Project description:Large-scale transcriptome and methylome data analyses obtained by high-throughput technologies have been enabling the identification of novel imprinted genes. We investigated genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in multiple human tissues, using a high-resolution microarray to uncover hemimethylated CpGs located in promoters overlapping CpG islands, aiming to identify novel candidate imprinted genes. Using our approach, we recovered ~30% of the known human imprinted genes, further 168 candidates were identified, 61 of which with at least three hemimethylated CpGs shared by more than two tissue types. Thirty-four of these candidate genes are members of the protocadherins cluster on 5q31.3; in mice, protocadherin genes have non-imprinted monoallelic randomic expression, which might be the case in humans. Among the remaining 27 genes, ZNF331 was recently validated as an imprinted gene, and six of them have been reported as candidates, supporting our prediction. Five candidates (CCDC166, ARC, PLEC, TONSL and VPS28) map to 8q24.3, and might constitute a novel imprinted cluster. Additionally, we performed a comprehensive compilation of known human and mice imprinted genes from literature and databases, and a comparison among high-throughput imprinting studies in humans. The screening for hemimethylated CpGs shared by multiple human tissues, together with the extensive review, appears as a useful approach to reveal candidate imprinted genes.
Project description:Imprinted genes are critical for normal human growth and neurodevelopment. We developed a strategy to identify new DNA differentially methylated regions (DMRs), a hallmark of imprinted genes. Using genome-wide methylation profiling, candidate DMRs were selected by identifying CpGs with putative allelic differential methylation in normal biparental tissues. In parallel, we looked for parent of origin-specific DNA methylation patterns in paternally derived human androgenetic complete hydatidiform mole (AnCHM), and maternally derived mature cystic ovarian teratoma (MCT). Using this approach, we found known DMRs associated with imprinted genomic regions as well as new DMRs for known imprinted genes, NAP1L5 and ZNF597. Most importantly, novel candidate imprinted genes were identified. The paternally methylated DMR for one candidate, AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase, was validated by methylation analyses in humans. Further validation in mouse embryos showed that Axl was expressed preferentially from the maternal allele in a DNA methylation–dependent manner.
Project description:Imprinted genes are critical for normal human growth and neurodevelopment. We developed a strategy to identify new DNA differentially methylated regions (DMRs), a hallmark of imprinted genes. Using genome-wide methylation profiling, candidate DMRs were selected by identifying CpGs with putative allelic differential methylation in normal biparental tissues. In parallel, we looked for parent of origin-specific DNA methylation patterns in paternally derived human androgenetic complete hydatidiform mole (AnCHM), and maternally derived mature cystic ovarian teratoma (MCT). Using this approach, we found known DMRs associated with imprinted genomic regions as well as new DMRs for known imprinted genes, NAP1L5 and ZNF597. Most importantly, novel candidate imprinted genes were identified. The paternally methylated DMR for one candidate, AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase, was validated by methylation analyses in humans. Further validation in mouse embryos showed that Axl was expressed preferentially from the maternal allele in a DNA methylation–dependent manner. We have analyzed 3 androgenetic complete hydatidiform mole (AnCHM), 16 white blood cell (WBC), 1 mature cystic ovarian teratoma (MCT), 5 placenta, and 1 lymphoblastoid cell line paternal UPD4 sample
Project description:Approximately 70% of women suffering with familial recurrent moles (RHM) are associated with recessive mutations of NLRP7, which cause the RHM by maternal-effect. It has been proposed that the phenotypes of molar pregnancies are associated with aberrant genomic imprinting. Using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 Beadchip arrays we characterize the genome-wide methylation profile of 4 molar samples and blood from the female patients. We confirm widespread loss-of-imprinting in the RHM samples but not in the blood-derived DNA from the asymptomatic female patients. The aberrant methylation at imprinted loci was confirmed using bisulphite PCR and subcloning or pyrosequencing. Finally, by comparing the methylation patterns observed in the RHM with normal placenta biopsies we identify many candidate maternally methylated regions, consistent with novel imprinted genes.
Project description:Epigenomics is developing a colon cancer screening assay based on differential methylation of specific CpG sites for the detection of early stage disease. A genome-wide methylation analysis and oligonucleotide array study using DNA from various stages of colon cancer and normal tissue have been completed to obtain candidate CpG markers. Based on results obtained in the above studies, Epigenomics has moved to the final stages of feasibility with a specific, highly sensitive real-time marker assay that is able to detect colon cancer DNA in blood plasma.
Project description:Imprinting describes the differential expression of alleles based upon their parent of origin. Deep sequencing of RNAs from maize endosperm and embryo tissue 14 days after pollination was used to identify imprinted genes among a set of ~12,000 genes that were expressed and contained sequence polymorphisms between the B73 and Mo17 genotypes. The analysis of parent-of-origin patterns of expression resulted in the identification of 100 putative imprinted genes in maize endosperm including 54 maternally expressed genes (MEGs) and 46 paternally expressed genes (PEGs). Three of these genes have been previously identified as imprinted while the remaining 97 genes represent novel imprinted maize genes. A genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation identified regions with reduced endosperm DNA methylation in, or near, 19 of the 100 imprinted genes. The reduced levels of DNA methylation in endosperm are caused by hypomethylation of the maternal allele for both MEGs and PEGs in all cases tested. Many of the imprinted genes with reduced DNA methylation levels also show endosperm-specific expression patterns. The imprinted maize genes were compared with imprinted genes identified in genome-wide screens of rice and Arabidopsis and at least 10 examples of conserved imprinting between maize and each of the other species were identified. Methylation profiles across endosperm tissue in B73 and Mo17 were assayed for three biological replications using a custom 2.1M gene-focused NimbleGen array.
Project description:BACKGROUND: In previous studies using candidate gene approaches, low sperm count (oligospermia) has been associated with altered sperm mRNA content and DNA methylation in both imprinted and non-imprinted genes. We performed a genome-wide analysis of sperm DNA methylation and mRNA content to test for associations with sperm function. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sperm DNA and mRNA were isolated from 21 men with a range of semen parameters presenting to a tertiary male reproductive health clinic. DNA methylation was measured with the Illumina Infinium array at 27,000 CpG loci. Unsupervised clustering of methylation data differentiated the 21 sperm samples by their motility values. Recursively partitioned mixture modeling (RPMM) of methylation data resulted in four distinct methylation profiles that were significantly associated with sperm motility (P=0.01). Linear models of microarray analysis (LIMMA) was performed based on motility and identified 9,189 CpG loci with significantly altered methylation (Q<0.05) in the low motility samples, with many loci located in genes associated with subfertility and epigenetic regulation. In the low motility samples, the majority of disrupted CpG loci (80%) were hypomethylated. Of the aberrantly methylated CpGs, 194 were associated with imprinted genes almost equally distributed into hypermethylated (predominantly paternally expressed) and hypomethylated (predominantly maternally expressed) groups. Sperm mRNA was measured with the Human Gene 1.0 ST Affymetrix GeneChip Array. LIMMA analysis based on motility identified 20 candidate transcripts as differentially expressed in low motility sperm, including HDAC1 (NCBI 3065), SIRT3 (NCBI 23410), and DNMT3A (NCBI 1788). Altered expression of these epigenetic regulatory genes was associated with RPMM DNA methylation class. CONCLUSIONS: Using integrative genome-wide approaches to study epigenetic and gene expression patterns in human sperm we identified CpG methylation profiles and mRNA alterations associated with low sperm motility, and that low motility sperm may have aberrant genome-wide hypomethylation due to excess HDAC1 activity. See "summary" above
