DNA methylation in mammals
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images
Published on: September 7, 2017
1China Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201203, China.
Abstract:
DNA methylation is one of the best characterized epigenetic modifications. In mammals it is involved in various biological processes including the silencing of transposable elements, regulation of gene expression, genomic imprinting, and X-chromosome inactivation. This article describes how DNA methylation serves as a cellular memory system and how it is dynamically regulated through the action of the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and ten eleven translocation (TET) enzymes. Its role in the regulation of gene expression, through its interplay with histone modifications, is also described, and its implication in human diseases discussed. The exciting areas of investigation that will likely become the focus of research in the coming years are outlined in the summary.
Related Concept Videos
Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures
Animal Mitochondrial Genetics
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...

