Gene

Linguistics

Guanine

Philosophy

Biology

DNA binding site

Epigenetics

Cytosine

Transcription (linguistics)

Promoter

DNA methylation

Epigenomics

Genetics

Nucleotide

RNA-Directed DNA Methylation

Methylation

Epigenetics of physical exercise

Transcription factor

Gene expression

Essays in Biochemistry

Dynamic binding of transcription factors (TFs) to regulatory elements controls transcriptional states throughout organism development. Epigenetics modifications, such as DNA methylation mostly within cytosine-guanine dinucleotides (CpGs), have the potential to modulate TF binding to DNA. Although DNA methylation has long been thought to repress TF binding, a more recent model proposes that TF binding can also inhibit DNA methylation. Here, we review the possible scenarios by which DNA methylation and TF binding affect each other. Further in vivo experiments will be required to generalize these models.

Sensitivity of transcription factors to DNA methylation