DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 2 Adenovirus

Methylation of DNA contributes to the regulation of gene transcription in eukaryotic systems. DNA methylation is predominantly found on cytosine residues that are present in dinucleotide motifs consisting of a 5′ cytosine followed by a guanosine (CpG), and it requires the enzymatic activity of the DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) enzymes, which include Dnmt1, 2, 3a, 3b and 3c. The methyl-CpG binding (MBD) proteins MBD1, MBD2, MBD3 and MBD4 and MeCP2, which are primarily expressed in somatic tissues, bind to methyl-CpG rich domains and mediate the transcriptional inhibition associated with DNA methylation. Clusters of unmethylated CpG dinucleotides, called CpG islands, also contribute to the modulation of gene expression by binding transcription factors. Human CpG binding protein (CGBP) is a widely expressed 88 kDa member of the CpG binding protein family that requires a CpG dinucleotide to bind unmethylated DNA, where it functions as a transcriptional activator.