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Cytosine methylation of plastid genome in higher plants. Fact or artefact?

DNA methylation of chloroplast genome has been studied in a large variety of angiosperm species using restriction enzyme analysis of three genomic loci (totally encompassing about 10% of chloroplast genome) and bisulfite genomic sequencing of tobacco ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (large subunit) gene (rbcL). Except for CCWGG (W=A or T) sites that were partially refractory to the cleavage with methylation sensitive EcoRII in all loci, no cytosine methylation was found at the CCGG (MspI/HpaII) and several other restriction sites tested. However, EcoRII was unable to completely digest an unmethylated CCWGG site in the cloned rbcL gene on plasmid. Further a bisulfite genomic sequencing performed on EcoRII-restricted DNA failed to show any 5-methylcytosine either within or outside inspected EcoRII sites along the 3' end of rbcL coding region. In conclusion our results do not support evidence for methylated cytosine residues in plant chloroplast genomes and we suggest that results obtained with EcoRII should be interpreted with great care especially when small differences in methylation levels are analysed.

Journal Article↗

Inactivation of helicase-like transcription factor by promoter hypermethylation in human gastric cancer.

Helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF), a member of the SWI/SNF (mating type switching/sucrose nonfermenting) chromatin-remodeling complex, is recently found to be inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in human colorectal cancer. However, the role of this putative tumor suppressor gene in other tumors has not been determined. We evaluated the role of HLTF promoter hypermethylation in gastric cancer. Expression of HLTF was examined by reverse-transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and promoter hypermethylation in HLTF was determined by methylation-specific PCR. Bisulfite DNA sequencing was performed to determine the detailed methylation profiles of the promoter region. HLTF expression was lost in two of five gastric cell lines and in 13 (28%) of 46 primary gastric cancers. Accordingly, promoter hypermethylation was detected in the two cell lines and in nine of 13 gastric cancer samples. Of the ten normal gastric specimens and ten paired adjacent nonneoplastic tissues, methylation was detected in only one adjacent nonneoplastic tissue. Bisulfite DNA sequencing of the promoter region of HLTF showed that the CpG island was densely methylated in cell lines and cancer samples; this also appeared to correlate with expression level. Treatment of gastric cell lines that lacked HLTF expression with the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine (5-azaDC) restored HLTF expression. These results suggest that HLTF promoter hypermethylation is frequently demonstrated in human gastric cancer, and inactivation of HLTF or the chromatin-remodeling complex may play a crucial role in gastric carcinogenesis.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Frequent but borderline methylation of p16 (INK4a) and TIMP3 in medulloblastoma and sPNET revealed by quantitative analyses.

Certain risk groups among tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) in children take an almost inevitably fatal course. The elucidation of molecular mechanisms offers hope for improved therapy. Aberrant methylation is common in malignant brain tumors of childhood and may have implications for stratification and therapy. Methylation of p16 (INK4A), p14 (ARF), TIMP3, CDH1, p15 (INK4B )and DAPK1 in medulloblastoma (MB) and ependymoma has been discussed controversially in the literature. DUTT1 and SOCS1 have not previously been analyzed. We examined methylation in MB, sPNET and ependymoma using methylation-specific PCR (MSP), quantitative Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis (COBRA) and direct and clone sequencing of bisulfite PCR products. We detected methylation of p16 (INK4A) (17/43), p14 (ARF) (11/42) and TIMP3 (9/44) in MB and others by MSP. CDH1 was not only methylated in MB (31/41), but also in normal controls. Evaluation of MSP results by quantitative COBRA and sequencing yielded methylation between the detection limits of COBRA (1%) and MSP (0.1%). Only p16 (INK4A )and TIMP3 were methylated consistently in medulloblastomas (p16 (INK4A ) 14%, TIMP3 11%) and p16 (INK4A) also in anaplastic ependymomas (1/4 tumors). Methylation ranged from 1-5%. Evaluation of methylation using MSP has thus to be supplemented by quantitative methods. Our analyses raise the issue of the functional significance of low level methylation, which may disturb the delicate growth factor equilibrium within the cell. Therapeutic and diagnostic implications urge into depth analyses of methylation as a mechanism, which might fill some of the gaps of our understanding of brain tumor origin.

Adolescent↗

BiSearch: primer-design and search tool for PCR on bisulfite-treated genomes.

Bisulfite genomic sequencing is the most widely used technique to analyze the 5-methylation of cytosines, the prevalent covalent DNA modification in mammals. The process is based on the selective transformation of unmethylated cytosines to uridines. Then, the investigated genomic regions are PCR amplified, subcloned and sequenced. During sequencing, the initially unmethylated cytosines are detected as thymines. The efficacy of bisulfite PCR is generally low; mispriming and non-specific amplification often occurs due to the T richness of the target sequences. In order to ameliorate the efficiency of PCR, we developed a new primer-design software called BiSearch, available on the World Wide Web. It has the unique property of analyzing the primer pairs for mispriming sites on the bisulfite-treated genome and determines potential non-specific amplification products with a new search algorithm. The options of primer-design and analysis for mispriming sites can be used sequentially or separately, both on bisulfite-treated and untreated sequences. In silico and in vitro tests of the software suggest that new PCR strategies may increase the efficiency of the amplification.

Algorithms↗

Aberrant methylation of the 8p22 tumor suppressor gene DLC1 in renal cell carcinoma.

Epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling are important in silencing tumor suppressor genes (TSG) in various malignancies, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). DLC1 (deleted in liver cancer 1)/ARHGAP7 is a recently identified 8p22 candidate TSG. Frequent methylation of the DLC1 promoter with resultant gene silencing has been reported in several tumors, but not in RCC yet. We examined DLC1 promoter methylation in 34 primary RCCs and the corresponding non-malignant tissues, and the correlation of DLC1 methylation with the clinicopathological characteristics of RCC patients. Although DLC1 methylation and downregulation were only detected in one of seven RCC cell lines using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and semi-quantitative reverse-transcription PCR, we found that the DLC1 promoter was methylated in 35% (12/34) of primary RCC tumors, which was further confirmed by direct sequencing of MSP products and high-resolution bisulfite genomic sequencing. In contrast, only one of the 34 (3%) non-malignant renal tissues had weak methylation. Aberrant DLC1 methylation appeared to be a relatively early event during renal tumorigenesis since 33% of the RCC tumors with pT1 (TNM staging) showed methylation, which is similar to other late stage tumors. Thus, our results demonstrated that DLC1 methylation occurs in a subset of RCC tumors and may play a role in renal carcinogenesis.

Adult↗

DNA methylation: a profile of methods and applications.

Ever since methylcytosine was found in genomic DNA, this epigenetic alteration has become a center of scientific attraction, especially because of its relation to gene silencing in disease. There is currently a wide range of methods designed to yield quantitative and qualitative information on genomic DNA methylation. The earliest approaches were concentrated on the study of overall levels of methylcytosine, but more recent efforts havefocused on the study ofthe methylation status of specific DNA sequences. Particularly, optimization of the methods based on bisulfite modification of DNA permits the analysis of limited CpGs in restriction enzyme sites (e.g., combined bisulfite restriction analyses and methylation-sensitive single nucleotide primer extension) and the overall characterization based on differential methylation states (e.g., methylation-specific PCR, MethyLight, and methylation-sensitive single-stranded conformational polymorphism) and allows very specific patterns of methylation to be revealed (bisulfite DNA sequencing). In addition, novel methods designed to search for new methylcytosine hot spots have yielded further data without requiring prior knowledge of the DNA sequence. We hope this review will be a valuable tool in selecting the best techniques to address particular questions concerning the cytosine methylation status of genomic DNA.

