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Updated: Sep 21, 2026

Sequence-specific Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Proteins with Methyltransferases and Cofactor Analogues
Published on: November 22, 2014
Methylated DNA labels for marking objects
Lindsey J Cook1, Jonathan P L Cox
1Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY UK.
Abstract:
We recently described a method for digitally labelling objects with DNA. Here we show that, using DNA methyltransferases to create polymorphic DNA templates, it is possible to significantly increase the number of labels that can be generated by this method. Nine double-stranded DNA templates of different length were methylated with either M.HaeIII or M.AluI methyltransferase, or both. Different mixtures of methylated and unmethylated versions of this template set were used to 'invisibly' label paper. The mixtures were eluted from the paper and the methylated status of the templates in each mixture successfully determined, and the labels read, by digestion with the complementary restriction endonuclease, followed by a polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis. One methylated DNA label was read after it had been left on paper for two months.
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