Unveiling the methylation status of CpG dinucleotides in the substituted segment of the human p53 knock-in (Hupki) mouse genome.

ABSTRACT: Methylated cytosines within CpG dinucleotides (mCpGs) along the DNA-binding domain of the TP53 tumor suppressor gene (exons ~5-8) are the single most significant mutational target in human cancers. The human p53 knock-in (Hupki) mouse model was constructed using gene-targeting technology to create a mouse strain that harbors human wild-type TP53 DNA sequences spanning exons 4-9 in both copies of the mouse p53 gene. To date, however, the methylation status of cytosines within CpGs in the substituted segment of the Hupki mouse genome has not been determined. This lack of information deserves special attention because DNA methylation in mammals, which occurs almost exclusively within CpG dinucleotides, is a dynamic process throughout developmental stages and may vary among different species.

SUBMITTER: Kim SI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2991417 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature