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Related Concept Videos

Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
Heterochromatin02:38

Heterochromatin

The extent of chromatin compaction can be studied by staining chromatin using specific DNA binding dyes. Under the microscope, the dense-compacted regions that take up more dye are called heterochromatin. Heterochromatin is further classified into two forms – constitutive heterochromatin and facultative heterochromatin.
Constitutive heterochromatin: It is a highly compact region of chromatin that is mostly concentrated in the centromere and telomere. Unlike euchromatin, the amino acid at 9th...
Phase II Reactions: Methylation Reactions01:17

Phase II Reactions: Methylation Reactions

Methylation is a phase II biotransformation process involving the attachment of a methyl group to a substrate. Enzymes known as methyltransferases orchestrate this reaction.
The mechanism of methylation unfolds in two stages. The first stage sees a methyltransferase enzyme facilitating the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the substrate, forming S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). The second stage involves further metabolism of SAH into homocysteine, which can be recycled...
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying DNA...
Animal Mitochondrial Genetics02:59

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images
09:42

Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images

Published on: September 7, 2017

Dnmt2-dependent methylomes lack defined DNA methylation patterns.

Günter Raddatz1, Paloma M Guzzardo, Nelly Olova

  • 1Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|May 4, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Methyltransferase 2 (Dnmt2) is the only DNA methyltransferase in some organisms. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed that these organisms, including Schistosoma mansoni and Drosophila melanogaster, lack DNA methylation, challenging previous assumptions.

Keywords:
RNA methylationepigenetics

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Continuous Fluorescence-Based Endonuclease-Coupled DNA Methylation Assay to Screen for DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitors

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Methodology for Accurate Detection of Mitochondrial DNA Methylation
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Methodology for Accurate Detection of Mitochondrial DNA Methylation

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Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images
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Continuous Fluorescence-Based Endonuclease-Coupled DNA Methylation Assay to Screen for DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitors
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Continuous Fluorescence-Based Endonuclease-Coupled DNA Methylation Assay to Screen for DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitors

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Methodology for Accurate Detection of Mitochondrial DNA Methylation
12:11

Methodology for Accurate Detection of Mitochondrial DNA Methylation

Published on: May 20, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Methyltransferase 2 (Dnmt2) is the sole DNA methyltransferase in certain organisms.
  • Previous studies on Dnmt2-dependent methylation patterns yielded controversial and limited results.
  • Recent findings suggest Dnmt2 primarily functions as a tRNA methyltransferase, questioning its role in DNA methylation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and patterns of DNA methylation in organisms with Dnmt2 as their only DNA methyltransferase.
  • To resolve controversies regarding Dnmt2's role in DNA methylation using advanced sequencing techniques.
  • To determine if DNA methylation is essential for all eukaryotic organisms.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was employed to analyze methylomes at single-base resolution.
  • Comparative analysis was performed on Dnmt2-only organisms (Schistosoma mansoni, Drosophila melanogaster) and genetically modified mouse embryonic stem cells.
  • Bisulfite deamination artifacts were carefully distinguished from true methylation signals.

Main Results:

  • The genomes of Schistosoma mansoni and Drosophila melanogaster exhibit no detectable DNA methylation.
  • Residual unconverted cytosines were identified as likely artifacts, comparable to levels in Dnmt2-deficient flies.
  • Genetically modified Dnmt2-only mouse embryonic stem cells lost their DNA methylation patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Eukaryotic methylomes display fundamental diversity, with DNA methylation not being universally required.
  • Dnmt2's primary role may not be in genome-wide DNA methylation in certain species.
  • These findings suggest DNA methylation is dispensable for a significant number of eukaryotic organisms.