Reference - PMID:7862522 - The fission yeast gene pmt1+ encodes a DNA methyltransferase homologue.
Reference summary
- PubMed ID
- PMID:7862522
- Title
- The fission yeast gene pmt1+ encodes a DNA methyltransferase homologue.
- Authors
- Wilkinson CR, Bartlett R, Nurse P, Bird AP
- Citation
- Nucleic Acids Res 1995 Jan 25;23(2):203-10
- Publication year
- 1995
- Abstract
- DNA methylation of cytosine residues is a widespread phenomenon and has been implicated in a number of biological processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This methylation occurs at the 5-position of cytosine and is catalyzed by a distinct family of conserved enzymes, the cytosine-5 methyltransferases (m5C-MTases). We have cloned a fission yeast gene pmt1+ (pombe methyltransferase) which encodes a protein that shares significant homology with both prokaryotic and eukaryotic m5C-MTases. All 10 conserved domains found in these enzymes are present in the pmt1 protein. This is the first m5C-MTase homologue cloned from a fungal species. Its presence is surprising, given the inability to detect DNA methylation in yeasts. Haploid cells lacking the pmt1+ gene are viable, indicating that pmt1+ is not an essential gene. Purified, bacterially produced pmt1 protein does not possess obvious methyltransferase activity in vitro. Thus the biological significance of the m5C-MTase homologue in fission yeast is currently unclear.
