[Regulatory Mechanism of DNA Methylation Caused by Acetylation of UHRF1 

Unveiled by Prof. Seo’s Research Team]

A research team led by Professor Seo Sang-bum of Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences conducted a joint study with Prof. Kim Jung-woong of Department of Biological Sciences, Chung-Ang University and Prof. Ha Nam-chul of Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology at Seoul National University to unravel the regulatory mechanism of UHRF1, a key protein for the inheritance of epigenetic information.

The research results were published in the online version of Cell Reports on July 28, 2020 and chosen for a cover image of the journal in recognition of its excellence and uniqueness. (Source Link: “Acetylation of UHRF1 Regulates Hemi-methylated DNA Binding and Maintenance of Genome-wide DNA Methylation”)

[Cover Image of Cell Reports]

The inheritance of epigenetic information along with DNA methylation and histone modification is essential for cell survival and the maintenance of cellular identity.

The joint research team aimed to discover the regulatory mechanism of UHRF1 that binds to newly synthesized hemi-methylated DNA and recruits DNMT1 to DNA replication foci. They unveiled a mechanism where acetylation of UHRF1 impedes hemi-methylated DNA binding, which regulates general DNA methylation patterns.

The mechanism revealed in this study is expected to be utilized to develop treatments for various DNA methylation-related diseases including neurological disorder and cancer.

This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea as part of its basic research program and educational talent nurturing program.