Sox9 and Oct4 are two important regulatory factors involved in mammalian development.
Sox9, a member of the group E Sox transcription factor family, has a crucial role in
the development of the genitourinary system, while Oct4, commonly known as octamer
binding transcription factor 4, belongs to class V of the transcription family. The
expression of these two proteins exhibits a dynamic pattern with regard to their
expression sites and levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of
de novo methylation in the regulation of the tissue- and
site-specific expression of these proteins. The dynamics of the de
novo methylation of 15 CpGs and six CpGs in Sox9 and Oct4 respectively,
was studied with sodium bisulfite genomic DNA sequencing in mouse testis at different
developmental stages. Consistent methylation of three CpGs was observed in adult
ovary in which the expression of Sox9 was feeble, while the level of methylation in
somatic tissue was greater in Oct4 compared to germinal tissue. The
promoter-chromatin status of Sox9 was also studied with a chromatin
immune-precipitation assay.
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