CGGBP1 mitigates cytosine methylation at repetitive DNA sequences.

Agarwal P, Collier P, Fritz MH, Benes V, Wiklund HJ, Westermark B, Singh U

BMC Genomics 16 (-) 390 [2015-05-16; online 2015-05-16]

CGGBP1 is a repetitive DNA-binding transcription regulator with target sites at CpG-rich sequences such as CGG repeats and Alu-SINEs and L1-LINEs. The role of CGGBP1 as a possible mediator of CpG methylation however remains unknown. At CpG-rich sequences cytosine methylation is a major mechanism of transcriptional repression. Concordantly, gene-rich regions typically carry lower levels of CpG methylation than the repetitive elements. It is well known that at interspersed repeats Alu-SINEs and L1-LINEs high levels of CpG methylation constitute a transcriptional silencing and retrotransposon inactivating mechanism. Here, we have studied genome-wide CpG methylation with or without CGGBP1-depletion. By high throughput sequencing of bisulfite-treated genomic DNA we have identified CGGBP1 to be a negative regulator of CpG methylation at repetitive DNA sequences. In addition, we have studied CpG methylation alterations on Alu and L1 retrotransposons in CGGBP1-depleted cells using a novel bisulfite-treatment and high throughput sequencing approach. The results clearly show that CGGBP1 is a possible bidirectional regulator of CpG methylation at Alus, and acts as a repressor of methylation at L1 retrotransposons.

Affiliated researcher

PubMed 25981527

DOI 10.1186/s12864-015-1593-2

Crossref 10.1186/s12864-015-1593-2

pii: 10.1186/s12864-015-1593-2
pmc: PMC4432828


Publications 9.5.0