title: Identifying DNA methylation in a nanochannel.
abstract: DNA methylation is a stable epigenetic modification, which is well known to be involved in gene expression regulation. In general, however, analyzing DNA methylation requires rather time consuming processes (24-96 h) via DNA replication and protein modification. Here we demonstrate a methodology to analyze DNA methylation at a single DNA molecule level without any protein modifications by measuring the contracted length and relaxation time of DNA within a nanochannel. Our methodology is based on the fact that methylation makes DNA molecules stiffer, resulting in a longer contracted length and a longer relaxation time (a slower contraction rate). The present methodology offers a promising way to identify DNA methylation without any protein modification at a single DNA molecule level within 2 h.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan; ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Xiaoyin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan; ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), PRESTO, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagida
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan; ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Noritada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan; ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Sakon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University , Fukuoka , Japan.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University , Fukuoka , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.affiliation: Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan; ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan; Health Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Takamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baba
keywords: 102 Porous / Nanoporous / Nanostructured materials; 30 Bio-inspired and biomedical materials; DNA contraction; DNA methylation; nanochannel; single DNA molecule