TY - JOUR
T1 - Methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins in plants
AU - Grafi, Gideon
AU - Zemach, Assaf
AU - Pitto, Letizia
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Monica Zoppè and Yigal Avivi for critical reading and editing of the manuscript. A.Z. is a recipient of the Israeli Ministry of Science Eshkol Fellowship for Ph.D. students. Research in G.G. lab was supported by the Israel Science Foundation and by the Jewish Colonization Association (ICA). Research in P.L. lab was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR, RBNE01TYZF-003).
PY - 2007/5/1
Y1 - 2007/5/1
N2 - Cytosine methylation is the most prevalent epigenetic modification of plant nuclear DNA, which occurs in symmetrical CpG or CpNpG as well as in non-symmetrical contexts. Intensive studies demonstrated the central role played by cytosine methylation in genome organization, gene expression and in plant growth and development. However, the way by which the methyl group is interpreted into a functional state has only recently begun to be explored with the isolation and characterization of methylated DNA binding proteins capable of binding 5-methylcytosine. These proteins belong to an evolutionary conserved protein family initially described in animals termed methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins. Here, we highlight recent advances and present new prospects concerning plant MBD proteins and their possible role in controlling chromatin structure mediated by CpG methylation.
AB - Cytosine methylation is the most prevalent epigenetic modification of plant nuclear DNA, which occurs in symmetrical CpG or CpNpG as well as in non-symmetrical contexts. Intensive studies demonstrated the central role played by cytosine methylation in genome organization, gene expression and in plant growth and development. However, the way by which the methyl group is interpreted into a functional state has only recently begun to be explored with the isolation and characterization of methylated DNA binding proteins capable of binding 5-methylcytosine. These proteins belong to an evolutionary conserved protein family initially described in animals termed methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins. Here, we highlight recent advances and present new prospects concerning plant MBD proteins and their possible role in controlling chromatin structure mediated by CpG methylation.
KW - Arginine methyltransferase (PRMT)
KW - Cytosine methylation
KW - Decrease in DNA Methylation 1 (DDM1)
KW - Heterochromatin
KW - Methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) protein
KW - Nucleolar organizing region (NOR)
KW - Plant
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34249803559&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.bbaexp.2007.02.004
DO - 10.1016/j.bbaexp.2007.02.004
M3 - Review article
C2 - 17407793
AN - SCOPUS:34249803559
SN - 0167-4781
VL - 1769
SP - 287
EP - 294
JO - Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Gene Structure and Expression
JF - Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Gene Structure and Expression
IS - 5-6
ER -