Analysis of promoter non-CG methylation in prostate cancer

作者:Truong Matthew; Yang Bing; Wagner Jennifer; Desotelle Joshua; Jarrard David F*
来源:Epigenomics, 2013, 5(1): 65-71.
DOI:10.2217/EPI.12.67

摘要

Background: In vertebrates, DNA methylation occurs primarily at CG dinucleotides but recently, non-CG methylation has been found at appreciable levels in embryonic stem cells. Materials & methods: To assess non-CG methylation in cancer, we compared the extent of non-CG methylation at several biologically important CG islands in prostate cancer and normal cell lines. An assessment of the promoter CG islands EVX1 and FILIP1L demonstrates a fourfold higher rate of non-CG methylation at EVX1 compared with FILIP1L across all cell lines. These loci are densely methylated at CG sites in cancer. Results: No significant difference in non-CG methylation was demonstrated between cancer and normal. Treatment of cancer cell lines with 5-azacytidine significantly reduced methylation within EVX1 at CG and CC sites, preferentially. Conclusion: Non-CG methylation does not correlate with CG methylation at hypermethylated promoter regions in cancer. Furthermore, global inhibition of DNA methyltransferases does not affect all methylated cytosines uniformly.

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