Cytosine-5-methyltransferases add aldehydes to DNA.
Targeted methylation of cytosine residues by S-adenosylmethionine-dependent DNA methyltransferases modulates gene expression in vertebrates. Here we show that cytosine-5-methyltransferases catalyze reversible covalent addition of exogenous aliphatic aldehydes to their target residues in DNA, thus yielding corresponding 5-hydroxyalkylcytosines. Such atypical enzymatic reactions with non-cofactor-like substrates open new ways for sequence-specific derivatization of DNA and demonstrate enzymatic exchange of 5-hydroxymethyl groups on cytosine in support of an oxidative mechanism of DNA demethylation.
Laboratory of Biological DNA Modification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Zita
Z
Liutkeviciute
Grazvydas
G
Lukinavicius
Viktoras
V
Masevicius
Dalia
D
Daujotyte
Saulius
S
Klimasauskas
D000447:Aldehydes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D003596:Cytosine / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D000447:Aldehydes; D003596:Cytosine; D004247:DNA; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases