Published in

Nature Research, Nature Reviews Genetics, 11(10), p. 805-811, 2009

DOI: 10.1038/nrg2651

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

OPINION Rethinking how DNA methylation patterns are maintained

Journal article published in 2009 by Peter A. Jones, Gangning Liang
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

DNA methylation patterns are set up early in mammalian development and are then copied during the division of somatic cells. A long-established model for the maintenance of these patterns explains some, but not all, of the data that are now available. We propose a new model that suggests that the maintenance of DNA methylation relies not only on the recognition of hemimethylated DNA by DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) but also on the localization of the DNMT3A and DNMT3B enzymes to specific chromatin regions that contain methylated DNA.