Epigenetics DNA Methylation

Complete solutions for DNA methylation studies

Whether you are experienced or new to the field of DNA methylation, Diagenode has everything you need to make your assay as easy and convenient as possible while ensuring consistent data between samples and experiments. Diagenode offers sonication instruments, reagent kits, high quality antibodies, and high-throughput automation capability to address all of your specific DNA methylation analysis requirements.

DNA methylation was the first discovered epigenetic mark and is the most widely studied topic in epigenetics. In vivo, DNA is methylated following DNA replication and is involved in a number of biological processes including the regulation of imprinted genes, X chromosome inactivation. and tumor suppressor gene silencing in cancer cells. Methylation often occurs in cytosine-guanine rich regions of DNA (CpG islands), which are commonly upstream of promoter regions.

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  5-methylcytosine (5-mC) has been known for a long time as the only modification of DNA for epigenetic regulation. In 2009, however, Kriaucionis discovered a second methylated cytosine, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC). The so-called 6th base, is generated by enzymatic conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine by the TET family of oxygenases. Early reports suggested that 5-hmC may represent an intermediate of active demethylation in a new pathway which demethylates DNA, converting 5-mC to cytosine. Recent evidence fuel this hypothesis suggesting that further oxidation of the hydroxymethyl group leads to a formyl or carboxyl group followed by either deformylation or decarboxylation. The formyl and carboxyl groups of 5-formylcytosine (5-fC) and 5-carboxylcytosine (5-caC) could be enzymatically removed without excision of the base.

  

Main DNA methylation technologies

Overview of the three main approaches for studying DNA methylation.