5-Methylcytosine↗

Screening for and analysis of methylation differences using methylation-sensitive single-strand conformation analysis.

Methylation-sensitive single-strand conformation analysis (MS-SSCA) is a method of screening for methylation changes at CpG sites in a region of DNA. After bisulfite modification, the region of interest is amplified using primers specific for bisulfite-modified sequences. The amplified products are denatured and run on a nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel. The sequence differences caused by methylation lead to the formation of different secondary structures (conformers) with different mobilities. MS-SSCA is a convenient and rapid method for screening large numbers of samples for methylation. Individual bands can readily be isolated and sequenced allowing more detailed analysis of methylation changes. In this article, we present a protocol for MS-SSCA and outline strategies for the design of primers for amplifying bisulfite-modified DNA sequences.

DNA Methylation↗

PCR amplification in bisulfite methylcytosine mapping in the GC-rich promoter region of amyloid precursor protein gene in autopsy human brain.

Alterations in DNA 5-methyldeoxycytidine pattern influence gene expression for certain mammalian genes in development, differentiation, carcinogenesis, and aging. Detection of DNA methylation at the promoter region, which generally represses transcription activity, is one important element in studying changes in molecular expression with aging and age-associated disorders. Bisulfite genomic sequencing is a useful method for mapping methylated cytosines. However, PCR amplification for bisulfite-treated DNA does not yield a sufficient amount of products that have a sufficient level of specificity, especially in the GC-rich sequences usually seen at the promoter regions of house keeping genes. We present a method for increasing the sensitivity and specificity of PCR amplification in bisulfite methylcytosine mapping in an extremely GC-rich promoter region of amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene from the cerebral cortex of human autopsy brain. The PCR used consists of two cycles using the lower primer alone to amplify the sense sequence, and then eight cycles at a theoretical annealing temperature (60 degrees C) and 30 cycles at a lower annealing temperature (50 degrees C) using both the upper and lower primers. The present method likely can also be applied to other GC-rich genomic sequences.

Aged↗

GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation as a molecular biomarker for prostate cancer.

Somatic hypermethylation of CpG island sequences at GSTP1, the gene encoding the pi-class glutathione S-transferase, appears to be characteristic of human prostatic carcinogenesis. To consider the potential utility of this epigenetic alteration as a biomarker for prostate cancer, we present here a comprehensive review of the literature describing somatic GSTP1 changes in DNA from prostate cells and tissues. GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation has been detected in prostate cancer DNA using a variety of assay techniques, including (i) Southern blot analysis (SB), after treatment with (5-m)C-sensitive restriction endonucleases, (ii) the polymerase chain reaction, following treatment with (5-m)C-sensitive restriction endonucleases (RE-PCR), (iii) bisulfite genomic sequencing (BGS), and (iv) bisulfite modification followed by the polymerase chain reaction, using primers selective for target sequences containing (5-m)C (MSP). In the majority of the case series so far reported, GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation was present in DNA from at least 90% of prostate cancer cases. When analyses have been carefully conducted, GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation has not been found in DNA from normal prostate tissues, or from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues, though GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation changes have been detected in DNA from candidate prostate cancer precursor lesions proliferative inflammatory atrophy (PIA) and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Using PCR methods, GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation has also been detected in urine, ejaculate, and plasma from men with prostate cancer. GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation, a somatic epigenetic alteration, appears poised to serve as a molecular biomarker useful for prostate cancer screening, detection, and diagnosis.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

CpG methylation patterns in the 5' part of the nonclassical HLA-G gene in peripheral blood CD34+ cells and CD2+ lymphocytes.

