Aberrant methylation of an imprinted gene U2af1-rs1(SP2) caused by its own transgene

Abstract

Genomic imprinting refers to the parental allele-specific expression of genes. The precise mechanism underlying this phenomenon, which may involve DNA methylation, is not yet known. U2af1-rs1(SP2) is an imprinted gene expressed from the paternal allele and is methylated on the maternal allele. Here we report an artificial system in which expression and methylation of the endogenous imprinted gene U2af1-rs1 can be affected by interaction with its own transgene in the testis. We suggest that there is a mechanism in male gametogenesis by which the U2af1-rs1 gene is kept unmethylated to be expressed in the offspring in addition to a mechanism in female gametogenesis by which the U2af1-rs1 gene is methylated and is not expressed in the offspring.