DNMT3L facilitates DNA methylation partly by maintaining DNMT3A stability in mouse embryonic stem cells.

ABSTRACT: DNMT3L (DNMT3-like), a member of the DNMT3 family, has no DNA methyltransferase activity but regulates de novo DNA methylation. While biochemical studies show that DNMT3L is capable of interacting with both DNMT3A and DNMT3B and stimulating their enzymatic activities, genetic evidence suggests that DNMT3L is essential for DNMT3A-mediated de novo methylation in germ cells but is dispensable for de novo methylation during embryogenesis, which is mainly mediated by DNMT3B. How DNMT3L regulates DNA methylation and what determines its functional specificity are not well understood. Here we show that DNMT3L-deficient mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) exhibit downregulation of DNMT3A, especially DNMT3A2, the predominant DNMT3A isoform in mESCs. DNA methylation analysis of DNMT3L-deficient mESCs

SUBMITTER: Veland N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6326784 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature