Antigen: a mixture of synthetic peptides corresponding to amino acids 180-194, 331-346, and 371-388 of human MIZF · Host: Rabbit · Application(s): WB · DNA methylation, or the addition of methyl groups to cytosine bases in the dinucleotide CpG, is imperative to proper development and regulates gene expression. MeCP2 and MBD1 (PCM1) repress transcription by binding specifically to methylated DNA.¹ MBD2 and MBD4 (also known as MED1) colocalize with foci of heavily methylated satellite DNA and mediate the biological functions of the methylation signal. Surprisingly, MBD3 does not bind methylated DNA either in vivo or in vitro. MBD1, MBD2, MBD3, and MBD4 are expressed in somatic tissues, but the expression of MBD1 and MBD2 is reduced or absent in embryonic stem cells, which are known to be deficient in MeCP1 activity. Using MBD2 as bait in two-hybrid screening, a novel zinc finger protein, called MIZF, was identified.² MIZF protein represses transcription by associating with MBD2 in a histone deacetylase complex. It is ubiquitously expressed in all human tissues.

1 Hendrich, B., and Bird, A. Identification and characterization of a family of mammalian methyl-CpG binding proteins. Mol Cell Biol 18(11) 6538-6547 (1998).

2 Sekimata, M., Takahashi, A., Murakami-Sekimata, A., et al. Involvement of a novel zinc finger protein, MIZF, in transcriptional repression by interacting with a methyl-CpG-binding protein, MBD2. J Biol Chem 276(46) 42632-42638 (2001).

Sekimata, M., Takahashi, A., Murakami-Sekimata, A., et al. Involvement of a novel zinc finger protein, MIZF, in transcriptional repression by interacting with a methyl-CpG-binding protein, MBD2. J Biol Chem 276(46) 42632-42638 (2001).

Hendrich, B., and Bird, A. Identification and characterization of a family of mammalian methyl-CpG binding proteins. Mol Cell Biol 18(11) 6538-6547 (1998).

Bhattacharya, S.K., Ramchandani, S., Cervoni, N., et al. A mammalian protein with specific demethylase activity for mCpG DNA. Nature 397 579-583 (1999).