title: Dam methylation: coordinating cellular processes.
abstract: GATC sequences in Escherichia coli DNA are methylated at the adenine residue by DNA adenine methyltransferase (DamMT). These methylated residues and/or the level of DamMT can influence cellular functions such as gene transcription, DNA mismatch repair, initiation of chromosome replication and nucleoid structure. In certain bacteria, unlike E. coli, DamMT is essential for viability perhaps owing to its role in chromosome replication. DamMT has also been implicated as a virulence factor in bacterial pathogenesis. The origin and phylogeny of DamMT, based on sequenced genomes, has been deduced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Roskilde University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Løbner-Olesen
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Skovgaard
authors.forename: Martin G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Marinus
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D015265:Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific) / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C058693:Dam methyltransferase; D015265:Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific); C499294:dam protein, E coli