Recombinant DNMT3A / DNMT3L Complex

DNA methyltransferase proteins such as DNMT3A are involved in DNA methylation, in which a methyl group is added to a cytosine residue on DNA, commonly at the C5 position of a CpG dinucleotide. DNMT3A has been shown to be important in the regulation of specific patterns of DNA methylation. Methylation of mammalian DNA has long been recognized to play a major role in a number of cellular functions such as embryonic development, genetic imprinting, X chromosome inactivation and control of gene expression. DNA methylation is generally associated with transcriptional repression.

Three families of DNMTs have been identified: DNMT1, DNMT2 and DNMT3. The DNMT3 family, containing two active methyltransferases, DNMT3A & DNMT3B, and one DNMT3-Like protein (DNMT3L), establishes the initial CpG methylation pattern de novo and shows the same propensity for methylating unmethylated duplex DNA as for hemi-methylated DNA. DNMT3A and DNMT3B are encoded by two distinct genes and are strongly expressed in embryonic stem cells. DNMT3A is ubiquitous in mammalian cells. DNMT3L is a nuclear protein with similarity to the DNMT family of proteins, but does not function as a DNA methyltransferase. It serves as an essential regulator of DNMT3A and DNMT3B, recruiting them to sites for deposition of de novo DNA methylation.