The protocol described here for methylome profiling consists of two parts. One is the experimental part for a genome-wide analysis of methylation level, and the other is the bioinformatics analysis of the methylome data. DNA methylation measurement is conducted using the commercially available array-based "Infinium Human Methylation 450K BeadChip" kit (or its updated version, Infinium MethylationEPICBeadChip). This BeadChip allows the high-throughput DNA methylation analysis suitable for genome-wide studies with large sample size. The results give intensities of the beads providing information on the unmethylated and methylated CpG sites. Bioinformatics data analysis involves reading the intensities as methylation values using R packages. Here, we provide a detailed analysis tool for each of the data analysis steps.
Keywords: Bioinformatics data analysis; H. pylori; HM450 array; Methylation profiling; Normal gastric mucosa.