A dominant goal of research focused on the nonclassical human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) gene is to understand the molecular mechanism involved in its limited expression. In the present report, we examined DNA methylation as a potential regulatory mechanism of HLA-G transcription in two cell types of the adult lymphomyeloid lineage: CD2+ lymphocytes express several mRNA isoforms while transcripts are undetectable in CD34+ hematopoietic cells. The methylation status of 63 CpG sites in the promoter and in the 5' CpG island was established using bisulfite-treated genomic DNA sequencing. Methylation was first analyzed by the direct sequencing of bisulfite-treated and amplified products. The general patterns of CpG methylation in the 5' part of the gene were found to be similar for CD34+ cells and CD2+ lymphocytes: the distribution of methylation was not uniform across the 63 CpG sites. In the promoter region, both CpG dinucleotides were partially or fully methylated whereas in the CpG island, several CpG sites were totally demethylated. Unexpectedly, in HLA-G positive CD2+ lymphocytes, a great number of CpG dinucleotides displayed a higher frequency of methylation relative to that found in CD34+ cells. However, the sequence analysis of cloned products revealed that the molecules have different methylation patterns which suggests that the HLA-G gene is differentially expressed in CD2+ cells. Our results suggest that methylation is not the sole mechanism that achieves the repression of HLA-G transcription in immature CD34+ cells.

Adult↗

Transcriptional inactivation of TP73 expression in oligodendroglial tumors.

The TP73 gene, located on chromosome 1p36.3, encodes a product that shares significant structural homology with the tumor suppressor TP53. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TP73 is involved in the development of oligodendroglial tumors, which frequently carry deletions involving 1p36.3. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to determine TP73 transcript levels. Ten of 24 (42%) tumors showed negligible to more than 5-fold reduction in TP73 expression when compared to normal brain level. To identify potential mechanisms that may modulate TP73 transcription in oligodendroglial tumors, we performed mutation analysis on the TP73 gene. No somatic mutations were however detected in the gene sequence. We then evaluated the possible involvement of epigenetic change in TP73 expression. Bisulfite genomic sequencing detected aberrant hypermethylation at the 5' region upstream and including the first exon of the TP73 gene in 17 of 44 (39%) oligodendroglial tumors, whereas normal brain tissues showed no methylation in the same region examined. Moreover, 6 of 10 (60%) tumors with negligible or decreased levels of TP73 transcripts were methylation-positive. In conclusion, our results showed that inactivation of TP73 occurs at the transcriptional level and is associated with promotor hypermethylation. Loss of or reduced TP73 transcript expression may contribute to the tumorigenesis of oligodendroglial tumors.

Adolescent↗

Dense nonsymmetrical DNA methylation resulting from repeat-induced point mutation in Neurospora.

Cytosine methylation has been implicated in epigenetic control of gene expression in animals, plants, and fungi. It has been assumed that all methylation in eukaryotes is at symmetrical sequences such as CpG/GpC, because this can explain perpetuation of methylation states. Here the bisulfite genomic sequencing method was used to examine methylation in DNA from a Neurospora gene exposed to repeat-induced point mutation. 5-Methylcytosine was not limited to symmetrical sites and individual molecules showed different patterns and amounts of modification. The methylation extended beyond the mutated region and even beyond the edge of the duplicated segment.

5-Methylcytosine↗

A reassessment of semiquantitative analytical procedures for DNA methylation: comparison of bisulfite- and HpaII polymerase-chain-reaction-based methods.

Two techniques in particular are used to study site-specific DNA methylation: genomic sequencing after bisulfite modification and polymerase chain reaction after digestion by a methylation-sensitive endonuclease (usually HpaII). Only the former methodology assesses the methylation status of all the cytosine residues in the DNA sequence, but it is so complex and time consuming that the latter procedure, though limited to the restriction sites recognized by the endonuclease(s) used, is often preferred at least for a first analysis. In this work we investigate differences between these two techniques in the assessment of DNA methylation and offer some suggestions on how to avoid uncorrected results. Although there is substantial accordance in the results obtained using these different techniques, we observed a general overestimate for methylation levels above 30% and a general underestimate for methylation levels below this value using the HpaII/PCR technique in the study of methylation of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse myogenin gene in cultured muscle cells and mouse tissues.

Animals↗

Altered mitochondrial DNA methylation in blood in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies reported that altered mitochondrial methylation in Alzheimer's disease (AD), however, whether epigenetic modifications in mitochondrial genomes contribute to preclinical AD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate mitochondrial methylation changes in individuals with cognitive decline. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined whole mitochondrial genome methylation in 50 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 50 individuals without MCI, using bisulfite amplicon sequencing, assessing methylation at 366 Cytosine-guanine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG) sites. RESULTS: We found the overall methylation level of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in each subject was relatively low, ranging from 0% to 15%. Global methylation was significantly higher in individuals with cognitive decline compared to controls (3.86% vs. 3.46%, p = 0.037), with 34 differentially methylated CpG sites identified. Methylation differences (MD) between cognitive decline individuals and controls were 22.93 ± 5.60% at chrM6465 (Q = 0.013), 12.55 ± 3.02% at chrM9612 (Q = 0.013), 11.45 ± 3.88% at chrM11762 (Q = 0.159) and 11.03 ± 3.88% at chrM11766 (Q = 0.172), respectively, while the level of MD at chrM15812 was -13.11 ± 4.31% (Q = 0.159) after Benjamini-Hochberg FDR adjusted. Furthermore, Methylation at specific sites were significantly correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination scores, distinguishing individuals with cognitive decline from controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an mtDNA methylation map and suggests a role for these sites in preclinical AD pathogenesis.

Humans↗

Cytosine methylation: quantitation by automated genomic sequencing and GENESCAN analysis.

Bisulfite treatment and PCR amplification of genomic DNA permits the methylation analysis of any cytosine residue in a target sequence. By cloning and sequencing the PCR product, the methylation of individual molecules can be determined, whereas direct sequencing of the PCR product can provide an average of the methylation status in the population of molecules. Reliable quantitation of cytosine methylation by direct sequencing, however, has not been possible with current methods. In this paper we describe an accurate and innovative protocol to directly quantitate the methylation of any cytosine residue in the target sequence by fluorescence-based automated genomic sequencing. Only the cytosine and thymine residues of bisulfite-treated and amplified genomic DNA are sequenced. The degree of methylation is obtained by direct comparison of the cytosine and thymine signals, which have been labeled with the same fluorescent dyes. GENESCAN analysis is employed to achieve a fast and accurate estimate of methylation at every cytosine in the target sequence. Combining direct bisulfite genomic sequencing and GENESCAN analysis permits the rapid survey of detailed DNA methylation profiles. Using this approach we have found the unexpected result that multicopy plasmid DNA grown in a Dcm host is not always fully methylated as suggested by restriction enzyme data.

Autoanalysis↗

Bisulfite modification of immobilized DNAs for methylation detection.

We have developed a novel method for detecting DNA methylation status of multiple samples, in which the DNA samples were firstly immobilized on the slide and treated with bisulfite directly on the chip. In this experiment, DNAs of pUC19 plasmid were restricted by the enzymes, and ligated with a linker bearing 5'-terminal acrylamide group at the sticky ends. Using universal acrylamide gel polymerization technique, a large amount of DNAs could be immobilized on the slide. The immobilized DNAs were converted by soaking the chip in bisulfite reaction mixtures for 16 h. The probes for detection of the methylation patterns of CpG sites hybridized with the converted DNAs on the microarray, and non-specifically bound probes were cleaned by electrophoresis. We have optimized the experimental conditions of both bisulfite treatment and electrophoresis to increase sensitivity and specificity. The results were further validated by bisulfite DNA sequencing. The experiments show that the method can simplify the experimental processes and increase the efficiency of the bisulfite treatment. This novel method could be used as a convenient tool to detect the methylation status of the multiple genes for a large amount of samples in the future.

Adsorption↗

E-Cadherin gene promoter hypermethylation in primary human gastric carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: E (epithelial)-cadherin, the cell adhesion molecule also considered a potential invasion/metastasis suppressor, is mutationally inactivated in nearly half of all undifferentiated-scattered (diffuse-type) gastric carcinomas. In addition, silencing of E-cadherin by CpG methylation within its promoter region has been reported in several gastric carcinoma cell lines. We investigated the methylation status of the E-cadherin promoter region in 53 primary human gastric carcinomas. METHODS: Hypermethylation of the E-cadherin promoter was determined by utilizing methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single-strand conformation polymorphism (MSP-SSCP) analysis followed by direct sequencing of PCR products. Expression of E-cadherin was studied by western blot analysis. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Hypermethylation of the E-cadherin promoter was evident in 27 (51%) of 53 primary gastric carcinomas examined by MSP-SSCP. It occurred more frequently in carcinomas of the undifferentiated-scattered type (in 15 [83%] of 18) than in other histologic subtypes (in 12 [34%] of 35) (P =.0011, Fisher's exact test), and it was present at similar rates in early (in six [60%] of 10) versus advanced (in 21 [49%] of 43) carcinomas (P =.73, Fisher's exact test). Methylation occurring at all cytosine-guanosine sequences (CpGs) near the transcriptional start site was confirmed in six of six tumors examined by bisulfite-DNA sequencing, including two early gastric carcinomas. In addition, loss or diminished expression of E-cadherin was confirmed by western blotting in four of the six tumor tissues demonstrating hypermethylation. CONCLUSIONS: The E-cadherin promoter frequently undergoes hypermethylation in human gastric cancers, particularly those of the undifferentiated-scattered histologic subtype. E-cadherin promoter hypermethylation is associated with decreased expression and may occur early in gastric carcinogenesis.

Blotting, Western↗

Analysis of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor expression and methylation patterns in human prostate cancers.

BACKGROUND: Downregulation of genes which negatively control cell cycle progression represents a possible mechanism for prostate tumorigenesis. We examined the expression levels of the p16, p15, p14, and retinoblastoma-susceptibility (RB) genes in primary prostate cancers and human prostate cancer cell lines, and correlated this with the DNA methylation levels of two loci in p16. METHODS: The mRNA levels of p16, p15, and p14 were examined by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). DNA methylation of the p16 5' CpG island was determined by bisulfite genomic sequencing, while methylation of exon 2 shared by the p16 and p14 genes was measured by a quantitative bisulfite-based technique, methylation-sensitive single-nucleotide primer extension (Ms-SNuPE). RB protein levels were assessed by immunohistochemical staining of histologic sections of normal and tumor prostate tissues, using a monoclonal antibody (mAB). RESULTS: Overexpression of p16 mRNA was found in 6/9 (67) of prostate tumors compared to the adjacent normal prostate, whereas elevated p14 and p15 levels were only observed in 2/9 (22) and 1/6 (17) of prostate cases, respectively. There was no statistically significant association of grade (P = 0.18) and stage (P = 1.00) of prostate cancer to the elevated p16 levels in the tumors. The p16 5' CpG island was completely unmethylated in these tissues. In contrast, exon 2 of p16/p14 was methylated in both the tumor and normal adjacent prostates, and was increased in 8/11 (73) of tumors relative to normal tissues. There was no association between p16 overexpression and increased p16/p14 exon 2 methylation in these tumors (P = 1.00). Diminished RB levels in prostate tumors that had upregulated p16 mRNA were found, although absent RB was also detected in tumors without elevated p16 levels. The expression levels of the two genes, RB and p16, were not correlated statistically (P = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Our studies show that although the levels of the cell cycle regulators p16, p15, p14, and Rb are altered in prostate cancers, there is no apparent correlation to grade, stage, or any pattern of regulation between the related genes. Exon 2 of p16/p14 is methylated in a majority of prostate tumors compared to the unmethylated upstream 5' region, and may be a potential tumor marker for human prostate cancer.

CpG Islands↗