Gene body methylation of the dimethylarginine dimethylamino-hydrolase 2 (Ddah2) gene is an epigenetic biomarker for neural stem cell differentiation.
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark that is involved in the regulation of many cellular processes such as gene expression, genomic imprinting and silencing of repetitive elements. Because of their ability to cause and capture phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation represent potential biomarkers to distinguish between different types of tissues and stages of differentiation. Here, we have identified differential DNA methylation in the gene body of the nitric oxide inhibitor Ddah2 that discriminates embryonic stem cells from neural stem cells and is positively correlated with differential gene expression.
Bäckdahl
Liselotte
L
UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK. l.backdahl@ucl.ac.uk
Herberth
Marlis
M
Wilson
Gareth
G
Tate
Peri
P
Campos
Lia S
LS
Cortese
Rene
R
Eckhardt
Florian
F
Beck
Stephan
S
D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D015870:Gene Expression; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D000581:Amidohydrolases; C059999:dimethylargininase