Abstract
DNA methylation at highly specific sites in eukaryotic genes probably constitutes an important signal in the regulation of gene expression (for reviews see Razin & Riggs, 1980; Hattman, 1981; Ehrlich & Wang, 1981; Wigler, 1981; Doerfler, 1981). This signal is likely to lead to the long-term shut-off of eukaryotic genes. The role DNA methylation plays may be exerted via fundamental structural changes in certain stretches of DNA. Recently, it gas been demonstrated that a poly (dG·5mdC)·poly (dG·5mdC) polynucleotide has a much higher propensity to convert to the Z configuration (Wang et al., 1979) than the unmethylated polynucleotide (Behe & Felsenfeld, 1981). Thus, DNA methylation may stabilize DNA in or facilitate its transition to the Z configuration.
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