Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

08:38
Targeted DNA Methylation Analysis by Next-generation Sequencing
Published on: February 24, 2015
CpG methylation recruits sequence specific transcription factors essential for tissue specific gene expression
Raghunath Chatterjee1, Charles Vinson
1Laboratory of Metabolism, NCI, NIH, USA.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|March 6, 2012
Summary
DNA methylation (CG) is crucial for gene regulation and development in mammals. Aberrant CG methylation patterns are linked to human diseases, particularly cancer, highlighting its importance in cellular health.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- DNA methylation (CG) is an essential epigenetic modification in mammals, regulating gene expression and development.
- Mammalian genomes have specific patterns of CG methylation, with CG islands (CGIs) often unmethylated and gene bodies/repeats methylated.
- Understanding normal DNA methylation is key to deciphering epigenetic aberrations in diseases like cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of DNA methylation in normal cells.
- To discuss the impact of CG methylation on tissue-specific gene expression.
- To explore the role of aberrant CG methylation in cancer development.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on DNA methylation.
- Discussion of high-throughput sequencing technologies for genome-wide methylation analysis.
- Analysis of CG methylation patterns in normal cells and their association with gene expression.
Main Results:
- CG methylation patterns vary across the genome, influencing tissue-specific gene expression.
- Aberrant CG methylation is a hallmark of cancer, contributing to disease development.
- High-throughput sequencing enables comprehensive analysis of CG methylation across the genome.
Conclusions:
- DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic regulator with significant implications for normal development and health.
- Disruptions in CG methylation patterns are implicated in various human diseases, especially cancer.
- Further research into DNA methylation dynamics is vital for understanding and treating diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
X-chromosome...
General Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
Master Transcription Regulators
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
Cis-regulatory Sequences
Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...

