Required for genome-wide de novo methylation and is essential for the establishment of DNA methylation patterns during development ( ). DNA methylation is coordinated with methylation of histones ( ). It modifies DNA in a non-processive manner and also methylates non-CpG sites ( ). May preferentially methylate DNA linker between 2 nucleosomal cores and is inhibited by histone H1 (By similarity). Plays a role in paternal and maternal imprinting (By similarity). Required for methylation of most imprinted loci in germ cells (By similarity). Acts as a transcriptional corepressor for ZBTB18 (By similarity). Recruited to trimethylated 'Lys-36' of histone H3 (H3K36me3) sites (By similarity). Can actively repress transcription through the recruitment of HDAC activity (By similarity). Also has weak auto-methylation activity on Cys-710 in absence of DNA (By similarity).
Subcellular locations: Nucleus, Chromosome, Cytoplasm
Accumulates in the major satellite repeats at pericentric heterochromatin.
Highly expressed in fetal tissues, skeletal muscle, heart, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, kidney, and at lower levels in placenta, brain, liver, colon, spleen, small intestine and lung.