DNA sequence explains seemingly disordered methylation levels in partially methylated domains of Mammalian genomes.

ABSTRACT: For the most part metazoan genomes are highly methylated and harbor only small regions with low or absent methylation. In contrast, partially methylated domains (PMDs), recently discovered in a variety of cell lines and tissues, do not fit this paradigm as they show partial methylation for large portions (20%-40%) of the genome. While in PMDs methylation levels are reduced on average, we found that at single CpG resolution, they show extensive variability along the genome outside of CpG islands and DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHS). Methylation levels range from 0% to 100% in a roughly uniform fashion with only little similarity between neighboring CpGs. A comparison of various PMD-containing methylomes showed that these seemingly disordered states of methylation are strongly conserved ac

SUBMITTER: Gaidatzis D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3923675 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature