Projects per year
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding the methyl-CG binding protein MeCP2 cause several neurological disorders including Rett syndrome. The di-nucleotide methyl-CG (mCG) is the classical MeCP2 DNA recognition sequence, but additional methylated sequence targets have been reported. Here we show by in vitro and in vivo analyses that MeCP2 binding to non-CG methylated sites in brain is largely confined to the tri-nucleotide sequence mCAC. MeCP2 binding to chromosomal DNA in mouse brain is proportional to mCAC + mCG density and unexpectedly defines large genomic domains within which transcription is sensitive to MeCP2 occupancy. Our results suggest that MeCP2 integrates patterns of mCAC and mCG in the brain to restrain transcription of genes critical for neuronal function.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | e1006793 |
Number of pages | 26 |
Journal | PLoS Genetics |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 12 May 2017 |
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'MeCP2 recognizes cytosine methylated tri-nucleotide and di-nucleotide sequences to tune transcription in the mammalian brain'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 5 Finished
Profiles
-
Adrian Bird
- School of Biological Sciences - Buchanan Chair of Genetics
- Edinburgh Neuroscience
- Centre for Engineering Biology
Person: Academic: Research Active