DNA methylation is a process in which a methyl group is attached to the cytosine base of the DNA molecule, and a major way that DNA is epigenetically marked.
Rockefeller UniversityAug 28 2024 Epigenetic modifications can act as on-off switches to regulate gene expression and help generate diverse cell types without changing the underlying DNA sequence. It is how the body ensures that brain-related genes don't get turned on in heart cells, for example.
The researchers discovered that CDCA7 senses hemimethylation in eukaryotes-;an important find, because hemimethylation sensing has long been thought to be solely carried out by a protein called UHRF1. They published their results in Science Advances. DNA replication is a tricky process. At the heart of a cell nucleus is chromatin, a complex of macromolecules composed of double-stranded DNA and histone proteins, which DNA wraps around like a string on a yo-yo to form nucleosomes. During replication, the double-stranded DNA strand unwinds from around the histone and splits into two single strands; DNA polymerases then stitch complementary nucleotides across each strand, resulting in two copies of the double-stranded DNA molecule.
The chromatin problem Scientists know that the access of many enzymes and DNA-binding proteins is restricted by chromatin, including those that are necessary to introduce methylation to the DNA. Earlier research by the Funabiki lab showed that CDCA7 forms a complex with the protein encoded by the HELLS gene, whose mutations also cause ICF syndrome. HELLS is a so-called nucleosome remodeler, which can temporarily unwrap the DNA molecule from the nucleosome.
DNA Methylation Genetic Brain Cell Chromatin Chromosome Cytosine Eukaryotes Gene Gene Expression Genes Heart Immunodeficiency Molecule Nucleotides Protein Respiratory Syndrome
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