The STAT3-DNMT1 connection.
Gene activity is regulated by transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms. A paper in 2005 by Zhang et al.(1) showed that STAT3 binds to the DNA methyl transferase, DNMT1 and their data indicated that STAT3 may cause epigenetic gene silencing by targeting DNMT1 to the PTPN6 promoter. Now, a paper by Lee et al.(2) has fleshed out the mechanism. They provide evidence that acetylation of STAT3 regulates the binding of DNMT1, CpG DNA methylation and regulation of several genes, including that encoding the estrogen receptor α (ESR1) in breast cancer cells.
Department of Haematological Medicine; Rayne Institute; King's College London; London, UK.
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DNA methylation; DNMT1; STAT3; acetylation; cancer; epigenetics; transcription