5-Azacytidine-induced reactivation of the human X chromosome-linked PGK1 gene is associated with a large region of cytosine demethylation in the 5' CpG island.

Hamster-human cell hybrids containing an inactive human X chromosome were treated with 5-azacytidine and derived clones were examined for phosphoglycerate kinase activity and cytosine methylation in the human PGK1 (X chromosome-linked phosphoglycerate kinase) gene. Comparisons between expressing and nonexpressing clones indicated that demethylation of several methylation-sensitive restriction sites outside of the 5' CpG island were unnecessary for expression. High-resolution polyacrylamide gel analysis of 25 Hpa II, Hha I, and Tha I sites revealed that all clones expressing PGK1 were unmethylated in a large region of the CpG island that includes the transcription start site and 400 base pairs upstream. Many nonexpressing clones had discontinuous patterns of demethylation. Remethylation was often observed in subclones of nonexpressing hybrids. These data suggest that a specific zone of methylation-free DNA within the PGK1 promoter is required for transcription. In addition, the presence of neighboring methylcytosines appears to decrease the heritable stability of unmethylated CpGs in this region.