Biopolym. Cell. 2013; 29(2):99-106.
http://dx.doi.org/10.7124/bc.00080C
Reviews
MGMT expression: insights into its regulation. 1. Epigenetic factors
1Iatsyshyna A. P.
  1. Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, NAS of Ukraine
    150, Akademika Zabolotnoho Str., Kyiv, Ukraine, 03680

Abstract

O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is the DNA repair enzyme responsible for removing of alkylation adducts from the O6-guanine in DNA. Despite MGMT prevents mutations and cell death, this enzyme can provide resistance of cancer cells to alkylating agents of chemotherapy. The high intra- and inter-individual variations in the human MGMT expression level have been observed indicating to a complicated regulation of this gene. This review is focused on the study of epigenetic factors which could be potentially involved in regulation of the human MGMT gene expression. These include chromatin remodeling via histone modifications and DNA methylation of promoter region and gene body, as well as RNA-based mechanisms, alternative splicing, protein post- translational modifications, and other.
Keywords: O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), epigenetic regulation of gene expression, methylation, chromatin remodeling
Full text: (PDF, in English)

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