Premium
Selective inhibition of cytosine‐DNA methylases by polyamines
Author(s) -
Ruiz-Herrera José,
Ruiz-Medrano Roberto,
Domínguez Angel
Publication year - 1995
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(94)01360-d
Subject(s) - haeiii , hpaii , cytosine , methyltransferase , ecori , dna , dna methyltransferase , dna methylation , biochemistry , methylation , chemistry , restriction enzyme , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , gene expression , restriction fragment length polymorphism , polymerase chain reaction
We have advanced the hypothesis that polyamines affect DNA methylation and thus promote the expression of developmentally controlled genes. We demonstrate that the activity of cytosine‐DNA methyltransferases Hpa II, Hha I, Hae III and Sss I is inhibited by physiological concentrations of polyamines. On the other hand, activity of the adenine‐DNA methyltransferase Eco RI, and restriction enzymes Hpa II, Hha I, Hae III and Eco RI, is insensitive to polyamine concentrations up to 40 mM. Our results indicate that the effect of polyamines on cytosine‐DNA methyltranferases is rather selective and suggest a possible mode of action in vivo.