Premium
De Novo methylation of the proto‐oncogene, c‐ fos, during development occurs step‐wise and directionally in the laboratory mouse
Author(s) -
Chandrasekhar Kanduri,
Raman Rajiva
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2795(199712)48:4<421::aid-mrd2>3.0.co;2-s
Subject(s) - biology , methylation , cpg site , hpaii , dna methylation , epigenetics , somatic cell , embryogenesis , differentially methylated regions , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , genetics , gene expression
We have analyzed the ontogenic initiation and maintenance of methylation of certain HpaII (m), HhaI (H), HincII (Hc), and SalI (SI)‐specific CpG sites in the coding region of the proto‐oncogene, c‐ fos, through testicular cells, sperm, and fetal, neonatal, and adult somatic tissues. The results show that 1) sperm‐derived methylated sites get demethylated in early development. However, unlike other studied genes, they remain so at least up to day 13.5 post coitum (pc); 2) de novo methylation proceeds unidirectionally in a step‐wise, site‐specific manner between m5‐m3 sites; 3) the mature, tissue‐specific, adult methylation pattern is established between day 0 and day 20 of neonatal development; 4) the Hc and SI sites ( CG T CG AC), occurring at an interval of one nucleotide, are only partially methylated in all the tissues; and 5) m3 and H1 sites, which occur close to an Sp1 motif, escape methylation in most of the tissues. The present study on the embryonic gene, c‐ fos, thus provides a novel pattern of de novo methylation in development. Also, it suggests that close proximity of CpGs may prevent methylation. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 48:421–432, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.