The relationship between levels of DNA methylation and gene activity has been known for
some time. Many of the early procedures developed gave only somewhat limited information …

The aim of pharmacology has traditionally been to develop compounds that could mimic,
activate or antagonize the molecules that control and regulate the physiological state of an …

Ever since methylcytosine was found in genomic DNA, this epigenetic alteration has
become a center of scientific attraction, especially because of its relation to gene silencing in …

The extent of the DNA methylation of genomic DNA as well as the methylation pattern of
many gene-regulatory areas are important aspects with regard to the state of genetic …

Epigenetics can be defined as the study of heritable changes in gene expression without
alteration of the DNA sequence itself. This means that epigenetic variants are stable …

Publisher Summary Almost all biological macromolecules undergo some form of processing
event subsequent to their biosynthesis. These processes such as cleaving, phosphorylation …

A method to determine the extent of cytosine methylation in DNA is described. The
technique involves the enzymatic hydrolysis of DNA to its deoxyribonucleotide components …

Three basic approaches have been employed in the study of the effect of DNA methylation
of particular genes on their expression. One approach uses chemicals that cause …

The ability to detect methylation changes associated with oncogenic transformation is of
critical importance in understanding how DNA methylation may contribute to tumorigenesis …

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses on the DNA methylation and its possible
biological roles. The pattern of DNA methylation is species-specific. In the DNA of some …