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Protein demethylation required for DNA methylation

Nature Genetics volume 41, pages 10–11 (2009)Cite this article

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark directing stable, heritable gene silencing through development. A new study uncovers the importance of demethylation of the DNA methyltransferase-1 for maintenance of DNA methylation.

DNA methylation and histone modifications have essential roles in the transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Lysine-specific demethylase-1 (Lsd1), also called KDM1, is an enzyme with specificity toward the di- and monomethylation states of lysine 4 and lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K4 and H3K9), and of lysine 370 of p53 (ref. 1). Lsd1 serves transcriptional co-activator and co-repressor functions during development2. On page 125 of this issue, En Li, Taiping Chen and colleagues3 identify DNA methyltransferase-1 (Dnmt1) as a novel substrate for Lsd1 and show that demethylation of Dnmt1 is required for the maintenance of global DNA methylation.

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Figure 1: Dynamics in protein methylation underlying DNA methylation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Antoine H.F.M. Peters and Hans-Rudolf Hotz are at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.,

    Hans-Rudolf Hotz & Antoine H F M Peters

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  1. Hans-Rudolf Hotz
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  2. Antoine H F M Peters
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Correspondence to Antoine H F M Peters.

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Hotz, HR., Peters, A. Protein demethylation required for DNA methylation. Nat Genet 41, 10–11 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0109-10

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