Where long noncoding RNAs meet DNA methylation

• 来源期刊: 细胞研究（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2014,（3）
• 页码范围: 263-264
• 页数: 2页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1038/cr.2014.13

摘要

DNA methylation is a fundamental epigenetic mechanism governing regulation of gene expression during mammalian development.A recent study published in Nature shows a novel long noncoding RNA (IncRNA) arising from the CEBPA gene locus (termed ecCEBPA) that is critical for regulation of DNA methylation at this site through the association of ecCEBPA with DNA methyltransferase 1,DNMT1. DNA methylation was the first discovered epigenetic mechanism [1,2].It is a chemical modification of genomic DNA by the addition of a methyl group (-CH3) to the cytosine or adenine DNA nucleotides.Typical DNA methylation occurs in a CpG dinucleotide context,where predominantly CpG sites are methylated in the genome.Most of the CpG clusters,known as CpG islands,occur near transcriptional start sites (TSSs) where they are predominantly un-methylated [3].