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Molecular and Cellular Biology, December 2003, p. 8953-8959, Vol. 23, No. 24
0270-7306/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/MCB.23.24.8953-8959.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Genomic Imprinting Controls Matrix Attachment Regions in the Igf2 Gene

Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, UMR 5535 CNRS, Université Montpellier II, IFR 122, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France,¹ Laboratory of Developmental Genetics and Imprinting, Developmental Genetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB2 4AT, United Kingdom²

Received 15 May 2003/ Returned for modification 24 July 2003/ Accepted 15 September 2003

Genomic imprinting at the Igf2/H19 locus originates from allele-specific DNA methylation, which modifies the affinity of some proteins for their target sequences. Here, we show that AT-rich DNA sequences located in the vicinity of previously characterized differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of the imprinted Igf2 gene are conserved between mouse and human. These sequences have all the characteristics of matrix attachment regions (MARs), which are known as versatile regulatory elements involved in chromatin structure and gene expression. Combining allele-specific nuclear matrix binding assays and real-time PCR quantification, we show that retention of two of these Igf2 MARs (MAR0 and MAR2) in the nuclear matrix fraction depends on the tissue and is specific to the paternal allele. Furthermore, on this allele, the Igf2 MAR2 is functionally linked to the neighboring DMR2 while, on the maternal allele, it is controlled by the imprinting-control region. Our work clearly demonstrates that genomic imprinting controls matrix attachment regions in the Igf2 gene.

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