Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2050961 | FEBS Letters | 2008 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a basic protein that contains a DNA methyl binding domain. The mechanism by which the highly positive charge of MeCP2 and its ability to bind methylated DNA contribute to the specificity of its binding to chromatin has long remained elusive. In this paper, we show that MeCP2 binds to nucleosomes in a very similar way to linker histones both in vitro and in vivo. However, its binding specificity strongly depends on DNA methylation. We also observed that as with linker histones, this binding is independent of the core histone H3 N-terminal tail and is not affected by histone acetylation.
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Authors
Toyotaka Ishibashi, Anita A. Thambirajah, Juan AusiĆ³,