Genomic structure and chromosomal mapping of the murine and human Mbd1, Mbd2, Mbd3, and Mbd4 genes.
DNA methylation is essential for murine development and is implicated in the control of gene expression. MeCP2, MBD1, MBD2, MBD3, and MBD4 comprise a family of mammalian, nuclear proteins related by the presence in each of an amino acid motif called the methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD). Each of these proteins, with the exception of MBD3, is capable of binding specifically to methylated DNA. MeCP2, MBD1 and MBD2 can also repress transcription. We describe the genomic structure and chromosomal localization of the human and murine Mbd1, Mbd2, Mbd3, and Mbd4 genes. We find that the highly similar MBD2 and MBD3 proteins are encoded by genes that map to different chromosomes in humans and mice but show a similar genomic structure. The Mbd1 and Mbd2 genes, in contrast, map together to murine and human Chromosomes (Chrs)18. The Mbd3 and Mbd4 genes map to murine Chrs 10 and 6, respectively, while the human MBD3 and MBD4 genes map to Chrs 19 and 3, respectively.
Hendrich
B
B
Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Darwin Building, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JR Scotland, UK.
Abbott
C
C
McQueen
H
H
Chambers
D
D
Cross
S
S
Bird
A
A
D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 / Q000235:genetics; D002888:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19 / Q000235:genetics; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D005091:Exons; D016678:Genome; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007438:Introns; D051379:Mice; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors
D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C115368:MBD2 protein; C115369:MBD3 protein, human; C492013:Mbd3 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; C118712:MBD4 protein, human; C492249:Mbd4 protein, mouse