Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.1.1.37 (DNA methyltransferase)
4,983 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Exuberant generation of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) can cause unintended injury to host cells during glomerulonephritis and other inflammatory diseases. Although much is known about the mechanisms of iNOS induction, few transcriptional repression mechanisms have been found. We explored the role of cytosine methylation in the regulation of iNOS transcription. Treatment of mesangial cells with DNA methylation inhibitors augmented cytokine induction of endogenous NO production and iNOS protein levels, as well as iNOS promoter activity. In a corresponding manner, in vitro methylation of the murine iNOS promoter was sufficient to silence its activity in mesangial cells. In contrast, antisense knockdown of DNA methyltransferase-3b expression and activity increased iNOS promoter activity and nitrite production. Bisulfite treatment and sequencing analysis of the iNOS promoter identified methylation of cytosines framing an enhancer element at -879/-871. In vitro methylation inhibited binding of NFkappaB p50 to this element, and deletion of the element resulted in relief of transcriptional repression. These results provide evidence for a unique molecular mechanism involved in transcriptional regulation of iNOS gene expression.
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PMID:Hypermethylation of the inducible nitric-oxide synthase gene promoter inhibits its transcription. 1530 24

We have identified a DNA methyltransferase of the Dnmt2 family in Dictyostelium that was denominated DnmA. Expression of the dnmA gene is downregulated during the developmental cycle. Overall DNA methylation in Dictyostelium is approximately 0.2% of the cytosine residues, which indicates its restriction to a limited set of genomic loci. Bisulfite sequencing of specific sites revealed that DnmA is responsible for methylation of mostly asymmetric C-residues in the retrotransposons DIRS-1 and Skipper. Disruption of the gene resulted in a loss of methylation and in increased transcription and mobilization of Skipper. Skipper transcription was also upregulated in strains that had genes encoding components of the RNA interference pathway disrupted. In contrast, DIRS-1 expression was not affected by a loss of DnmA but was strongly increased in strains that had the RNA-directed RNA polymerase gene rrpC disrupted. A large number of siRNAs were found that corresponded to the DIRS-1 sequence, suggesting concerted regulation of DIRS-1 expression by RNAi and DNA modification. No siRNAs corresponding to the standard Skipper element were found. The data show that DNA methylation plays a crucial role in epigenetic gene silencing in Dictyostelium but that different, partially overlapping mechanisms control transposon silencing.
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PMID:Silencing of retrotransposons in Dictyostelium by DNA methylation and RNAi. 1628 89

The Ets transcription factor PU.1 is a hematopoietic master regulator essential for the development of myeloid and B-cell lineages. As we previously reported, PU.1 sometimes represses transcription on forming a complex with mSin3A-histone deacetyl transferase-MeCP2. Here, we show an interaction between PU.1 and DNA methyltransferases, DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt)3a and Dnmt3b (Dnmt3s). Glutathione-S-transferase pulldown assay revealed that PU.1 directly interacted with the ATRX domain of Dnmt3s through the ETS domain. Dnmt3s repressed the transcriptional activity of PU.1 on a reporter construct with trimerized PU.1-binding sites. The repression was recovered by addition of 5-aza-deoxycitidine, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, but not trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor. Bisulfite sequence analysis revealed that several CpG sites in the promoter region neighboring the PU.1-binding sites were methylated when Dnmt3s were coexpressed with PU.1. We also showed that the CpG sites in the p16(INK4A) promoter were methylated by overexpression of PU.1 in NIH3T3 cells, accompanied by a downregulation of p16(INK4A) gene expression. These results suggest that PU.1 may downregulate its target genes through an epigenetic modification such as DNA methylation.
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PMID:Site-specific DNA methylation by a complex of PU.1 and Dnmt3a/b. 1633 Dec 60

Optimal reexpression of most genes silenced through promoter methylation requires the sequential application of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors followed by histone deacetylase inhibitors in tumor cell cultures. Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were treated with the methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacitidine (aza-CR) followed by the histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium phenylbutyrate. Major responses associated with cytogenetic complete response developed in patients receiving prolonged dosing schedules of aza-CR. Bisulfite sequencing of the p15 promoter in marrow DNA during the first cycle of treatment showed heterogeneous allelic demethylation in three responding patients, suggesting ongoing demethylation within the tumor clone, but no demethylation in two nonresponders. Six of six responding patients with pretreatment methylation of p15 or CDH-1 promoters reversed methylation during the first cycle of therapy (methylation-specific PCR), whereas none of six nonresponders showed any demethylation. Gene demethylation correlated with the area under the aza-CR plasma concentration-time curve. Administration of both drugs was associated with induction of acetylation of histones H3 and H4. This study provides the first demonstration that molecular mechanisms responsible for responses to DNA methyltransferase/histone deacetylase inhibitor combinations may include reversal of aberrant epigenetic gene silencing. The promising percentage of major hematologic responses justifies the testing of such combinations in prospective randomized trials.
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PMID:Combined DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibition in the treatment of myeloid neoplasms. 1677 14