Project description:BACKGROUND: In previous studies using candidate gene approaches, low sperm count (oligospermia) has been associated with altered sperm mRNA content and DNA methylation in both imprinted and non-imprinted genes. We performed a genome-wide analysis of sperm DNA methylation and mRNA content to test for associations with sperm function. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sperm DNA and mRNA were isolated from 21 men with a range of semen parameters presenting to a tertiary male reproductive health clinic. DNA methylation was measured with the Illumina Infinium array at 27,000 CpG loci. Unsupervised clustering of methylation data differentiated the 21 sperm samples by their motility values. Recursively partitioned mixture modeling (RPMM) of methylation data resulted in four distinct methylation profiles that were significantly associated with sperm motility (P=0.01). Linear models of microarray analysis (LIMMA) was performed based on motility and identified 9,189 CpG loci with significantly altered methylation (Q<0.05) in the low motility samples, with many loci located in genes associated with subfertility and epigenetic regulation. In the low motility samples, the majority of disrupted CpG loci (80%) were hypomethylated. Of the aberrantly methylated CpGs, 194 were associated with imprinted genes almost equally distributed into hypermethylated (predominantly paternally expressed) and hypomethylated (predominantly maternally expressed) groups. Sperm mRNA was measured with the Human Gene 1.0 ST Affymetrix GeneChip Array. LIMMA analysis based on motility identified 20 candidate transcripts as differentially expressed in low motility sperm, including HDAC1 (NCBI 3065), SIRT3 (NCBI 23410), and DNMT3A (NCBI 1788). Altered expression of these epigenetic regulatory genes was associated with RPMM DNA methylation class. CONCLUSIONS: Using integrative genome-wide approaches to study epigenetic and gene expression patterns in human sperm we identified CpG methylation profiles and mRNA alterations associated with low sperm motility, and that low motility sperm may have aberrant genome-wide hypomethylation due to excess HDAC1 activity. See summary above
Project description:Genomic imprinting is a mechanism in which the expression of genes varies depending on their parent-of-origin. Imprinting occurs through differential DNA methylation and histone modifications on the two parental alleles, with most imprinted genes marked by CpG-rich differentially methylated regions (DMRs). DNA methylation profiling in cases of uniparental disomy (UPD) provides a unique system permitting the study of DNA derived from a single parent (PMID: 20631049). Approximately 70 human imprinted genes have been described, and imprinted loci have been associated with diseases such as diabetes and cancer. We profiled parent of origin DNA methylation marks to find novel imprinted loci. Methods: We have an unprecedented collection of whole blood DNA from XX patients with UPD covering 18 different chromosomes, allowing for the efficient detection of DMRs associated with imprinted genes for 84% of the human genome. Our study is complimented with Ovarian Teratoma DNA (maternal DNA) and Complete hydatidiform Mole (paternal DNA). DNA methylation was profiled using Illumina Infinium 450K Methylation BeadArrays. Imprinted DMRs were defined by sites at which the maternal and paternal methylation levels diverged significantly from the biparental average. We confirmed novel DMRs by bisulfite sequencing of informative trios and SequenomEpiTYPER assays. Allelic specific gene expression studies were also performed by RNA sequencing in independent biparental controls. Findings: Our results provide for the first comprehensive map of the human imprintome, doubling the number of known imprinted regions. We identified a total of 71 DMRs, 41 of which were novel. 27 novel DMRs were maternally methylated and 14 were paternally methylated. We identified DMRs on chromosomes 5, 21 and 22 previously considered devoid of imprinting, highlighting potential parent-of-origin effects in chromosomal aneuploidies such as Down syndrome. We also found DMRs in genes associated with Schizophrenia and epilepsy. Interpretation: Our data provide the first comprehensive genome-wide map of imprinted sites in the human genome, and provide novel insights into potential parent-of-origin effects in human disorders. 66 UPD samples analyzed in total, From each individual, whole bllod DNA was extracted and global DNA methylation levels were assessed using Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip.