-CpG-binding domain, bears a demethylase activity that transforms methylated cytosine bases to cytosine, and demethylates a plasmid when the cDNA is translated or transiently transfected into human embryonal kidney cells in vitro. The discovery of this DNA demethylase should provide a basis for the molecular and developmental analysis of the role of DNA methylation and demethylation.
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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SK
Bhattacharya
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Ramchandani
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Cervoni
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M
Szyf
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002384:Catalysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003596:Cytosine / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015226:Dinucleoside Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D000432:Methanol / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010090:Oxidoreductases, O-Demethylating / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D003596:Cytosine; D004247:DNA; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015226:Dinucleoside Phosphates; D000432:Methanol; D010090:Oxidoreductases, O-Demethylating; C015772:CpG dinucleotide; C117595:methyl-CpG DNA demethylase