title: Cytosine methylation: quantitation by automated genomic sequencing and GENESCAN analysis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Kanematsu Laboratories, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Australia.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D001322:Autoanalysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003596:Cytosine / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D017931:DNA Primers; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D019003:Deoxyribonuclease HpaII; D008280:Magnetics; D008863:Microspheres; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012984:Software; D013447:Sulfites / Q000494:pharmacology; D019914:Taq Polymerase
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D017931:DNA Primers; D013447:Sulfites; D003596:Cytosine; D019914:Taq Polymerase; C034970:bacteriophage T7 induced DNA polymerase; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D019003:Deoxyribonuclease HpaII; C042345:hydrogen sulfite