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DNA methylation and chromatin structure
Author(s) -
Lewis Joe,
Bird Adrian
Publication year - 1991
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(91)80795-5
Subject(s) - chromatin , dna methylation , epigenomics , dna , biology , methylation , epigenetics of physical exercise , transcription (linguistics) , rna directed dna methylation , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene , gene expression , linguistics , philosophy
Studies of the whole genome by molecular and cytogenetic methods have implicated DNA methylation in the formation of ‘inactive chromatin’. This has been confirmed by analysis of specific endogenous sequences, and has been mimicked by introducing methylated and non‐methylated sequences into cells. As well as affecting chromatin structure, DNA methylation also represses transcription. A protein (MeCP) which binds specifically to methylated DNA has been identified, The properties of MeCP could account for the effects of DNA methylation on both chromatin and transcription.