Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
09:42
Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images
Published on: September 7, 2017
Inactive DNMT3B splice variants modulate de novo DNA methylation
Catherine A Gordon1, Stella R Hartono, Frédéric Chédin
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
Plos One
|July 30, 2013
Summary
Inactive DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 3B variants regulate active DNMT enzymes. These interactions impact DNA methylation patterns and chromatin structure, offering insights into development and disease.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Inactive DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 3B splice isoforms are linked to altered DNA methylation, but their mechanisms are unclear.
- Understanding how these isoforms function is crucial for deciphering epigenetic regulation in development and disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms by which inactive DNMT3B splice isoforms (DNMT3B3 and DNMT3B4) regulate the activity of catalytically competent DNMT enzymes.
- To determine the effects of these interactions on DNA methylation and chromatin structure.
Main Methods:
- Biochemical assays
- Cell culture assays
- Immunocytochemistry experiments
Main Results:
- Inactive DNMT3B3 and DNMT3B4 isoforms bind to and modulate the activity of DNMT3A and DNMT3B.
- DNMT3B3 modestly stimulated DNMT3A activity and counteracted DNMT3L, while DNMT3B4 significantly inhibited de novo DNA methylation by reducing DNA binding affinity.
- DNMT3B3 and DNMT3B4 induced distinct chromatin compaction and H3K9me3 deposition patterns.
Conclusions:
- Inactive DNMT3B variants regulate active DNMT3 enzymes through co-complex formation.
- This interaction is a general mechanism for DNMT3 variant function, influencing DNA methylation patterns in development and disease.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:41Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing
In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
The chromatin structure, especially...
01:32RNA Splicing
Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
01:37Epigenetic 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...
X-chromosome...
01:46Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
02:18Alternative RNA Splicing
Alternative RNA splicing is the regulated splicing of exons and introns to produce different mature mRNAs from a single pre-mRNA. Unlike in constitutive splicing where a single gene produces a single type of mRNA, alternative splicing allows an organism to produce multiple proteins from a single gene and plays an important role in protein diversity.
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
02:23RNA Editing
RNA editing is a post-transcriptional modification where a precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) nucleotide sequence is changed by base insertion, deletion, or modification. The extent of RNA editing varies from a few hundred bases, in mitochondrial DNA of trypanosomes, to a just single base, in nuclear genes of mammals. Even a single base change in the pre-mRNA can convert a codon for one amino acid into the codon for another amino acid or a stop codon. This type of re-coding can significantly affect the...