Project description:Assessing DNA methylation profiles in human blood has become a major focus of epidemiologic inquiry. Understanding variability in CpG-specific DNA methylation over moderate periods of time is a critical first step in identifying CpG sites that are candidates for DNA methylation-based etiologic, diagnostic and prognostic predictors of pathogenesis. Using the Illumina MethylationEPIC [850K] BeadArray, DNA methylation was profiled in paired whole blood samples collected approximately 1 year apart from 35 healthy women enrolled in the Nurses Study II cohort. The median intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) across all CpG loci was 0.19 [Interquartile Range (IQR) 0.00–0.50]; 74.8% of ICCs were in the low range (0–0.5), 16.9% in the mid-range of ICCs (0.5–0.8), and 8.3% in the high-range of ICCs (0.8–1). ICCs were similar for CpG probes on the 450K Illumina array (median 0.17) and the new probes added to the 850K array (median 0.21). ICCs for CpG loci on the sex chromosomes and known metastable epialleles were high (median 0.71, 0.97, respectively), and ICCs among methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTL) CpGs were significantly higher as compared to non-mQTL CpGs (median 0.73, 0.16, respectively, P < 2 × 10–16). We observed wide variation in DNA methylation stability over a 1-year period. Probes considered non-stable, due to substantial variation over a moderate period of time and with minimal variability across individuals could be removed in large epidemiological studies. Moreover, adjusting for technical variation that arises from using high-dimensional arrays is critical.
Project description:ABSTRACT Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are essential for the repression of key developmental regulators during development. In Drosophila, the polycomb repressive complexes (PRC) associate with defined DNA sequences termed polycomb response elements (PREs). In mammals, however, the mechanisms underlying polycomb recruitment at targeted loci are poorly understood. We have used an in vivo approach to try and map DNA sequences of importance for the proper recruitment of polycomb proteins within the genetically well-characterized HoxD genomic locus. Here, we report that relatively small polycomb interacting sequences appear necessary and sufficient to confer polycomb recognition and targeting to ectopic loci. These elements synergize, when clustered together, to form a fully functional repressive domain. In addition, a high GC content, while not sufficient to recruit PRC2, may help its local spreading. We discuss the importance of PRC2 recruitment over Hox gene clusters, in embryonic stem cells, for their subsequent coordinated transcriptional activation during development. ChIP-chip using K27 antibodies
Project description:RNA from vastus lateralis of healthy young (21-31 year old) and older (62-77 year old) men. Signal data normalized to mean intensity of 500 over all probes sets. Analysis done with Affymetrix Microarray Suite 5.0 software.
Project description:De novo assembly of a non-model species transcriptome using Illumina data: assembly performance dependent on method used upon the snail transcriptome (Radix balthica, Pulmonata, Basommatophora).