5-Methylcytidine Activators

5-Methylcytidine Activators are compounds that can affect the levels of 5-mC in DNA, primarily through their actions on the enzymes responsible for the methylation and demethylation of cytosine residues. These compounds do not directly interact with 5-mC, but they can influence its levels by modulating the activity of these enzymes. The compounds listed here can be divided into two main groups: inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and enhancers of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) availability. The first group includes compounds like azacitidine, decitabine, EGCG, parthenolide, procaine, hydralazine, RG108, psammaplin A, and zebularine. These chemicals are inhibitors of DNMTs, the enzymes that add a methyl group to cytosine to form 5-mC. By blocking the activity of DNMTs, these compounds can reduce the levels of 5-mC in DNA. These molecules include a range of chemical structures and classes, from nucleosideanalogs to natural products and pharmaceutical drugs.

The second group of 5-Methylcytidine Activators encompasses compounds like S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), folic acid, and vitamin B12. These chemicals do not directly inhibit the activity of DNMTs. Instead, they increase the availability of SAM, the methyl group donor used by DNMTs in the methylation of cytosine. By enhancing the synthesis of SAM, these compounds indirectly promote the methylation of cytosine to form 5-mC. Even though these compounds act in different ways, their ultimate effect is to modulate the levels of 5-mC in DNA and thereby influence the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. This categorization into 5-Methylcytidine Activators is based on their common ability to influence the levels of 5-mC, even though their specific mechanisms of action and chemical structures may differ. This group of compounds highlights the intricate and multi-faceted nature of epigenetic regulation and the variety of chemical structures that can affect this process.