CpG site

A CpG dinucleotide CpG also place or English. CpG site called, is a two nucleic bases long in the genetic material ( DNA) of the shares cytosine - guanine ( in a general sense direction: 5' -3 ') - phosphate.

Compared to other dinucleotides, such as GpC, ApT or TpA, the CpG dinucleotide occurs in many eukaryotic organisms to a special position, since its frequency defines the CpG islands. These play a major role in gene regulation.

Adjuvant effect

In vertebrates is statistically in the DNA of each sixtieth dinucleotide CpG type. The cytosine is methylated in addition to a large extent. In contrast, the bacterial DNA on average every sixteenth CpG dinucleotide and a cytosine is not methylated. These differences are recognized by the immune system of vertebrates, so that a specific activation pattern is activated in their immune cells; the crucial role is played by the intracellular pattern recognition receptor TLR - ninth This property is utilized in synthetic nukleasestabilen CpG oligonucleotides in order to achieve an adjuvant effect in the organism. These compounds are tested in clinical trials in the treatment of tumor diseases, infectious diseases, and allergies. The stability to nucleases is achieved by a phosphorothioate modification, in which an oxygen atom of the phosphate group is replaced by a sulfur atom.

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