DNA methylation is commonly associated with a reduction of transcription. The following data come from a study of the impact of the location and extent of DNA methylation on gene activity in human cells. A bacterial gene, luciferase, was cloned next to eukaryotic promoter fragments that were methylated to various degrees, in vitro. The chimeric plasmids were then introduced into tissue culture cells, and the lucif-erase activity was assayed. These data compare the degree of expression of luciferase with differences in the location of DNA methylation (Irvine et al., 2002. Mol. and Cell. Biol. 22: 6689–6696). What general conclusions can be drawn from these data?
DNA Segment | Patch Size of Methylation (kb) | Number of Methylated CpGs | Relative Luciferase Expression |
Outside transcription | 0.0 | 0 | 490X |
unit (0–7.6 kb away) | 2.0 | 100 | 290X |
| 3.1 | 102 | 250X |
| 12.1 | 593 | 2X |
Inside transcription | 0.0 | 0 | 490X |
unit | 1.9 | 108 | 80X |
| 2.4 | 134 | 5X |
| 12.1 | 593 | 2X |
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