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. 1990 Aug;10(8):4396–4400. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.8.4396

A DNA signal from the Thy-1 gene defines de novo methylation patterns in embryonic stem cells.

M Szyf 1, G Tanigawa 1, P L McCarthy Jr 1
PMCID: PMC360998  PMID: 1973527

Abstract

Although DNA can be extensively methylated de novo when introduced into pluripotent cells, the CpG island in the Thy-1 gene does not become methylated either in the mouse embryo or in embryonic stem cells. A 214-base-pair region near the promoter of the Thy-1 gene protects itself as well as heterologous DNA sequences from de novo methylation. We propose that this nucleotide sequence is representative of a class of important signals that limits de novo methylation in the embryo and establishes the pattern of hypomethylated CpG dinucleotides found in somatic tissues.

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Selected References

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