FIGURE 1.

(A) An example of MeCP2 mediated transcriptional repression: the methyl-DNA binding domain (MBD) binds methylated CpG sites and recruits histone deacetylases and co-repressors (Sin3A), inducing chromatin compaction and gene silencing (Nan et al., 1998; Chen et al., 2003; Klose and Bird, 2003). (B) MeCP2 is able to activate the transcription of some genes in hypothalamus, by binding unmethylated promoters and recruiting CREB1 and, potentially, co-activators (Chahrour et al., 2008). (C) MeCP2 is responsible for the silencing of Dlx5/6 imprinted locus by inducing the formation of a silent higher order chromatin loop (Horike et al., 2005).