| First Author | Tamaru H | Year | 2001 |
| Journal | Nature | Volume | 414 |
| Issue | 6861 | Pages | 277-83 |
| PubMed ID | 11713521 | Mgi Jnum | J:72833 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2153667 | Doi | 10.1038/35104508 |
| Citation | Tamaru H, et al. (2001) A histone H3 methyltransferase controls DNA methylation in Neurospora crassa. Nature 414(6861):277-83 |
| abstractText | DNA methylation is involved in epigenetic processes such as X-chromosome inactivation, imprinting and silencing of transposons. We have demonstrated previously that dim-2 encodes a DNA methyltransferase that is responsible for all known cytosine methylation in Neurospora crassa. Here we report that another Neurospora gene, dim-5, is required for DNA methylation, as well as for normal growth and full fertility. We mapped dim-5 and identified it by transformation with a candidate gene. The mutant has a nonsense mutation in a SET domain of a gene related to histone methyltransferases that are involved in heterochromatin formation in other organisms. Transformation of a wild-type strain with a segment of dim-5 reactivated a silenced hph gene, apparently by 'quelling' of dim-5. We demonstrate that recombinant DIM-5 protein specifically methylates histone H3 and that replacement of lysine 9 in histone H3 with either a leucine or an arginine phenocopies the dim-5 mutation. We conclude that DNA methylation depends on histone methylation. |
