Automated computational analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation profiling data from HELP-tagging assays

Methods Mol Biol. 2012:815:79-87. doi: 10.1007/978-1-61779-424-7_7.

Abstract

A novel DNA methylation assay, HELP-tagging, has been recently described to use massively parallel sequencing technology for genome-wide methylation profiling. Massively parallel sequencing-based assays such as this produce substantial amounts of data, which complicate analysis and necessitate the use of significant computational resources. To simplify the processing and analysis of HELP-tagging data, a bioinformatic analytical pipeline was developed. Quality checks are performed on the data at various stages, as they are processed by the pipeline to ensure the accuracy of the results. A quantitative methylation score is provided for each locus, along with a confidence score based on the amount of information available for determining the quantification. HELP-tagging analysis results are supplied in standard file formats (BED and WIG) that can be readily examined on the UCSC genome browser.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Automation, Laboratory
  • Base Sequence
  • Computer Simulation*
  • CpG Islands
  • DNA Methylation*
  • DNA Probes / chemical synthesis
  • Epigenesis, Genetic*
  • Genomic Library
  • Models, Genetic
  • Sequence Alignment / methods
  • Software

Substances

  • DNA Probes