Molecules and Cells

Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology (한국분자세포생물학회)
권호 표지

Methylation of CpG Islands in the Rat 7-dehydrocholesterol Reductase Promoter Suppresses Transcriptional Activation

  • Kim, Jai-Hyun (Department of Biochemistry and Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University) ;
  • Hwang, Eun-Ha (Department of Biochemistry and Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University) ;
  • Park, Hye-Jung (Department of Biological Sciences and Bio/Molecular Informatics Center, Konkuk University) ;
  • Paik, Young-Ki (Department of Biochemistry and Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University) ;
  • Shim, Yhong-Hee (Department of Biological Sciences and Bio/Molecular Informatics Center, Konkuk University)
  • Received : 2004.08.17
  • Accepted : 2005.01.13
  • Published : 2005.04.30
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Abstract

In mammals, 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (Dhcr7) is the terminal enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. We previously reported that the Dhcr7 proximal promoter (-179 to +1), which contains CpG islands, is responsible for sterol-mediated expression of the rat gene. In the present study, we examined whether methylation of this region affects the transcriptional activity of the Dhcr7 gene. In vitro DNA methylation of the Dhcr7 promoter and luciferase-reporter assays showed that DNA methylation of the CpG islands suppressed transcription. Furthermore, treatment of the methylated Dhcr7 promoter with the demethylating agent, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR), reversed the suppression of promoter activity. These results indicate that methylation of the CpG islands is an important transcriptional regulatory mechanism in the Dhcr7 promoter.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : Korea Science and Engineering Foundation

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