Cross S H, Bird A P
Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 1995 Jun;5(3):309-14. doi: 10.1016/0959-437x(95)80044-1.
Of the estimated 45,000 CpG islands in the human genome, the overwhelming majority are found at the 5' ends of genes and their identification and cloning are proving very useful for finding and isolating genes. Recent work has shed light on the chromosomal distribution and origin of CpG islands. It has been shown unequivocally that CpG islands are concentrated in the R band chromosomal regions and that intact transcription factor binding sites and required for their maintenance. Cases of methylation of CpG islands and inactivation of the associated genes have been reported which may be important in ageing, tumorigenesis and imprinting.
在人类基因组中估计的45,000个CpG岛中，绝大多数位于基因的5'端，它们的识别和克隆对于寻找和分离基因非常有用。最近的研究揭示了CpG岛的染色体分布和起源。已经明确表明，CpG岛集中在染色体的R带区域，并且完整的转录因子结合位点是其维持所必需的。已有报道称CpG岛甲基化及相关基因失活的情况，这可能在衰老、肿瘤发生和印记过程中具有重要意义。
