Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016;945:87-122
Chapter 5 in: DNA Methyltransferases - Role and Function (Jeltsch, A. & Jurkowska, RZ, editors), Springer International Publishing, 2016.
DNA methylation is currently one of the hottest topics in basic and biomedical research. Despite tremendous progress in understanding the structures and biochemical properties of the mammalian DNA nucleotide methyltransferases (DNMTs), principles of their regulation in cells have only begun to be uncovered. In this chapter, we summarize key enzymatic properties of DNA methyltransferases, including their specificity and processivity, and afterward we focus on the regulation of their activity and targeting via allosteric processes, protein interactors, and posttranslational modifications.