5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine

Dissolubility:Acetic acid: water (1:1): soluble50 mg/mL.

General description.
Also known as dexitabine, is an epigenetic modifier that inhibits DNA methyltransferase activity, leading to DNA demethylation (hypomethylation) and gene activation by remodeling "open" chromatin. When demethylation is combined with histone high acetylation, genes can be cooperatively reactivated.

Biochemical / physiological behavior.
5-Aza-2-deoxycytidine leads to demethylation or semi-demethylation of DNA. DNA demethylation can regulate gene expression by "opening" the chromatin structure, which can be detected as an increased nuclease sensitivity. This remodeling of chromatin structure allows transcription factors to bind to the promoter region, transcriptional complex assembly and gene expression.