CpGmetylering

CpG methylation is a fundamental epigenetic modification in eukaryotes. It involves the addition of a methyl group to the fifth carbon position of a cytosine base within a CpG dinucleotide. This process is primarily carried out by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which can be either de novo or maintenance methyltransferases. CpG methylation plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression, silencing genes by preventing the binding of transcription factors or by recruiting proteins that condense chromatin structure. It is also implicated in other cellular processes such as X-chromosome inactivation, genomic imprinting, and the suppression of transposable elements. Aberrant CpG methylation patterns are associated with various diseases, including cancer, where hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes can lead to their inactivation, and hypomethylation can contribute to genomic instability. The study of CpG methylation patterns, often referred to as the methylome, is a significant area of research in molecular biology and epigenetics, providing insights into cellular development, differentiation, and disease pathogenesis. Technologies like bisulfite sequencing are commonly employed to map and analyze CpG methylation across the genome.