title: Methylation and gene mutation in eukaryotic DNA.
abstract: 5-methylcytosine (m5C) as a rare base exists in eukaryotic genomes, which is a normal constitution in many eukaryotic DNA and the existence of m5C is a feature of eukaryotic DNA. Under regular physiological conditions, cytosine of eukaryotic DNA is usually methylated. Up to the present, many people consider that the m5C may be mutation hotspots by the deamination leading to gene mutation. Our study indicated that the spontaneous mutation caused by the transition of G.C --> A.T, in eukaryotic DNA, may result from the tautomer changing of base pairs and may also be cause by other factor actions, however it could not be caused by the deamination of m5C.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, P.R. China.
authors.forename: C Q
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D004247:DNA