Description
Product Characteristics:
Methylation at the 5'-position of cytosine is the only known naturally occurring covalent modification of the mammalian genome. DNA methylation requires the enzymatic activity of DNA 5-cytosine methyltransferase (Dnmt) proteins, which catalyze the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl methionine to the 5'-position of cytosines, thereby repressing expression of the target gene. Dnmt3L (DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3-like) is a 387 amino acid protein that contains one ADD-type zinc finger and is a member of the Dnmt family. Localized to the nucleus and expressed at lows levels in thymus, testis and ovary, Dnmt3L does not exhibit DNA methyltransferase activity, but is able to stimulate de novo methylation by Dnmt3 and is thought to play a key role in the establishment of genomic imprints. Additionally, Dnmt3L interacts with histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and, through this interaction, mediates transcriptional repression. Multiple isoforms of Dnmt3L exist due to alternative splicing events.
Subcellular location: Nucleus
Synonyms: Cytosine 5 methyltransferase 3 like protein, DNA cytosine 5 methyltransferase 3 like, DNA cytosine-5-methyltransferase 3-like, DNA Cytosine 5 Methyltransferase 3 Like Protein, DNA Methyltransferase 3 Like Protein, DNM3L_HUMAN, Dnmt 3L, Dnmt3l, Human cytosine 5 methyltransferase 3 like protein, MGC1090.
Target Information: CpG methylation is an epigenetic modification that is important for embryonic development, imprinting, and X-chromosome inactivation. Studies in mice have demonstrated that DNA methylation is required for mammalian development. This gene encodes a nuclear protein with similarity to DNA methyltransferases, but is not thought to function as a DNA methyltransferase as it does not contain the amino acid residues necessary for methyltransferase activity. However, it does stimulate de novo methylation by DNA cytosine methyltransferase 3 alpha and is thought to be required for the establishment of maternal genomic imprints. This protein also mediates transcriptional repression through interaction with histone deacetylase 1. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2012]