Methyl-CpG binding proteins identify novel sites of epigenetic inactivation in human cancer.

ABSTRACT: Methyl-CpG binding proteins (MBDs) mediate histone deacetylase-dependent transcriptional silencing at methylated CpG islands. Using chromatin immunoprecitation (ChIP) we have found that gene-specific profiles of MBDs exist for hypermethylated promoters of breast cancer cells, whilst a common pattern of histone modifications is shared. This unique distribution of MBDs is also characterized in chromosomes by comparative genomic hybridization of immunoprecipitated DNA and immunolocalization. Most importantly, we demonstrate that MBD association to methylated DNA serves to identify novel targets of epigenetic inactivation in human cancer. We combined the ChIP assay of MBDs with a CpG island microarray (ChIP on chip). The scenario revealed shows that, while many genes are regulated by multiple

SUBMITTER: Ballestar E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC291845 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature