PubReading [153] - The DNA methyltransferase family: a versatile toolkit for epigenetic regulation - Frank Lyko

<p>The <strong>DNA methyltransferase</strong> (<strong>DNMT</strong>) family comprises a conserved set of DNA-modifying enzymes that have a central role in epigenetic gene regulation. Recent studies have shown that the functions of the canonical DNMT enzymes — DNMT1, DNMT3A and DNMT3B — go beyond their traditional roles of establishing and maintaining DNA <strong>methylation</strong> patterns. This Review analyses how molecular interactions and changes in gene copy numbers modulate the activity of DNMTs in diverse gene regulatory functions, including <strong>transcriptional silencing,</strong> transcriptional activation and post-transcriptional regulation by DNMT2-dependent tRNA methylation. This mechanistic diversity enables the DNMT family to function as a versatile toolkit for <strong>epigenetic regulation</strong>.</p><p><em>doi:10.1038/nrg.2017.80 - 2018</em></p>