Abstract
We identified a sperm-specific methylation imprint mark (Site II) associated with a short tandem repeat sequence and a site/region methylated in both gametes (Site I) in the Grf1 locus on mouse chromosome 9, which shared a common feature with the U2afbp-rs gene. Sites or regions of gamete-specific methylation in imprinted genes are strong candidates for carrying information regarding the parental origin of alleles. The gamete-specific methylation pattern of Sites I and II was conserved after fertilization, but attained the somatic cell pattern by the blastocyst stage. In primordial germ cells, Site I was methylated, but Site II was unmethylated in both male and female embryos, suggesting that the sperm-specific methylation imprint mark in Site II was established during spermatogenesis. These common features in methylation imprint regions may be a clue to identifying regions carrying primary information for the imprinting regulation.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Binding Sites
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Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics*
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Chromosome Mapping
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DNA Methylation*
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Embryonic Development
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Female
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Genomic Imprinting*
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Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
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Male
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Nerve Tissue Proteins*
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Nuclear Proteins*
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Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / genetics*
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Polycomb-Group Proteins
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Pregnancy
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Proteins / genetics*
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Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid*
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Repressor Proteins / genetics*
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Ribonucleoproteins / genetics*
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Splicing Factor U2AF
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ras Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
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ras-GRF1
Substances
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Cell Cycle Proteins
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Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Nuclear Proteins
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Polycomb-Group Proteins
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Proteins
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Repressor Proteins
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Ribonucleoproteins
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SCML1 protein, human
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Splicing Factor U2AF
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Zrsr1 protein, mouse
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ras Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
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ras-GRF1
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Phosphoprotein Phosphatases