articleGenes & DevelopmentApr 1, 2008DIAMOND OA

DNA methylation of retrotransposon genes is regulated by Piwi family members MILI and MIWI2 in murine fetal testes

The University of Osaka · National Institute of Genetics · +6 more institutions

PubMed
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Abstract

Silencing of transposable elements occurs during fetal gametogenesis in males via de novo DNA methylation of their regulatory regions. The loss of MILI (miwi-like) and MIWI2 (mouse piwi 2), two mouse homologs of Drosophila Piwi, activates retrotransposon gene expression by impairing DNA methylation in the regulatory regions of the retrotransposons. However, as it is unclear whether the defective DNA methylation in the mutants is due to the impairment of de novo DNA methylation, we analyze DNA methylation and Piwi-interacting small RNA (piRNA) expression in wild-type, MILI-null, and MIWI2-null male fetal germ cells. We reveal that defective DNA methylation of the regulatory regions of the Line-1 (long…

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