DNA methylation and transcriptional noise.

ABSTRACT:

Background

DNA methylation is one of the most phylogenetically widespread epigenetic modifications of genomic DNA. In particular, DNA methylation of transcription units ('gene bodies') is highly conserved across diverse taxa. However, the functional role of gene body methylation is not yet fully understood. A long-standing hypothesis posits that gene body methylation reduces transcriptional noise associated with spurious transcription of genes. Despite the plausibility of this hypothesis, an explicit test of this hypothesis has not been performed until now.

Results

Using nucleotide-resolution data on genomic DNA methylation and abundant microarray data, here we investigate the relationship between DNA methylation and transcriptional noise. Transcriptional noise measured from

SUBMITTER: Huh I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3641963 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature