title: Genome-wide mapping of DNA methylation in chicken.
abstract: Cytosine DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification termed as the fifth base that functions in diverse processes. Till now, the genome-wide DNA methylation maps of many organisms has been reported, such as human, Arabidopsis, rice and silkworm, but the methylation pattern of bird remains rarely studied. Here we show the genome-wide DNA methylation map of bird, using the chicken as a model organism and an immunocapturing approach followed by high-throughput sequencing. In both of the red jungle fowl and the avian broiler, DNA methylation was described separately for the liver and muscle tissue. Generally, chicken displays analogous methylation pattern with that of animals and plants. DNA methylation is enriched in the gene body regions and the repetitive sequences, and depleted in the transcription start site (TSS) and the transcription termination site (TTS). Most of the CpG islands in the chicken genome are kept in unmethylated state. Promoter methylation is negatively correlated with the gene expression level, indicating its suppressive role in regulating gene transcription. This work contributes to our understanding of epigenetics in birds.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qinghe
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaoxiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jinxiu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhuo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guangliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jinjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Haichao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yaofeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site