title: The human Dnmt2 has residual DNA-(cytosine-C5) methyltransferase activity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biochemie, FB 8, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, Justus-Liebig-Universität, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeltsch
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C491786:Dnmt2 protein, mouse; C491784:Mt2 protein, Drosophila; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; C112218:TRDMT1 protein, human