Whole-genome analysis of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-methylcytosine at base resolution in the human brain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

5-methylcytosine (mC) can be oxidized by the tet methylcytosine dioxygenase (Tet) family of enzymes to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC), which is an intermediate of mC demethylation and may also be a stable epigenetic modification that influences chromatin structure. hmC is particularly abundant in mammalian brains but its function is currently unknown. A high-resolution hydroxymethylome map is required to fully understand the function of hmC in the human brain.

Results

We present genome-wide and single-base resolution maps of hmC and mC in the human brain by combined application of Tet-assisted bisulfite sequencing and bisulfite sequencing. We demonstrate that hmCs increase markedly from the fetal to the adult stage, and in the adult brain, 13% of all CpGs are highl

SUBMITTER: Wen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4053808 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature