Methyltransferase Like Protein 23 (METTL23)

METTL23 belongs to the methyltransferase superfamily. A methyltransferase is a type of transferase enzyme that transfers a methyl group from a donor to an acceptor. Methytransferases use a reactive methyl group bound to sulfur in S-adenosyl methionine as the methyl donor. DNA methylation is often utilized to silence and regulate genes without changing the original DNA sequence, an example of epigenetic modification. This methylation occurs on cytosine residues. DNA methylation may be necessary for normal growth from embryonic stages in mammals. When mutant embryonic stem cells lacking the murine DNA methyltransferase gene were introduced to a germline of mice, they caused a recessive lethal phenotype. Methylation may also be linked to cancer development as methylation of tumor suppressor genes promotes tumorgenesis and metastasis.