DNA methylation: a new twist in the tail

• 来源期刊: 细胞研究（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2011,（8）
• 页码范围: 1155-1156
• 页数: 2页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1038/cr.2011.110

摘要

DNA methylation is the epigenetic mark with the longest history and that we probably understand best, yet we still have no adequate account for why specific DNA sequences are selected to become methylated.Gene-specific DNA methylation is fundamental to processes such as developmental silencing of genes, classical epigenetic phenomena such as genomic imprinting, and occurs pathologically in the silencing of tumor suppressor genes in cancer.Fully understanding the mechanisms of methylation is thus of huge importance.In mammals,the acquisition of DNA methylation is determined by one of two de novo DNA methyltransferase enzymes, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b.