Patent ID: 7820408

Claim:
An isolated DNA methyltransferase selected from the group consisting of: (a) a DNA methyltransferase comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with amino acids 1 to 381 of SEQ ID NO: 2; (b) a DNA methyltransferase encoded by a polynucleotide that hybridizes under high stringency conditions with nucleotides 1 to 1143 of SEQ ID NO: 1 or its full-length complementary strand, said high stringency conditions are hybridization at 42° C. in 5×SSPE, 0.3% SDS, 200 μg/ml sheared and denatured salmon sperm DNA, and 50% formamide, and washed three times each for 15 minutes using 2×SSC, 0.2% SDS at 65° C., wherein the DNA methyltransferase of (a) or (b) catalyzes the methylation of cytosine in the sequence GCNGC; and (c) a DNA methyltransferase comprising or consisting of amino acids 1 to 381 of SEQ ID NO: 2, or a fragment thereof having DNA methyltransferase activity.