The cardiac myosin light chain (MLC-2A) gene in chicken is methylated in both expressing and nonexpressing tissues

Certain specific methylation sites of the chicken cardiac myosin light chain (MLC-2A) gene in DNA from embryonic heart tissue as well as from embryonic livers and brains were studied. MLC-2A specific mRNA was present in the heart only, indicating that the gene is transcriptionally active in this tissue and inactive in liver and brain. Using the methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes Hpa II and Hha I, the gene was found to be identically methylated in DNA from all three examined tissues, irrespective of its expression. Moreover, the gene was extensively methylated throughout, including the 5' end and 3' flanking regions, with the exception of 3 Hpa II sites, one located in the middle part of the gene, one in the last intron and one in the 3' flanking sequence. These results suggest that specific genes can be actively expressed even when they are highly modified, and that changes in the methylation pattern from one tissue to another are not necessarily associated with the gene activation.