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DNA methylation is a guardian of stem cell self-renewal and multipotency

Epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, undergo dynamic changes during cellular differentiation and development. A new study demonstrates that DNA methylation by Dnmt1 protects essential stem cell properties in both hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemia stem cells (LSCs) by silencing differentiation programs that interfere with self-renewal and multipotency.

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Figure 1: Survival, self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells during hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis is sensitive to methylation dose.

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Correspondence to Hanna K A Mikkola.

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Gereige, LM., Mikkola, H. DNA methylation is a guardian of stem cell self-renewal and multipotency. Nat Genet 41, 1164–1166 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1109-1164

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