Here, the full length cDNA of goldfish Dnmt1, Carassius auratus, was cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)method.
In low vertebrate including fish, however, Dnmt1 has still been poorly investigated.
In vertebrates, DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt1) Ⅰ plays a pivotal role in maintaining the correct genome DNA methylation pattern. Studying the mechanism of epigenetic modification by DNA methylation and the function of epigenetic modification in regulating gene expression in fish will provide insights into the biological function of DNA methylation, the evolution of epigenetic modification mechanism in vertebrates and the role of epigenetic modification in the evolution of vertebrates. Its external fertilization and development, large reproductive potential, and optically clear embryos give fish a number of distinct advantages over other vertebrates as an exploitable experimental system for the study of developmental processes as well as the mechanism and function of epigenetic modification in vertebrates.
