Analysis of epigenetic modifications of DNA in human cells

Curr Protoc Hum Genet. 2013 Apr:Chapter 20:Unit20.2. doi: 10.1002/0471142905.hg2002s77.

Abstract

Epigenetics, the study of somatically heritable changes in gene expression not related to changes in the DNA sequence, is a rapidly expanding research field that plays important roles in healthy as well as in diseased cells. DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation are epigenetic modifications found in human cells, which are deeply implicated in normal cellular processes as well as in several major human diseases. Here, a range of different methods for the analyses of DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation at locus-specific and genome-wide scales is described.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics*
  • DNA / metabolism*
  • DNA Methylation
  • DNA Primers
  • Epigenesis, Genetic*
  • Eukaryotic Cells / cytology
  • Eukaryotic Cells / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression
  • Genome*
  • Humans
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods*

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • DNA