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Updated: May 11, 2025

Enhanced Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing for Assessment of DNA Methylation at Base Pair Resolution
Published on: February 24, 2015
Effects of Ionizing Radiation on DNA Methylation Patterns and Their Potential as Biomarkers
Lanfang Ma1,2, Yu Zhang2,3, Jie Xu2
1College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
Abstract:
DNA methylation is a common endogenous chemical modification in eukaryotic DNA, primarily involving the covalent attachment of a methyl group to the fifth carbon of cytosine residues, leading to the formation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC). This epigenetic modification plays a crucial role in gene expression regulation and genomic stability maintenance in eukaryotic systems. Ionizing radiation (IR) has been shown to induce changes in global DNA methylation patterns, which exhibit significant temporal stability. This stability makes DNA methylation profiles promising candidates for radiation-specific biomarkers. This review systematically examines the impact of IR on genome-wide DNA methylation landscapes and evaluates their potential as molecular indicators of radiation exposure. Advancing the knowledge of radiation-induced epigenetic modifications in radiobiology contributes to a deeper understanding of IR-driven epigenetic reprogramming and facilitates the development of novel molecular tools for the early detection and quantitative risk assessment of radiation exposure.
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