The optimal conditions for the estimation of DNA methylation levels using high throughput microarray derived DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP)-enrichment in human bloods

Abstract

Genomic-wide mapping of epigenetic changes is essential for understanding the mechanisms involved in chemical-induced gene regulation. The identification of DNA methylation patterns is a common procedure in the study of epigenetics, as methylation is known to have significant effects on gene expression, and is involved with normal development as well as disease. Thus, the ability to discriminate between methylated DNA and non-methylated DNA is essential for generating methylation profiles for such studies. Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) is a recently devised method for the extraction of methylated DNA from a sample of interest and used to determine the distribution of DNA-methylation within functional regions (e. g., promoters) or in the entire genome robustly and cost-efficiently. This approach is based on the enrichment of methylated DNA with an antibody that specifically binds to 5-methyl-cytosine (5mC) and can be combined with PCR and microarray. Here we summarize the experimental procedure of MeDIP followed by high throughput microarray and provides a comprehensive summary of quality control strategies. ？ 2011 Korean Society of Environmental Risk Assessment and Health Science and Springer.