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Sex‐ and tissue‐specific, but hormonally independent, demethylation at the 3'‐end of Xenopus vitellogenin gene B1
Author(s) -
Ng Wee Chit,
Baker Betty S.,
Tata Jamshed R.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(84)80604-3
Subject(s) - vitellogenin , xenopus , demethylation , vitellogenins , gene , medicine , endocrinology , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , andrology , genetics , gene expression , oocyte , dna methylation , embryo , vitellogenesis
We describe three Hpa II‐specifying sequences in 6 kbp of DNA at the 3'‐end of Xenopus vitellogenin gene B1 (two within the coding sequence and one downstream) which remain methylated in all tissues of adult male Xenopus . These sites are however fully demethylated exclusively in adult female Xenopus liver parenchymal cells but not in oviduct, kidney or erythrocytes. Developmental studies suggest that this tissue‐ and sex‐specific demethylation may occur gradually after metamorphosis. The methylation of these 3'‐sites is independent of transcriptional activation by oestrogen of vitellogenin genes in male or female Xenopus .