›› 2012, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (6): 83-86.

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DNA Methylation and its Biological Functions

SHEN Xiu-ping1,2, LIN Yue-xia3, XU Qi4   

  1. 1. Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Agriculture Biology, Shanghai 200240,China;
    2. Shanghai Agricultural Science and Technology Service Center,Shanghai 200335,China;
    3. Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Shanghai 201106,China;
    4. Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province,Yangzhou 225009,China
  • Received:2011-07-13 Online:2012-06-20 Published:2012-07-02

Abstract: DNA methylation is a major epigenetic modification of genome and plays crucial role in regulation of gene expression. The mechanism, mode and characteristic of DNA methylation were introduced. And the role of DNA methylation in development and differentiation, X chromosome inactivation, gemomic imprinting and heterosis were discussed.

Key words: DNA methylation; methyltransferase; genomic imprinting; heterosis

CLC Number: