DNA-Methyltransferasen und AdoMet-Analoga als Werkzeuge für die Molekularbiologie und Biotechnologie

For a long time, DNA methyltransferases were of particular interest for basic molecular biology research since they regulate important processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Since the development of synthetic analogs of the cofactor S-adenosyl-L-methionine, it has been possible to transfer not only methyl groups but also numerous functional groups to DNA in a sequence-specific manner. Due to their structure, some DNA methyltransferases exhibit remarkable promiscuity with respect to the cofactor, so that DNA labeling can succeed with good efficiency. In this review article, we summarize the important developments in this field and discuss interesting current and potential applications in molecular biology and biotechnology.