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Can DNA Methylation Regulate Gene Expression?

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Modified Nucleosides and Cancer

Abstract

The DNA from many different animals contains 5-methyl-cytosine (m5C) in addition to the four DNA bases (Wyatt 1951; Vanyushin et al. 1970). m5C is predominantly found in the sequence m5CpG (Grippo et al. 1968), and is known to arise by the direct methylation of cytosine residues in DNA (Sneider and Potter 1969; Burdon and Adams 1969). There is considerable variation in the degree of methylation in DNA from different animals (Waalwijk and Flavell 1978b; Drahovsky et al. 1979; Bird and Taggart 1980; Eden et al. 1981).

We thank Armin Kressmann and Marco Maechler, Zürich, for help with the microinjection experiments, Howard Cedar, Jerusalem, for providing the HpaII DNA methyltransferase, and Gertrud Deutschländer for typing the manuscript. This research was supported by grants from the Ministry of Science and Research of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (IIB5-FA8381) and by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through SFB 74

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Genetik, Universität Köln, Weyertal 121, 5000, Köln-Lindenthal, Germany

    L. Vardimon, D. Renz & W. Doerfler

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  1. L. Vardimon
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  2. D. Renz
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  3. W. Doerfler
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  1. Zentrallaboratorium für Mutagenitätsprüfung, Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft, Breisacher Strasse 33, D-7800, Freiburg, Germany

    Gisela Nass

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© 1983 Springer-Verlag Berlin • Heidelberg

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Vardimon, L., Renz, D., Doerfler, W. (1983). Can DNA Methylation Regulate Gene Expression?. In: Nass, G. (eds) Modified Nucleosides and Cancer. Recent Results in Cancer Research/Fortschritte der Krebsforschung/Progrès dans les recherches sur Ie cancer, vol 84. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-81947-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-81947-6_6

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