Anti-5-methylcytosine (5-mC) antibody [5MC-CD]

Supplementary information

This supplementary information is collated from multiple sources and compiled automatically.

Biological function summary

Cytosine methylation affects DNA-protein interactions leading to changes in chromatin structure and the regulation of gene activity. 5-methylcytosine is an important player in the chromatin modification complex where it collaborates with other epigenetic marks to control gene expression profiles. This modified nucleotide helps to stabilize gene silencing maintaining the closed chromatin state which inhibits the transcription machinery's access to specific genomic regions. Such silencing is vital during processes like X-chromosome inactivation and imprinting.

Pathways

Researchers have identified 5-mC within two critical pathways: DNA methylation and demethylation cycle and histone modification pathway. In the DNA methylation pathway 5-mC interacts closely with proteins like DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) which directly add methyl groups to cytosine bases. In the context of histone modification 5-mC influences the binding of methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins which read and interpret methylated DNA marks affecting histone modification and DNA accessibility.