Genome-wide DNA hydroxymethylation changes are associated with neurodevelopmental genes in the developing human cerebellum.

ABSTRACT: 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) is a newly discovered modified form of cytosine that has been suspected to be an important epigenetic modification in neurodevelopment. While DNA methylation dynamics have already been implicated during neurodevelopment, little is known about hydroxymethylation in this process. Here, we report DNA hydroxymethylation dynamics during cerebellum development in the human brain. Overall, we find a positive correlation between 5-hmC levels and cerebellum development. Genome-wide profiling reveals that 5-hmC is highly enriched on specific gene regions including exons and especially the untranslated regions (UTRs), but it is depleted on introns and intergenic regions. Furthermore, we have identified fetus-specific and adult-specific differentially hydroxymethylated

SUBMITTER: Wang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3516134 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature