MBD2
MBD2 (methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2) is a nuclear protein that reads DNA methylation, binding methylated CpG islands in promoters and recruiting chromatin-modifying enzymes. It acts as a transcriptional repressor and is a subunit of the NuRD complex. Browse Assay Genie's current range of MBD2 research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
MBD2 binds CpG islands in promoters where DNA is methylated at position 5 of cytosine within CpG dinucleotides, and it also binds hemimethylated DNA. Once bound, it recruits histone deacetylases and DNA methyltransferases to chromatin. It is a component of the histone deacetylase NuRD complex, which takes part in chromatin remodelling, and it acts as a transcriptional repressor with a role in gene silencing.
MBD2 also functions as a scaffold protein, targeting GATAD2A and GATAD2B to chromatin to promote repression. UniProt notes that it may enhance the activation of some unmethylated cAMP-responsive promoters, and NCBI Gene records a report that the protein acts as a demethylase to activate transcription. The MBD2 gene encodes a protein that localises to the nucleus and chromosome, and two transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been described.
DNA methylation is the major modification of eukaryotic genomes and is essential for mammalian development. MBD2 belongs to a family of nuclear proteins that share a methyl-CpG binding domain: MECP2, MBD1, MBD2, MBD3 and MBD4. All except MBD3 bind specifically to methylated DNA, and MECP2, MBD1 and MBD2 can also repress transcription from methylated promoters. MBD2 is therefore thought to mediate the biological consequences of the methylation signal. HGNC places it in the methyl-CpG binding domain containing group and among the NuRD complex subunits.
MBD2 reads methylated CpG sites and links the methylation signal to repressive chromatin, making it a central subject in studies of gene silencing.
As a NuRD complex subunit that recruits histone deacetylases and DNA methyltransferases, MBD2 is used to study how chromatin is remodelled and repressed.
MBD2 represses methylated promoters, scaffolds GATAD2A and GATAD2B, and may boost some unmethylated cAMP-responsive promoters, offering a model of context-dependent control.
DNA methylation is essential for mammalian development, and MBD2 is one of the proteins thought to mediate the consequences of that methylation signal.
MBD2 binds methylated, and also hemimethylated, CpG DNA in promoters. It recruits histone deacetylases and DNA methyltransferases to chromatin, is part of the NuRD complex, and acts as a transcriptional repressor involved in gene silencing. It also scaffolds GATAD2A and GATAD2B onto chromatin.
NCBI Gene reports two transcript variants of the MBD2 gene that encode different isoforms. HGNC lists the full name as methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2, and no alternative symbols or previous names are recorded. UniProt uses the name Methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 2.
MBD2 is one of five human proteins with a methyl-CpG binding domain: MECP2, MBD1, MBD2, MBD3 and MBD4. All but MBD3 bind methylated DNA specifically. The mouse ortholog is listed as Dpep2; check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other methyl-CpG binding domain proteins and chromatin regulators with research reagents at Assay Genie.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt Q9UBB5; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.