DNA methylation and transcription onset in the brain. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Massart, Renaud; Suderman, Matthew; Mongrain, Valerie; Szyf, Moshe
• Is Part Of: Epigenomics. Volume 9:Number 6(2017)
• Page Start: 797
• Page End: 809
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: ChIP-bisulfite sequencing -- DNA methylation -- RNAPII -- RNAPII-Ser5 -- steady-state mRNA -- transcription onset; Epigenesis -- Periodicals; Genomics -- Periodicals; Chromatin -- Periodicals; DNA -- Periodicals; 572.87
• DOI: 10.2217/epi-2016-0184
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-1911

Abstract

Aim: The goal of this study was to test the state of methylation of transcription start positions in DNA that are actively involved in transcription.Materials & methods: We used sequential ChIP-bisulfite-sequencing with an antibody to RNpolII-PS5 to map the state of methylation of actively transcribing transcription start sites (TSS).Results: TSS that RNApolII-PS5 physically bind to, are ubiquitously unmethylated. TSS that appear to be both heavily methylated and transcriptionally active are truly a mixture of unmethylated TSS with bound RNApolII-PS5 in some nuclei and unbound methylated TSS in other nuclei.Conclusion: TSS DNA methylation is universally inconsistent with transcription onset and could therefore serve as a digital count of the fraction of nuclei with methylation-silenced TSS.