PROSITE logo
Black ribbon
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Amos Bairoch (1957–2025), the creator of PROSITE. We wish to dedicate our latest paper, published shortly before his death, to him. He will always be a source of inspiration to us.
Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends, and to all those who had the privilege of working with him. Rest in peace, Amos. Your work will live on long after you are gone.
Amos Bairoch

PROSITE documentation PDOC00088
N-4 cytosine-specific DNA methylases signature


View entry in original PROSITE document format
View entry in raw text format (no links)
PURL: https://purl.expasy.org/prosite/documentation/PDOC00088

Description

N-4 cytosine-specific DNA methylases (EC 2.1.1.113) [1,2,3] are enzymes that specifically methylate the amino group at the C-4 position of cytosines in DNA. Such enzymes are found as components of type II restriction-modification systems in prokaryotes. Such enzymes recognize a specific sequence in DNA and methylate a cytosine in that sequence. By this action they protect DNA from cleavage by type II restriction enzymes that recognize the same sequence.

Type II N-4 Mtases seem to be structurally and enzymatically related to N-6 adenine-specific DNA methylases. Like the N-6 Mtases they contain a conserved Pro-Pro-Tyr/Phe region, but the N- and C-terminal contexts of this region are sufficiently different to derive a consensus pattern specific to this type of enzymes.

Expert(s) to contact by email:

Roberts R.J.
Bickle T.

Last update:

November 1997 / Text revised.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Technical section

PROSITE method (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:

N4_MTASE, PS00093; N-4 cytosine-specific DNA methylases signature  (PATTERN)


References

1AuthorsTao T. Walter J. Brennan K.J. Cotterman M.M. Blumenthal R.M.
TitleSequence, internal homology and high-level expression of the gene for a DNA-(cytosine N4)-methyltransferase, M.Pvu II.
SourceNucleic Acids Res. 17:4161-4175(1989).
PubMed ID2662138

2AuthorsKlimasauskas S. Timinskas A. Menkevicius S. Butkiene D. Butkus V. Janulaitis A.
TitleSequence motifs characteristic of DNA[cytosine-N4]methyltransferases: similarity to adenine and cytosine-C5 DNA-methylases.
SourceNucleic Acids Res. 17:9823-9832(1989).
PubMed ID2690010

3AuthorsTiminskas A. Butkus V. Janulaitis A.
TitleSequence motifs characteristic for DNA [cytosine-N4] and DNA [adenine-N6] methyltransferases. Classification of all DNA methyltransferases.
SourceGene 157:3-11(1995).
PubMed ID7607512



PROSITE is copyrighted by the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License, see prosite_license.html.