Molecular Biology of DNA Methylation

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiv

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

   Pages 1-8

3. DNA Methylation in the Cell

   • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

   Pages 9-18

4. DNA Structure and the Effect of Methylation

   • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

   Pages 19-29

5. S-Adenosyl-L-methionine—Donor of Methyl Groups

   • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

   Pages 31-41

6. The Methylation Machinery: DNA Methyltransferases

   • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

   Pages 43-71

7. The Function of DNA Methylation in Bacteria and Phage

   • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

   Pages 73-87

8. Methylation in Higher Eukaryotes

   • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

   Pages 89-114

9. Methylation and Its Relationship with Transcription

   • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

   Pages 115-161

10. X-Chromosome Inactivation

    • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

    Pages 163-169

11. DNA Methylation and Cancer

    • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

    Pages 171-174

12. Variations on a Theme: Patterns of Methylation in Protista, Fungi, Plants, and Animals

    • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

    Pages 175-190

13. Has DNA a Role in the Control of Transcription?

    • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

    Pages 191-200

14. Other Possible Functions of Eukaryotic DNA Methylation

    • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

    Pages 201-206

15. DNA Methylation in Perspective—A Summing Up

    • Roger L. P. Adams, Roy H. Burdon

    Pages 207-210

16. Back Matter

    Pages 211-247

    PDF

During the past few decades we have witnessed an era of remarkable growth in the field of molecular biology. In 1950 very little was known of the chemical constitution of biological systems, the manner in which in­ formation was transmitted from one organism to another, or the extent to which the chemical basis of life is unified. The picture today is dramati­ cally different. We have an almost bewildering variety of information detailing many different aspects of life at the molecular level. These great advances have brought with them some breath-taking insights into the molecular mechanisms used by nature for replicating, distributing and modifying biological information. We have learned a great deal about the chemical and physical nature of the macromolecular nucleic acids and proteins, and the manner in which carbohydrates, lipids and smaller mole­ cules work together to provide the molecular setting of living systems. It might be said that these few decades have replaced a near vacuum of information with a very large surplus. It is in the context of this flood of information that this series of mono­ graphs on molecular biology has been organized. The idea is to bring together in one place, between the covers of one book, a concise assess­ ment of the state of the subject in a well-defined field.

• DNA
• Embryo
• Nucleotide
• Organe
• Vivo
• base
• enzymes
• eukaryota
• eukaryote
• fungi
• gene expression
• molecular mechanisms
• protein
• proteins
• transcription

• Department of Biochemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

  Roger L. P. Adams

• Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK

  Roy H. Burdon

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