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Abstract:
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DNA Methylation is an epigenetic marker that is associated with gene transcription along with many diseases including cancer. Various regions of the DNA are more heavily methylated than others, but no clear mechanism the development of these patterns is known. We propose that the diffusion of DNA methyltransferase, the enzyme responsible for methylation, is responsible for development of patterns. A model to describe the distribution of DNMT along DNA was formed, and methylation data was collected from gel electrophoresis. Using this data, parameters were fitted to diffusion model, and model verification was conducted. Finally, comparisons were made between standard enzyme models and the diffusion model.
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