Non-imprinted allele-specific DNA methylation on human autosomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Differential DNA methylation between alleles is well established in imprinted genes and the X chromosomes in females but has rarely been reported at non-imprinted loci on autosomes.

Results

We studied DNA methylation of cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) islands on chromosome 21 in leukocytes from several healthy individuals and observed novel cases of pronounced differential methylation of alleles. Allele-specific methylation affected complete CpG islands with methylation differences between alleles of up to 85%. The methylation differences between alleles were strongly correlated with the genotypes, excluding a connection to imprinting. We show that allele-specific methylation can lead to allelic repression of the methylated gene copy. Based on our results, all

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2812945 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature