DNA methylation in eukaryotic chromosome stability revisited: DNA methyltransferase in the management of DNA conformation space

✍ Scribed by Steven S. Smith; Laura Crocitto

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 152 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0899-1987
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2744(199909)26:1<1::aid-mc1>3.0.co;2-p

✦ Synopsis

A previous Working Hypothesis on the role of DNA methylation in eukaryotic stability presented enzymological data suggesting the DNA methylation has evolved as a biological response to the formation of unusual DNA structures. . That evidence suggested that human DNA methyltransferase is uniquely suited to participate in a repair system that functions to suppress unusual DNA structures . The evolution of this repair system was suggested to be a prerequisite for the incorporation of dynamic sequences into the genome, because such sequences are particularly prone to the formation of unusual DNA structures that promote clastic mutagenesis .

In the intervening period, considerable evidence has accumulated in support of this proposal. Here, we extend the previous Working Hypothesis in light of the current experimental data to give a more detailed picture of the role of DNA methylation in eukaryotic chromosome stability.