Dnmt1 - DNA methyltransferase (cytosine-5) 1

This gene encodes a methyltransferase that preferentially methylates cytosines of CpG residues in hemimethylated DNA to generate fully methylated CpG base pairs during DNA replication. This enzyme plays roles in diverse cellular processes including cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, and telomere maintenance. The encoded protein is composed of an N-terminal domain with a nuclear localization sequence and replication fork-targeting domain, a DNA-binding CXXC domain, two bromo-adjacent homology domains, and a C-terminal catalytic domain. Mouse embryonic stem cells mutant for this gene are viable, but when introduced into the germ line, cause a recessive lethal phenotype with mutant embryos displaying stunted growth and developmental defects. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2015]