title: Detection of single methylated cytosine using junction-forming DNA probes.
abstract: DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism for transcriptional regulation. The methylation process controls cellular differentiation and is defective in many diseases including cancer. Therefore, the development of a simple method for analysing cytosine methylation in a target gene is required. Here we report a conceptually new method for sequence-selective chemical modification of a single cytosine in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) using two DNA probes to form a DNA three-way junction with the ssDNA. The method was successfully used in a simple quantitative polymerase-chain-reaction-based assay for discrimination of a single methylated cytosine.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Bionics, Computer and Media Sciences, Tokyo University of Technology, 1404-1 Katakura, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0982, Japan. kato@stf.teu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takanashi
authors.forename: Teru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D003596:Cytosine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015342:DNA Probes; D008745:Methylation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D003596:Cytosine