This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Achten, S. Articles by Doerfler, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Achten, S. Articles by Doerfler, W.

Patterns of DNA Methylation in Selected Human Genes in Different Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Leukemia Cell Lines and in Normal Human Lymphocytes¹

Institute of Genetics [S. A., A. B-K., J. S., I. H., B. S., W. D.], and Department of Internal Medicine [M. J., H. T., V. D.], University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

The human genome, like many other genomes, harbors highly specific patterns of DNA methylation which have not yet been systematically studied. In a limited investigation on the genes for tumor necrosis factors- and -ß, a surprising interindividual concordance in the patterns of DNA methylation at the nucleotide level has been demonstrated earlier by using the genomic sequencing method on DNA from individuals of very different ethnic origins. Patterns of DNA methylation could perhaps serve as indicators for genetic activities. These activities would not have to be restricted to gene transcription but could relate to other genetic activities in the cell. DNA methylation patterns are known to be cell type-specific. We have now initiated a study of these DNA patterns in human lymphocytes and in human cell lines of different malignant origins. Several of the proto-oncogenes, parts of the genes for tumor necrosis factors- and -ß, the insulin receptor and lamin C have been used as hybridization probes. We have relied to some extent on the documented observation that the methylation patterns at 5'-CCGG-3' (HpaII/MspI) sequences yield a reflection of patterns at all 5'-CG-3' sequences. Three main types of patterns have been observed. Some of the probed segments are completely unmethylated; others are fully methylated, most of the areas are partly methylated exhibiting complex patterns at the 5'-CCGG-3' sites. In different tumor cell lines, different DNA methylation patterns are apparent for the same DNA probes. Comparisons of the methylation patterns in a given DNA segment between DNA from primary normal human lymphocytes and DNA from different tumor cell lines reveal changes in these patterns in several instances.

¹ This research was supported by grants to H. T. and W. D. in the Forschergruppe "Immundysregulation und menschliche Lymphome" of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Di 184/9-1).

² Present address: Boehringer-Ingelheim Foundation, Stuttgart, Germany.

³ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Institute of Genetics, University of Cologne, Weyertal 121, D-5000 Cologne 41, Germany.

Received 12/26/90. Accepted 5/ 1/91.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. DOERFLER, U. HOHLWEG, K. MULLER, R. REMUS, H. HELLER, and J. HERTZ Foreign DNA Integration--Perturbations of the Genome--Oncogenesis Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., September 1, 2001; 945(1): 276 - 288. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Remus, C. Kämmer, H. Heller, B. Schmitz, G. Schell, and W. Doerfler Insertion of Foreign DNA into an Established Mammalian Genome Can Alter the Methylation of Cellular DNA Sequences J. Virol., February 1, 1999; 73(2): 1010 - 1022. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				R. Holliday and T. Ho Evidence for gene silencing by endogenous DNA methylation PNAS, July 21, 1998; 95(15): 8727 - 8732. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]