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Published online before print October 4, 2005
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in human lymphocytes
Departamento de Bioquímica Médica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
1 Correspondence: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Avda. Sanchez Pizjuán, 4, E-41009, Sevilla, Spain. E-mail: elizabet{at}us.es
DNA methylation is recognized increasingly for its prominent role in controlling diverse immune processes. In this study, we show that in Jurkat T cells and fresh peripheral lymphocytes, short-time incubation with protein kinase C activators or phosphatase inhibitors down-regulate DNA methylation activity in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibition correlates with the induction of the interferon-
(IFN-
) gene, which contains several CG sequences in its promoter. The expression of mRNA and protein of the different DNA methyltransferases did not decrease after the treatment. In addition, sulfydryl reagents have a strong inhibitory effect on DNA methylation activity and also induce IFN-
gene expression, thus suggesting a link between both effects.
Key Words: DNA methyltransferases PKC phosphatase inhibitors sulfhydryl-blocking reagents
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