title: Mbd1 is recruited to both methylated and nonmethylated CpGs via distinct DNA binding domains.
abstract: MBD1 is a vertebrate methyl-CpG binding domain protein (MBD) that can bring about repression of methylated promoter DNA sequences. Like other MBD proteins, MBD1 localizes to nuclear foci that in mice are rich in methyl-CpG. In methyl-CpG-deficient mouse cells, however, Mbd1 remains localized to heterochromatic foci whereas other MBD proteins become dispersed in the nucleus. We find that Mbd1a, a major mouse isoform, contains a CXXC domain (CXXC-3) that binds specifically to nonmethylated CpG, suggesting an explanation for methylation-independent localization. Transfection studies demonstrate that the CXXC-3 domain indeed targets nonmethylated CpG sites in vivo. Repression of nonmethylated reporter genes depends on the CXXC-3 domain, whereas repression of methylated reporters requires the MBD. Our findings indicate that MBD1 can interpret the CpG dinucleotide as a repressive signal in vivo regardless of its methylation status.
authors.affiliation: The Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Helle F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: Ittai
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ben-Porath
authors.forename: Adrian P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Bird
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D018899:CpG Islands; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C066141:MBD1 protein, human; C489323:Mbd1 protein, mouse; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D004247:DNA; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases