title: DNA methylation analysis using metal complex formation.
abstract: Analysis of the cytosine methylation status of a gene is very important for understanding the expression mechanism of genetic information. However, to distinguish 5-methylcytosine (M) from C, i.e., to detect the existence of only one methyl group in a long DNA strand, is not easy. A rapid and selective chemical reaction capable of distinguishing between M and C would become a useful method for efficiently analyzing the status of cytosine methylation at a specific site in a gene. We herein report M-selective oxidation. M was oxidized efficiently by exposure to a reaction mixture containing an osmium complex, making possible a clear distinction from very weak oxidation of C. We readily obtained information on the methylation status at a specific site by means of M-selective oxidation using functional bipyridine ligands.
authors.affiliation: Frontier Research System, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. aki-okamoto@riken.jp
authors.forename: Akimitsu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tainaka
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umemoto
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D044503:5-Methylcytosine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D009992:Osmium / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009992:Osmium; D044503:5-Methylcytosine