NMT 1 | DNA Methyl transferase 1

DNMT1 well known as DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 is a 1616 amino acid containing nuclear protein that methylates CpG residues. DNMT1 belongs to the C5-methyltransferase family with two BAH domains and a CXXC-type zinc finger. It is known to preferentially methylate hemimethylated DNA and is also responsible for maintaining methylation patterns established in development. DNA methylation is coordinated with methylation of histones. Direct interaction between DMAP1, HDAC2 and NMT1 results in the formation of a complex. DNMT1 mediates transcriptional repression by direct binding to HDAC2. Although DNMT1 is known to be ubiquitously expressed in most of the tissues, isoform 2 is less expressed than isoform 1. Moreover its expression is reduced to non detectable levels at the G0 phase of the cell cycle and is dramatically induced upon entrance into the S-phase of the cell cycle.