Recent studies demonstrate that UHRF1 is required for DNA methylation maintenance by targeting DNMT1 to DNA replication foci, presumably through its unique hemi-methylated DNA-binding activity and interaction with DNMT1. UHRF2, another member of the UHRF family proteins, is highly similar to UHRF1 in both sequence and structure, raising questions about its role in DNA methylation. In this study, we demonstrate that, like UHRF1, UHRF2 also binds preferentially to methylated histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) through its conserved tudor domain and hemi-methylated DNA through the SET and Ring associated domain. Like UHRF1, UHRF2 is enriched in pericentric heterochromatin. The heterochromatin localization depends to large extent on its methylated H3K9-binding activity and to less extent on its methylated DNA-binding activity. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that both UHRF1 and UHRF2 interact with DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b and G9a. Despite all these conserved functions, we find that UHRF2 is not able to rescue the DNA methylation defect in Uhrf1 null mouse embryonic stem cells. This can be attributed to the inability for UHRF2 to recruit DNMT1 to replication foci during S phase of the cell cycle. Indeed, we find that while UHRF1 interacts with DNMT1 in an S phase-dependent manner in cells, UHRF2 does not. Thus, our study demonstrates that UHRF2 and UHRF1 are not functionally redundant in DNA methylation maintenance and reveals the cell-cycle-dependent interaction between UHRF1 and DNMT1 as a key regulatory mechanism targeting DNMT1 for DNA methylation.

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The efficacy of gliquidone for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy was investigated by implanting micro-osmotic pumps containing gliquidone into the abdominal cavities of Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats with diabetic nephropathy. Blood glucose, 24 h urinary protein, and 24 h urinary albumin levels were measured weekly. After 4 weeks of gliquidone therapy, pathological changes in the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) were examined using an electron microscope. Real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were employed to detect glomerular expression of receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) (AGER), protein kinase C b (PKCb), and protein kinase A (PKA) as well as tubular expression of the albumin reabsorption-associated proteins: megalin and cubilin. Human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) were used to analyze the effects of gliquidone and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on the expression of megalin and cubilin and on the absorption of albumin. Gliquidone lowered blood glucose, 24 h urinary protein, and 24 h urinary albumin levels in GK rats with diabetic nephropathy. The level of plasma C-peptide increased markedly and GBM and podocyte lesions improved dramatically after gliquidone treatment. Glomerular expression of RAGE and PKCb decreased after gliquidone treatment, while PKA expression increased. AGEs markedly suppressed the expression of megalin and cubulin and the absorption of albumin in HK-2 cells in vitro, whereas the expression of megalin and cubilin and the absorption of albumin were all increased in these cells after gliquidone treatment. In conclusion, gliquidone treatment effectively reduced urinary protein in GK rats with diabetic nephropathy by improving glomerular lesions and promoting tubular reabsorption.