Increased risk for the development of endometrial cancer has been associated with unopposed oestrogen exposure, hyperoestrogenic factors, and a history of breast cancer treated long-term with tamoxifen (Tam). Stromal cell-derived factor-1, currently named as CXCL12, is a chemokine that, via binding to CXCR4 receptor, activates several downstream effectors and signalling pathways responsible for proliferation, survival, and migration of cancer cells. We observed that 17beta-estradiol (E2) and tamoxifen (Tam) increase the expression of CXCR4 and CXCL12 transcripts and proteins in oestrogen receptor positive (ER(+)) but not in negative (ER(-)02) Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma (ISH) cell lines. However, the demethylating agent 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine profoundly elevated CXCR4 and CXCL12 expression in both ER(+) and ER(-)02 ISH cells. Bisulfite sequencing revealed that E2 and Tam up-regulate expression via demethylation of cytosine in the cytosine-guanosine dinucleotide island of CXCR4 and CXCL12 promoters. We also found that E2 and Tam significantly increased, for several hours, the expression of DNA methyltransferase 3B4 enzymatically inactive splice variant in ER(+) but not in ER(-)02 ISH cells. Our results suggest that E2 and Tam, through their ability for gene-transcription regulation, change the cellular milieu that maintains the hypermethylated stage of CpG islands of CXCR4 and CXCL12 promoters.
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PMID:Epigenetic up-regulation of CXCR4 and CXCL12 expression by 17 beta-estradiol and tamoxifen is associated with formation of DNA methyltransferase 3B4 splice variant in Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma cells. 1736 37

The BubR1 mitotic-checkpoint protein monitors proper attachment of microtubules to kinetochores, and links regulation of chromosome-spindle attachment to mitotic-checkpoint signaling. Thus, disruption of BubR1 activity results in a loss of checkpoint control, chromosomal instability caused by a premature anaphase, and/or the early onset of tumorigenesis. The mechanisms by which deregulation and/or abnormalities of BubR1 expression operate, however, remain to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that levels of BubR1 expression are significantly increased by demethylation. Bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed that the methylation status of two CpG sites in the essential BubR1 promoter appear to be associated with BubR1 expression levels. Associations of MBD2 and HDAC1 with the BubR1 promoter were significantly relieved by addition of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, an irreversible DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. However, genomic DNA isolated from 31 patients with colorectal carcinomas exhibited a +84A/G polymorphic change in approximately 60% of patients, but this polymorphism had no effect on promoter activity. Our findings indicate that differential regulation of BubR1 expression is associated with changes in BubR1 promoter hypermethylation patterns, but not with promoter polymorphisms, thus providing a novel insight into the molecular regulation of BubR1 expression in human cancer cells.
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PMID:Differential promoter methylation may be a key molecular mechanism in regulating BubR1 expression in cancer cells. 1746 81

Oligoarray analysis of a matched pair of prostate cancer and normal cell lines derived from the same radical prostatectomy specimen identified 113 candidate hypomethylated genes that were overexpressed in the cancer cells and contained CpG islands. Hypomethylation of wingless-related MMTV integration site 5A (WNT5A), S100 calcium-binding protein P (S100P) and cysteine-rich protein 1(CRIP1) was confirmed in the cancer cells by bisulfite sequencing. Treatment of the corresponding normal prostate epithelial cells 1542-NPTX with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR) induced higher levels of mRNA expression and partial loss of methylation on these genes. Primary prostate cancers were tested using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. WNT5A was hypomethylated in 11/17 (65%) tumors, S100P in 8/16 (50%) and CRIP1 in 13/20 (65%). Bisulfite sequencing of a section of the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of WNT5A revealed that three CpG sites (15, 24 and 35) were consistently methylated (93%) in the normal cell line and normal tissues, but not in the prostate cancer cell line and eight primary prostate cancers. Multiple putative binding sites for the transcription factors SP1 and AP-2 were found adjacent to CpG sites 15 and 24. A putative c-Myb binding site was located within the CpG site 35. Anti-c-Myb antibody co-precipitation with WNT5A was methylation-sensitive in 1542-NPTX cells. It is likely that an epigenetic mechanism regulates WNT5A expression in prostate cancer.
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PMID:Hypomethylation of WNT5A, CRIP1 and S100P in prostate cancer. 1748 81

