title: Deciphering the epigenetic code: an overview of DNA methylation analysis methods.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Methylation of cytosine in DNA is linked with gene regulation, and this has profound implications in development, normal biology, and disease conditions in many eukaryotic organisms. A wide range of methods and approaches exist for its identification, quantification, and mapping within the genome. While the earliest approaches were nonspecific and were at best useful for quantification of total methylated cytosines in the chunk of DNA, this field has seen considerable progress and development over the past decades.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Methods for DNA methylation analysis differ in their coverage and sensitivity, and the method of choice depends on the intended application and desired level of information. Potential results include global methyl cytosine content, degree of methylation at specific loci, or genome-wide methylation maps. Introduction of more advanced approaches to DNA methylation analysis, such as microarray platforms and massively parallel sequencing, has brought us closer to unveiling the whole methylome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sensitive quantification of DNA methylation from degraded and minute quantities of DNA and high-throughput DNA methylation mapping of single cells still remain a challenge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Developments in DNA sequencing technologies as well as the methods for identification and mapping of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine are expected to augment our current understanding of epigenomics. Here we present an overview of methodologies available for DNA methylation analysis with special focus on recent developments in genome-wide and high-throughput methods. While the application focus relates to cancer research, the methods are equally relevant to broader issues of epigenetics and redox science in this special forum.
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC, Lyon 69008, France.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Umer
authors.forename: Zdenko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Herceg
mesh_terms: D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods; D056426:Genetic Loci; D006801:Humans