[The absence of DNA methylase activity in Drosophila cells].

DNA methylase activity has been studied in partially purified extracts from cultured cells, embryos, and adult Drosophila flies. No significant level of transfer of methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine with formation of 5-methylcytosine and 6-methyladenine was observed. Methylase activity in Drosophila cells as compared to bovine lymphocytes and rat liver is either absent or at least 5000-15,000 times lower and hence cannot be detected using the present method.

[Properties and specificity of action of DNA methylases from blood lymphocytes of healthy cattle and cattle with chronic lymphoid leukemia].

Using cell extract fractionation with ammonium sulfate and subsequent chromatography on DEAE- and DNA-cellulose and Blue Sepharose, two cytosine DNA-methylases were isolated from blood lymphocytes of cows suffering from lympholeukosis; one cytosine DNA-methylase was isolated from blood lymphocytes of healthy animals. The DNA-methylases from normal lymphocytes was purified 383-fold; the enzyme has a specific activity of 2.3 u.

[Non-enzymatic DNA methylation by S-adenosylmethionine results in the formation of minor thymine residues and 5-methylcytosine from cytosine].

It was found that nonenzymatic DNA methylation proceeds in water solution in the presence of S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet). The main reaction products are thymine and 5-methylcytosine residues. It was shown that labelled thymine residues are formed also upon DNA incubation in the presence of [methyl-14C]methionine as well as [methyl-14C]cobalamine.

[Determination of DNA methylase activity in animal tissue extracts].

An express method for measuring the level of in vitro DNA methylation in homogenates and nuclei from animal tissues as well as during initial steps of DNA methylase isolation and purification when methylase activity is low and hardly testable by other methods has been suggested. The method is based on the measuring the radioactivity incorporated in filter adsorbed DNA (acid-insoluble material) 3H-label from S-adenosile-L-methionine as a result of in vitro DNA methylation. The advantage of the method consists in the replacement of a long-duration repeated deproteinization procedure traditionally used by a relatively simple procedure (15 min incubation of the mixture at 80 degrees C with 10 volumes of the 8M urea, 5 mM EDTA, 5% n-butanol, 2% sodium dodecilsulfate, 1 M sodium chloride solution) and the absence of any loss of DNA.