Genomic structure and chromosomal mapping of the murine and human Mbd1, Mbd2, Mbd3, and Mbd4 genes

DNA methylation is essential for murine development and is implicated in th e control of gene expression. MeCP2, MBD1. MBD2, MBD3, and MBD4 comprise a family of mammalian, nuclear proteins related by the presence in each of an amino acid motif called the methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD). Each of these proteins, with the exception of MBD3, is capable of binding specifically t o methylated DNA. MeCP2, MBD1 and MBD2 can also repress transcription. We d escribe the genomic structure and chromosomal localization of the human and murine Mbd1, Mbd2, Mbd3, and Mbd4 genes. We find that the highly similar M BD2 and MBD3 proteins are encoded by genes that map to different chromosome s in humans and mice but show a similar genomic structure. The Mbd1 and Mbd 2 genes, in contrast, map together to murine and human Chromosomes (Chrs)18 . The Mbd3 and Mbd4 genes map to murine Chrs 10 and 6, respectively, while the human MBD3 and MBD4 genes map to Chrs 19 and 3, respectively.