It has been recently demonstrated that in colonic carcinoma, CXCL12 expression undergoes epigenetic regulation by methylation of cytosine in cytosine-guanosine (CpG) dinucleotides of the promoter sequence. Using lentiviral vectors, we generated stable RNA interference-mediated knockdown of DNMT1 and DNMT3B in MCF-7 breast cancer and AsPC1 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. Employing reverse transcription real-time quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence analysis, we determined re-expression levels of CXCL12 transcript and protein in these cells. Bisulfite sequencing revealed that the level of promoter demethylation appeared more effective in cells expressing DNMT1 siRNA than in those expressing DNMT3B siRNA, and this correlated with higher expression of CXCL12. Moreover, the combined expression of DNMT1 and DNMT3B siRNAs enhanced promoter demethylation that was associated only with a slight increase of CXCL12 expression. However, the demethylating agent 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine exhibited the strongest effect on promoter demethylation, which correlated with the highest expression level of CXCL12 transcript and protein in MCF-7 and AsPC1 cells. Our findings suggest that DNMT1 plays a key role in maintenance of methylation, and DNMT3B may act as an accessory DNA methyltransferase to epigenetically silence CXCL12 expression in MCF-7 and AsPC1 cells.
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PMID:RNA interference-mediated knockdown of DNMT1 and DNMT3B induces CXCL12 expression in MCF-7 breast cancer and AsPC1 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. 1753 57

We reported previously that homocysteine (Hcy) inhibits endothelial cell (EC) growth by transcriptional inhibition of the cyclin A gene via a hypomethylation-related mechanism. In this study, we examined the effect of Hcy on epigenetic modification of the cyclin A gene and its biologic role in human ECs. Cyclin A mRNA levels were significantly suppressed by Hcy and a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. The cyclin A promoter contains a CpG island spanning a 477-bp region (-277/200). Bisulfite sequencing followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the cyclin A promoter (-267/37) showed that Hcy eliminated methylation at 2 CpG sites in the cyclin A promoter, one of which is located on the cycle-dependent element (CDE). Mutation of CG sequence on the CDE leads to a 6-fold increase in promoter activity. Hcy inhibited DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) activity by 30%, and reduced the binding of methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and increased the bindings of acetylated histone H3 and H4 in the cyclin A promoter. Finally, adenovirus-transduced DNMT1 gene expression reversed the inhibitory effect of Hcy on cyclin A expression and EC growth inhibition. In conclusion, Hcy inhibits cyclin A transcription and cell growth by inhibiting DNA methylation through suppression of DNMT1 in ECs.
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PMID:Homocysteine inhibits endothelial cell growth via DNA hypomethylation of the cyclin A gene. 1769 32

Why systemic lupus erythematosus primarily affects women is unknown. Recent evidence indicates that human lupus is an epigenetic disease characterized by impaired T cell DNA methylation. Women have two X chromosomes; one is inactivated by mechanisms including DNA methylation. We hypothesized that demethylation of sequences on the inactive X may cause gene overexpression uniquely in women, predisposing them to lupus. We therefore compared expression and methylation of CD40LG, a B cell costimulatory molecule encoded on the X chromosome, in experimentally demethylated T cells from men and women and in men and women with lupus. Controls included TNFSF7, a methylation-sensitive autosomal B cell costimulatory molecule known to be demethylated and overexpressed in lupus. Bisulfite sequencing revealed that CD40LG is unmethylated in men, while women have one methylated and one unmethylated gene. 5-Azacytidine, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, demethylated CD40LG and doubled its expression on CD4(+) T cells from women but not men, while increasing TNFSF7 expression equally between sexes. Similar studies demonstrated that CD40LG demethylates in CD4(+) T cells from women with lupus, and that women but not men with lupus overexpress CD40LG on CD4(+) T cells, while both overexpress TNFSF7. These studies demonstrate that regulatory sequences on the inactive X chromosome demethylate in T cells from women with lupus, contributing to CD40LG overexpression uniquely in women. Demethylation of CD40LG and perhaps other genes on the inactive X may contribute to the striking female predilection of this disease.
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PMID:Demethylation of CD40LG on the inactive X in T cells from women with lupus. 1794 13


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