The interaction of mycobacterial protein Rv2966c with host chromatin is mediated through non-CpG methylation and histone H3/H4 binding.

ABSTRACT: To effectively modulate the gene expression within an infected mammalian cell, the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis would need to bring about epigenetic modifications at appropriate genomic loci. Working on this hypothesis, we show in this study that the mycobacterial protein Rv2966c is a 5-methylcytosine-specific DNA methyltransferase that is secreted out from the mycobacterium and gets localized to the nucleus in addition to the cytoplasm inside the host cell. Importantly, Rv2966c binds to specific DNA sequences, methylates cytosines predominantly in a non-CpG context and its methylation activity is positively influenced by phosphorylation. Interestingly, like the mammalian DNA methyltransferase, DNMT3L, Rv2966c can also interact with histone proteins. Ours is the first study that ide

SUBMITTER: Sharma G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4417171 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature