Transcription of the Xist gene triggers X chromosome inactivation in cis and is therefore silenced on the X chromosome that remains active. DNA methylation contributes to this silencing, but the mechanism is unknown. As methylated DNA binding proteins (MBPs) are potential mediators of gene silencing by DNA methylation, we asked whether MBP-deficient cell lines could maintain Xist repression. Th...

Chromosomal loss of 18q21 is a frequent event in colorectal cancer (CRC) development, suggesting that this region harbors tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). Several candidate TSGs, among which methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 1 (MBD1), CpG-binding protein CXXC1, Sma- and Mad-related protein 4 (SMAD4), deleted in colon cancer (DCC) and methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) are closely linked o...

In the course of screening for novel anticancer compounds, B1 [N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-2-aminothiazonaphthalimide], a novel amonafide analogue, was generated as a new anticancer candidate. In the present study, B1 displayed stronger antitumor effects than amonafide in HL60 cells. We further examined whether B1 overcomes the resistance conferred by Bcl-2, as overcoming the resistance conferre...

The Mi-2/NuRD complex is a multi-subunit protein complex with enzymatic activities involving chromatin remodeling and histone deacetylation. Targeting of Mi-2/NuRD to methylated CpG sequences mediates gene repression. The function of p66alpha and of p66beta within the multiple subunits has not been addressed. Here, we analyzed the in vivo function and binding of both p66-paralogs. Both factors ...

We tested the hypothesis that cell invasiveness and tumorigenesis are driven by hypomethylation of genes involved in tumor progression. Highly invasive human prostate cancer cells PC-3 were treated with either the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) or methyl DNA-binding domain protein 2 antisense oligonucleotide (MBD2-AS). Both treatments resulted in a dose- and time-dependent inhibition o...

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY Variation in the distribution of methylated CpG (methyl-CpG) in genomic DNA (gDNA) across the tree of life is biologically interesting and useful in genomic studies. We illustrate the use of human methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD2) to fractionate angiosperm DNA into eukaryotic nuclear (methyl-CpG-rich) vs. organellar and prokaryotic (methyl-CpG-poor) elements fo...

Global DNA hypomethylation in CD4+ T cells has been detected in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and it seems to be linked to its pathogenesis. We investigated the relationship between overall DNA methylation and the expression of two methyl CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins. DNA deoxymethylcytosine (d(m)C) content of purified CD4(+) T cells from 29 SLE patients and 30 healthy controls was m...

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism involved in transcriptional silencing of imprinted genes, genes located on the inactive X chromosome, and a number of tumour suppressor genes in cancer. MBD (methyl-CpG-binding domain) proteins selectively bind to methylated DNA and recruit chromatin remodelling and transcriptional repressor complexes, thereby establishing a repressive chromatin state....

Epigenetic changes, in particular DNA methylation processes, play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) linking genetic and environmental factors. To clarify this role, we have analyzed in patients with different duration of T2DM: (i) expression levels of methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) as marker of DNA methylation, and ii) methylation changes ...