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- DNA methylation and transcription There is experimental evidence that the methylation of CG has an effect on the expression of genes; specifically on TRANSCRIPTION. Several genes have been artificially methylated and then introduced into cells so that the effect could be tested. In nearly all cases the presence of mCGs led to repression of transcription. This observation fits with the finding that naturally methylated genes tend to lose their CG methylation when they are transcriptionally activated. It is also compatible with the observation that inactive genes that are methylated can be reactivated by treating with a drug, 5-AZACYTIDINE, which prevents the methylation of DNA (see Fig. D17). Taken together, the results encourage the belief that the removal of DNA methylation could be a controlling step in the activation of genes during development [4]. Like many theories, the idea that loss of methylation can control gene expression has its supporters and its doubters. Supporters can point to many examples correlating reduced methylation of a gene with its expression, and to the often dramatic effects of 5- azacytidine. Doubters, on the other hand, emphasize that much of the evidence implicating DNA methylation in gene control is circumstantial or suggestive, rather than conclusive. The critical experiments that could resolve the issue are yet to be done.
Extraction Method: Medical Objects-
Eliminated words list: MedlinePlus List
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Database: Medline abstracts
Publication Type: All
Score Calculation Method: Cosine Similarity Method
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Results computed on: 6/9/2006
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