Intestinal cancer is a heterogeneous disease driven by genetic mutations and epigenetic changes. Approximately 80% of sporadic colorectal cancers are initiated by mutation and inactivation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, which results in unrestrained intestinal epithelial growth and formation of adenomas. Aberrant DNA methylation promotes cancer progression by the inactivation of ...

The methylation of intracisternal A-type particle (IAP) sequences is maintained during mouse embryogenesis. Methylation suppresses IAP expression and the potential for mutagenesis by retrotransposition, but it is not clear how methylation of these elements is maintained during the embryonic stages when the bulk of the genome is being demethylated. It has been suggested that the high levels of D...

Nucleolin overexpression and DNA hypermethylation have been implicated in cancer pathogenesis, but whether and how these aberrations cooperate in controlling leukemia cell fate remains elusive. Here, we provide the first mechanistic insights into the role of nucleolin in leukemogenesis through creating a DNA hypermethylation profile in leukemia cells. We found that, in leukemia patients, nucleo...

In this study, we report the role of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in ultraviolet A (UVA)-induced senescence in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). We show that DNMT1 expression was significantly reduced during UVA-induced senescence, and this senescence could be alleviated or aggravated by the up- or down-regulation of DNMT1, respectively. Expression of the transcription factor zinc finger E-bo...

Patterns of DNA methylation are established and maintained by a family of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). Aberrant promoter DNA methylation of tumor suppressor genes is found in breast cancer. Association studies between DNMT gene polymorphisms and breast cancer in various populations have reported inconsistent results. This study assessed the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SN...

Transcriptional silencing mediated by DNA methylation is a critical component of epigenetic regulation during early embryonic development in animals. However, the requirement for DNA methylation during activation and differentiation of mature CD8+ T cells into effector and memory cells is not clear. Using cre-mediated deletion of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) at the time of CD8+ T cell activa...

Epigenomic changes in DNA methylation patterns are evident in a variety of cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In addition, a large proportion of CRC tumors and cell lines harbor genetic mutations in the APC/beta-catenin/TCF transcription activation pathway. While several target genes have been proposed, a causal downstream agent between APC mutation and cancer has not been fully establ...

Alterations in cytosine methylation patterns are usually observed in human tumors. The consequences of altered cytosine methylation patterns include both inappropriate activation of transforming genes and silencing of tumor suppressor genes. Despite the biological effect of methylation changes, little is known about how such changes are caused. The heritability of cytosine methylation patterns ...

Previous studies have examined the associations of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) polymorphisms, including single nucleotide polymorphisms rs16999593 (T/C), rs2228611 (G/A), and rs2228612 (A/G), with cancer risk. However, the results are inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis is to elucidate the associations between DNMT1 polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility. The PubMed, Embase, Web of...

BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies in the world. Studies have confirmed that there are many genes abnormally hypermethylated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The objective is to detect methylation of the RASSF1A gene promoter and the expression of the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) protein in esophageal cancer tissue and discuss their rel...