The human Dnmt2 has residual DNA-(cytosine-C5) methyltransferase activity.
The human Dnmt2 protein is one member of a protein family conserved from Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Drosophila melanogaster to Mus musculus and Homo sapiens. It contains all of the amino acid motifs characteristic for DNA-(Cytosine-C5) methyltransferases, and its structure is very similar to prokaryotic DNA methyltransferases. Nevertheless, so far all attempts to detect catalytic activity of this protein have failed. We show here by two independent assay systems that the purified Dnmt2 protein has weak DNA methyltransferase activity. Methylation was observed at CG sites in a loose ttnCGga(g/a) consensus sequence, suggesting that Dnmt2 has a more specialized role than other mammalian DNA methyltransferases.
Hermann
Andrea
A
Institut für Biochemie, FB 8, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, Justus-Liebig-Universität, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Schmitt
Sigrid
S
Jeltsch
Albert
A
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C491786:Dnmt2 protein, mouse; C491784:Mt2 protein, Drosophila; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; C112218:TRDMT1 protein, human