Search results for "METHYLATION"
showing 10 items of 607 documents
Determination of enrichment factors for modified RNA in MeRIP experiments
2019
In the growing field of RNA modification, precipitation techniques using antibodies play an important role. However, little is known about their specificities and protocols are missing to assess their effectiveness. Here we present a method to assess enrichment factors after MeRIP-type pulldown experiments, here exemplified with a commercial antibody against N6-methyladenosine (m6A). Testing different pulldown and elution conditions, we measure enrichment factors of 4-5 using m6A-containing mRNAs against an unmodified control of identical sequence. Both types of mRNA carry 32P labels at different nucleotides, allowing their relative quantification in a mixture after digestion to nucleotides…
Mouse embryonic stem cells are hypersensitive to apoptosis triggered by the DNA damage O(6)-methylguanine due to high E2F1 regulated mismatch repair.
2007
Exposure of stem cells to genotoxins may lead to embryonic lethality or teratogenic effects. This can be prevented by efficient DNA repair or by eliminating genetically damaged cells. Using undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells as a pluripotent model system, we compared ES cells with differentiated cells, with regard to apoptosis induction by alkylating agents forming the highly mutagenic and killing DNA adduct O(6)-methylguanine. Upon treatment with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), ES cells undergo apoptosis at much higher frequency than differentiated cells, although they express a high level of the repair protein O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). Apo…
α,β-Dehydroamino acids in naturally occurring peptides
2014
α,β-Dehydroamino acids are naturally occurring non-coded amino acids, found primarily in peptides. The review focuses on the type of α,β-dehydroamino acids, the structure of dehydropeptides, the source of their origin and bioactivity. Dehydropeptides are isolated primarily from bacteria and less often from fungi, marine invertebrates or even higher plants. They reveal mainly antibiotic, antifungal, antitumour, and phytotoxic activity. More than 60 different structures were classified, which often cover broad families of peptides. 37 different structural units containing the α,β-dehydroamino acid residues were shown including various side chains, Z and E isomers, and main modifications: meth…
Redox regulation of genome stability by effects on gene expression, epigenetic pathways and DNA damage/repair
2015
Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (e.g. H2O2, nitric oxide) confer redox regulation of essential cellular signaling pathways such as cell differentiation, proliferation, migration and apoptosis. In addition, classical regulation of gene expression or activity, including gene transcription to RNA followed by translation to the protein level, by transcription factors (e.g. NF-κB, HIF-1α) and mRNA binding proteins (e.g. GAPDH, HuR) is subject to redox regulation. This review will give an update of recent discoveries in this field, and specifically highlight the impact of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species on DNA repair systems that contribute to genomic stability. Emphasis will be placed …
Alignment Free Dissimilarities for Nucleosome Classification
2016
Epigenetic mechanisms such as nucleosome positioning, histone modifications and DNA methylation play an important role in the regulation of cell type-specific gene activities, yet how epigenetic patterns are established and maintained remains poorly understood. Recent studies have shown a role of DNA sequences in recruitment of epigenetic regulators. For this reason, the use of more suitable similarities or dissimilarity between DNA sequences could help in the context of epigenetic studies. In particular, alignment-free dissimilarities have already been successfully applied to identify distinct sequence features that are associated with epigenetic patterns and to predict epigenomic profiles…
Effect of antibodies against cytochrome P-450 on demethylation and denitrosation of N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosomethylaniline.
1988
Rat liver microsomes which were induced either with ethanol or PB were incubated with NDMA or NMA. Formaldehyde generation and nitrite formation were measured as metabolic parameters for oxidative bioactivation and denitrosation, respectively. The influence of antiserum PB3a1 and PB22 containing antibodies against the corresponding cytochrome P-450 species on both metabolic functions was investigated. The results showed that the influence on formaldehyde production and denitrosation varied independently in that both parameters were either not affected, or influenced in an opposite way, or inhibited to a different degree. Especially remarkable was the 80% inhibition of formaldehyde generatio…
Chromatin remodelling factor Mll1 is essential for neurogenesis from postnatal neural stem cells
2009
Epigenetic mechanisms that maintain neurogenesis throughout adult life remain poorly understood(1). Trithorax group (trxG) and Polycomb group (PcG) gene products are part of an evolutionarily conserved chromatin remodelling system that activate or silence gene expression, respectively(2). Although PcG member Bmi1 has been shown to be required for postnatal neural stem cell self-renewal(3,4), the role of trxG genes remains unknown. Here we show that the trxG member Mll1 (mixed-lineage leukaemia 1) is required for neurogenesis in the mouse postnatal brain. Mll1-deficient subventricular zone neural stem cells survive, proliferate and efficiently differentiate into glial lineages; however, neur…
Genome-wide association studies identify 137 genetic loci for DNA methylation biomarkers of aging
2021
Abstract Background Biological aging estimators derived from DNA methylation data are heritable and correlate with morbidity and mortality. Consequently, identification of genetic and environmental contributors to the variation in these measures in populations has become a major goal in the field. Results Leveraging DNA methylation and SNP data from more than 40,000 individuals, we identify 137 genome-wide significant loci, of which 113 are novel, from genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses of four epigenetic clocks and epigenetic surrogate markers for granulocyte proportions and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 levels, respectively. We find evidence for shared genetic loci ass…
Catalytic Reaction Mechanism in Native and Mutant Catechol- O-methyltransferase from the Adaptive String Method and Mean Reaction Force Analysis.
2018
Catechol- O-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the methylation reaction of dopamine by S-adenosylmethionine, increasing the reaction rate by almost 16 orders of magnitude compared to the reaction in aqueous solution. Here, we combine the recently introduced adaptive string method and the mean reaction force method, in combination with the structural and electronic descriptors to characterize the reaction mechanism. The catalytic effect of the enzyme is addressed by the comparison of the reaction in the human wild-type enzyme, in the less effective Y68A mutant, and in aqueous solution. The influence of these different environments at different stages of the chemical process and th…
Metilazione del DNA in artrite reumatoide
2005
Lo stato di metilazione del DNA genomico e del gene PTHrP è stato valutato con tecniche molecolari e citogenetiche in artrite reumatoide (AR), patologia autoimmune caratterizzata anche da alta incidenza di linfomi e da ipercalcemia per overespressione del gene PTHrP. La metilazione del DNA, infatti, ha un ruolo critico nello sviluppo delle malattie neoplastiche; il gene PTHrP avendo tre promotori uno dei quali contiene un’isola CpG è un buon candidato per la deregolazione da alterato pattern di metilazione locale. Le indagini sulla metilazione genomica, condotte su DNA estratto da sangue periferico di pazienti e di donatori e amplificato in reazioni di Methylation-Sensitive Arbitrarily Prim…