title: Cytosine methylation: remaining faithful.
abstract: DNA methyltransferase-1 (DNMT1) has a higher specific activity on hemimethylated DNA than on unmethylated DNA, but this preference is too small to explain the faithful mitotic inheritance of genomic methylation patterns. New genetic studies in plants and mammals have identified a novel factor that increases the fidelity of maintenance methylation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Development, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Steen K T
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: Timothy H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Bestor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D003596:Cytosine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D018745:Genome, Plant; D051379:Mice; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
chemical_list: D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D003596:Cytosine; D004247:DNA; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; C000619381:Dnmt1 protein, mouse; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; C117054:Uhrf1 protein, mouse