Open Access

Thomas L. J. Boehm, Dusan Drahovsky

• A specific class of DNA sequences, the inverted repetitive sequences, forms a double-stranded structure within a single linear polynucleotide chain in denatured DNA. The reassociation process is unimolecular and occurs very fast. Quantitative analyses have shown that these sequences com-E rise about 4-5% of the nuclear DNA of various mammalian cells (P815 mouse mastocytoma, Hela, L cells, Raji and Chang cells, and human embryonic hepatocytes) and are interspersed within sequences of other degrees of repetitiveness. After labeling the cells with L-[Metnyl-3H]methionine and [14C]deoxycytidine, relative rates of enzymic DNA methylation were computed on the basis of 3H and 14C radioactivities found in py­ rimidine residues of the nuclear DNA. The results indicate that DNA of inverted repetitive sequences is methylated to a level about 50% higher than the ordinary repetitive sequences and to about 300% higher than the unique and intermediary sequences. The biological function of the inverted repeats as well as the role of their enzymic hypermethyl­ ation is unknown.