Lec 5/6: Epigenetic Mechanisms of gene regulation Flashcards
(175 cards)
what are the 2 components of the epigenome?
1) Histones associated with DNA
2) DNA methylation- covalently bound to genome, stable long-term signal
what is DNA methylation?
methyl marks added to certain DNA bases repress gene activity
- covalently modification of cytosine in C-pyruvate- G sequence
what is histone modification?
combo of different molecules can attach to the “tails” of proteins called histones.
- alter activity of DNA wrapped around them
what is the end product of DNA methylation?
5-methyl cytosine
_____ first discovered methylated DNA in 1948
Rollin Hotchkiss
what did Hotchkiss discover in experiments of DNA methylation?
DNA from certain sources had a 5th base group = 5-methyl cytosine
(1970s) Harold Weintraub & colleagues noticed active genes are ___ or _____
low in methyl groups
under methylated
conclusion that Weintraud made
methylation helped repress genes
genes associated with high levels of chromatin have ____ levels of methylations
lower level of methylation
DNA methylation is chemical ____ of DNA
modification
DNA methylation can be inherited without ____ ____
sequence change
- able to fit into epigenetic paradigm
which species is DNA methylation common in?
30%- plants
10%- vertebrates
- most fungi
which species is DNA methylation absent from?
yeast
flies
nematodes
at what positions on the gene does DNA methylation occur?
5’- CG- 3’ (CpG) positions
in DNA methylation, high frequency of __ dinucleodites aka ____
CG dinucleotides
aka CpG islands
what are CpG islands?
- typically 300-3000 base pairs in length
- hypomethylated
- near approx 70% human promoters
- methylation correlated with tissue-specific gene expression
methylation of cytosine is regulated by…
DNA methyltransferase (DMNT)
how does DMNT work?
deoxycytidine + SAM
–> (DMNT) —>
5-methyl-cytidine + SAH
[cytosine–> 5-methylcytosine]
measure levels of SAM and SAH to look at ???
levels of methylation
levels of DMNT
CG nucleotides predominantly found where?
within major grooves
blocking Tc by CG groups
- through major groove
- can block Tc factors from binding
- methyl groups need to be removed for Tc to bind
cytosine methylation maintains ____ ____ ____
inactive-condensed chromatin site
steps to cytosine methylation
Tc + RNA polymerase
–> transcription, acetylation
–> DNA methyltransferase, 5-methyl-C
–> methyl- CpG binding proteins associated with co-repressors, histone deacetylase
–> transcription blocked, deacetylation
–> chromatin compaction
transcriptional silencing
what is the association of DNA methylation with compacted heterochromatin?
- gene expression is silenced
- active part of chromatin, the acetylation is removed, law down acetylation into histones
- to shut down, need HDAC and presence of DNA methylation = compaction of chromatin