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Preferential binding of DNA methyltransferase and increased de novo methylation of deoxyinosine containing DNA
Author(s) -
Pfeifer Gerd P.,
Drahovsky Dusan
Publication year - 1986
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(86)80015-1
Subject(s) - dna methylation , dna , dna methyltransferase , methyltransferase , methylation , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , biology , gene , gene expression
Mammalian DNA‐cytosine 5‐methyltransferases methylate cytosines in deoxyinosine containing DNA polymers more rapidly than in other synthetic or naturally occurring DNAs. The initial methylation rate of poly(dI‐dC)·poly(dI‐dC) is about 10‐times higher than that of poly‐(dG‐dC)·poly(dG‐dC) or of the native Micrococcus luteus DNA. In competitive binding experiments, DNA methyltransferase has about 10‐fold higher affinity for the dI‐containing alternating DNA polymer than for poly(dG‐dC) · poly(dG‐dC). The observed high methyl accepting capacity of poly(dI‐dC) · poly(dI‐dC) may be a useful methodological advance to determine de novo DNA methyltransferase activity in extracts of mammalian cells.