Project description:5-methylcytosine (5mC) is the most important DNA modification in mammalian genomes. The ideal method for 5mC localization would be both nondestructive of DNA and direct, without requiring inference based on detection of unmodified cytosines. Here we present direct methylation sequencing (DM-Seq), a bisulfite-free method for profiling 5mC at single-base resolution using nanogram quantities of DNA. DM-Seq employs two key DNA-modifying enzymes: a neomorphic DNA methyltransferase and a DNA deaminase capable of precise discrimination between cytosine modification states. Coupling these activities with deaminase-resistant adapters enables accurate detection of only 5mC via a C-to-T transition in sequencing. By comparison, we uncover a PCR-related underdetection bias with the hybrid enzymatic-chemical TET-assisted pyridine borane sequencing approach. Importantly, we show that DM-Seq, unlike bisulfite sequencing, unmasks prognostically important CpGs in a clinical tumor sample by not confounding 5mC with 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. DM-Seq thus offers an all-enzymatic, nondestructive, faithful and direct method for the reading of 5mC alone.
Project description:5-methylcytosine (5mC) is the most important DNA modification in mammalian genomes as a lineage-defining mark dynamically altered in development and disease. The ideal method for 5mC localization would be both non-destructive of DNA and direct, without requiring inference based on detection of unmodified cytosines. Here, we present Direct Methylation Sequencing (DM-Seq), a bisulfite-free method for profiling 5mC at single-base resolution, using nanogram quantities of input DNA. DM-Seq employs two key DNA modifying enzymes: a neomorphic DNA methyltransferase engineered to generate the unnatural base 5-carboxymethylcytosine, and a DNA deaminase capable of precise discrimination between cytosine modification states. Coupling these activities requires a novel adapter strategy employing 5-propynylcytosine, ultimately resulting in the accurate and direct detection of only 5mC via a C-to-T transition in sequencing. In performing comparisons to DM-Seq, we uncover a systematic bias in 5mC detection seen with the hybrid enzymatic-chemical TAPS sequencing approach. Furthermore, by applying DM-Seq to a human glioblastoma tumor, we demonstrate that DM-Seq, unlike bisulfite-sequencing, detects 5mC at prognostically-important CpGs, without confounding by 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. DM-Seq thus leverages unnatural DNA modifications to create the first method for direct 5mC profiling entirely using enzymes rather than chemical reagents.
Project description:5-methylcytosine (5mC) is the most important DNA modification in mammalian genomes as a lineage-defining mark dynamically altered in development and disease. The ideal method for 5mC localization would be both non-destructive of DNA and direct, without requiring inference based on detection of unmodified cytosines. Here, we present Direct Methylation Sequencing (DM-Seq), a bisulfite-free method for profiling 5mC at single-base resolution, using nanogram quantities of input DNA. DM-Seq employs two key DNA modifying enzymes: a neomorphic DNA methyltransferase engineered to generate the unnatural base 5-carboxymethylcytosine, and a DNA deaminase capable of precise discrimination between cytosine modification states. Coupling these activities requires a novel adapter strategy employing 5-propynylcytosine, ultimately resulting in the accurate and direct detection of only 5mC via a C-to-T transition in sequencing. In performing comparisons to DM-Seq, we uncover a systematic bias in 5mC detection seen with the hybrid enzymatic-chemical TAPS sequencing approach. Furthermore, by applying DM-Seq to a human glioblastoma tumor, we demonstrate that DM-Seq, unlike bisulfite-sequencing, detects 5mC at prognostically-important CpGs, without confounding by 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. DM-Seq thus leverages unnatural DNA modifications to create the first method for direct 5mC profiling entirely using enzymes rather than chemical reagents.
Project description:5-methylcytosine (5mC) is the most important DNA modification in mammalian genomes as a lineage-defining mark dynamically altered in development and disease. The ideal method for 5mC localization would be both non-destructive of DNA and direct, without requiring inference based on detection of unmodified cytosines. Here, we present Direct Methylation Sequencing (DM-Seq), a bisulfite-free method for profiling 5mC at single-base resolution, using nanogram quantities of input DNA. DM-Seq employs two key DNA modifying enzymes: a neomorphic DNA methyltransferase engineered to generate the unnatural base 5-carboxymethylcytosine, and a DNA deaminase capable of precise discrimination between cytosine modification states. Coupling these activities requires a novel adapter strategy employing 5-propynylcytosine, ultimately resulting in the accurate and direct detection of only 5mC via a C-to-T transition in sequencing. In performing comparisons to DM-Seq, we uncover a systematic bias in 5mC detection seen with the hybrid enzymatic-chemical TAPS sequencing approach. Furthermore, by applying DM-Seq to a human glioblastoma tumor, we demonstrate that DM-Seq, unlike bisulfite-sequencing, detects 5mC at prognostically-important CpGs, without confounding by 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. DM-Seq thus leverages unnatural DNA modifications to create the first method for direct 5mC profiling entirely using enzymes rather than chemical reagents.
Project description:5-methylcytosine (5mC) is the most important DNA modification in mammalian genomes as a lineage-defining mark dynamically altered in development and disease. The ideal method for 5mC localization would be both non-destructive of DNA and direct, without requiring inference based on detection of unmodified cytosines. Here, we present Direct Methylation Sequencing (DM-Seq), a bisulfite-free method for profiling 5mC at single-base resolution, using nanogram quantities of input DNA. DM-Seq employs two key DNA modifying enzymes: a neomorphic DNA methyltransferase engineered to generate the unnatural base 5-carboxymethylcytosine, and a DNA deaminase capable of precise discrimination between cytosine modification states. Coupling these activities requires a novel adapter strategy employing 5-propynylcytosine, ultimately resulting in the accurate and direct detection of only 5mC via a C-to-T transition in sequencing. In performing comparisons to DM-Seq, we uncover a systematic bias in 5mC detection seen with the hybrid enzymatic-chemical TAPS sequencing approach. Furthermore, by applying DM-Seq to a human glioblastoma tumor, we demonstrate that DM-Seq, unlike bisulfite-sequencing, detects 5mC at prognostically-important CpGs, without confounding by 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. DM-Seq thus leverages unnatural DNA modifications to create the first method for direct 5mC profiling entirely using enzymes rather than chemical reagents.