The structural and functional importance of the correct patterns of DNA methylation in all parts of a mammalian genome is, unfortunately, not well understood. The stability, inheritability, and developmental flexibility of these patterns all point to a major role that these patterns appear to play in determining structure and function of the genome. Up to the present time, studies on the repetitive sequences, which comprise more than 90 per cent of the DNA sequences in the human or other genomes, have been neglected.

Introduction

The Almost Forgotten Fifth Nucleotide in DNA: An Introduction
Pattern Formation
Replication and Translation of Epigenetic Information
DNA Methyltransferases. Facts, Clues, Mysteries
DNA Methylation in Plants
Determinant of Promoter Activity
DNA Methylation: De novo Methylation, Long-term Promoter Silencing, Methylation Patterns in the Human Genome, and Consequences of Foreign DNA Insertion
DNA Methyltransferases
Establishment and Maintenance of DNA Methylation Patterns in Mammals
Molecular Enzymology of Mammalian DNA Methyltransferases.-Epigenetic Phenomena
Familial Hydratidiform Molar Pregnancy: The Germline Imprinting Defect Hypothesis
Dual Inheritance
Mutagenesis and Repair
Mutagenesis at Methylated CpG Sequences
Cytosine Methylation and DNA Repair
Subject Index.