Methylation-dependent and -independent DNA binding of nuclear factor EF-C

Nuclear factor EF-C binds to important functional sites in the hepatitis B virus and polyomavirus enhancer regions. In this paper, we have characterized new and divergent EF-C binding sites in several viral regulatory regions. We also have demonstrated that EF-C binds to certain DNA sites only when CpG dinucleotide base pairs are methylated (m5C). EF-C binds to other sites in a methylation-independent manner. Based on similar binding properties and identical binding sites, it is very likely that EF-C corresponds to the nuclear protein MDBP previously identified by virtue of binding to methylated DNA.