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Zamuner FT, Ramos-López A, García-Negrón A, Purcell-Wiltz A, Cortés-Ortiz A, Cuevas AR, Gosala K, Winkler E, Sidransky D, Guerrero-Preston R. Evaluation of silica spin‑column and magnetic bead formats for rapid DNA methylation analysis in clinical and point‑of‑care settings. Biomed Rep 2024; 21:112. [PMID: 38912171 PMCID: PMC11190640 DOI: 10.3892/br.2024.1800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Late-stage cancers lack effective treatment, underscoring the need for early diagnosis to improve prognosis and decrease mortality rates. Molecular markers, such as DNA methylation, offer promise in early cancer detection. The present study compared commercial kits for analyzing DNA from cervical liquid cytology samples in cancer screening. Rapid bisulfite conversion kits using silica spin-columns and magnetic beads were assessed against standard DNA extraction and bisulfite conversion methods for profiling DNA methylation using quantitative methylation-specific PCR. β-actin amplification indicated the suitability of small sample volumes for methylation studies using either the pellet or supernatant (cell-free DNA) parts. Comparison of Bisulfite Conversion Kit-Whole Cell (Abcam), Methylamp Bisulfite Modification (Epigentek), EpiTect Fast LyseAll Bisulfite Kit (Qiagen GmbH) and EZ DNA Methylation-Direct Kit (Zymo Research Corp.) showed no significant differences in β-actin cycle threshold values. EZ-96 DNA Methylation-Lightning MagPrep (Zymo Research Corp.), a hybrid kit in a 96-well plate format, exhibited swift turnaround time and similar amplification efficiency. Automation with magnetic bead kits increased throughput without compromising amplification efficiency in open PCR systems. Cost analysis favored direct kits over the gold standard manual protocol. This comparison aids in selecting cost-effective DNA methylation diagnostic tests. The present study confirmed comparable kit performance in methylation-based analysis, highlighting the adequacy of cytology samples and the potential of bodily fluids as alternatives for liquid biopsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando T. Zamuner
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Research Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Ashley Ramos-López
- LifeGene-Biomarks, Research and Development Unit, Toa Baja 00949, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Ana Purcell-Wiltz
- LifeGene-Biomarks, Research and Development Unit, Toa Baja 00949, Puerto Rico
- Department of Medicine, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00725, Puerto Rico
| | - Andrea Cortés-Ortiz
- LifeGene-Biomarks, Research and Development Unit, Toa Baja 00949, Puerto Rico
- Department of Medicine, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00725, Puerto Rico
| | - Aniris Román Cuevas
- LifeGene-Biomarks, Research and Development Unit, Toa Baja 00949, Puerto Rico
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras 00931, Puerto Rico
| | - Keerthana Gosala
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Research Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Eli Winkler
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Research Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - David Sidransky
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Research Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Rafael Guerrero-Preston
- LifeGene-Biomarks, Research and Development Unit, Toa Baja 00949, Puerto Rico
- LifeGene-Biomarks, FastForward Innovation Hub, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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2
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Cheng JC, Swarup N, Morselli M, Huang WL, Aziz M, Caggiano C, Kordi M, Patel A, Chia D, Kim Y, Li F, Wei F, Zaitlen N, Krysan K, Dubinett S, Pellegrini M, Wong DW. Single-stranded pre-methylated 5mC adapters uncover the methylation profile of plasma ultrashort Single-stranded cell-free DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e50. [PMID: 38797520 PMCID: PMC11194076 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (BS-Seq) measures cytosine methylation changes at single-base resolution and can be used to profile cell-free DNA (cfDNA). In plasma, ultrashort single-stranded cfDNA (uscfDNA, ∼50 nt) has been identified together with 167 bp double-stranded mononucleosomal cell-free DNA (mncfDNA). However, the methylation profile of uscfDNA has not been described. Conventional BS-Seq workflows may not be helpful because bisulfite conversion degrades larger DNA into smaller fragments, leading to erroneous categorization as uscfDNA. We describe the '5mCAdpBS-Seq' workflow in which pre-methylated 5mC (5-methylcytosine) single-stranded adapters are ligated to heat-denatured cfDNA before bisulfite conversion. This method retains only DNA fragments that are unaltered by bisulfite treatment, resulting in less biased uscfDNA methylation analysis. Using 5mCAdpBS-Seq, uscfDNA had lower levels of DNA methylation (∼15%) compared to mncfDNA and was enriched in promoters and CpG islands. Hypomethylated uscfDNA fragments were enriched in upstream transcription start sites (TSSs), and the intensity of enrichment was correlated with expressed genes of hemopoietic cells. Using tissue-of-origin deconvolution, we inferred that uscfDNA is derived primarily from eosinophils, neutrophils, and monocytes. As proof-of-principle, we show that characteristics of the methylation profile of uscfDNA can distinguish non-small cell lung carcinoma from non-cancer samples. The 5mCAdpBS-Seq workflow is recommended for any cfDNA methylation-based investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan C Cheng
- School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Neeti Swarup
- School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Marco Morselli
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Life Sciences Division, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Wei-Lun Huang
- Center of Applied Nanomedicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Mohammad Aziz
- School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Christa Caggiano
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Misagh Kordi
- School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Abhijit A Patel
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David Chia
- Department of Pathology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yong Kim
- School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Feng Li
- School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Fang Wei
- School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Noah Zaitlen
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kostyantyn Krysan
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steve Dubinett
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Life Sciences Division, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - David T W Wong
- School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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3
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Gattuso G, Lavoro A, Caltabiano R, Madonna G, Capone M, Ascierto PA, Falzone L, Libra M, Candido S. Methylation‑sensitive restriction enzyme‑droplet digital PCR assay for the one‑step highly sensitive analysis of DNA methylation hotspots. Int J Mol Med 2024; 53:42. [PMID: 38488030 PMCID: PMC10998716 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2024.5366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that plays a key role in several cellular processes mediating the fine regulation of gene expression. Aberrant DNA methylation is observed in a wide range of pathologies, including cancer. Since these DNA modifications are transferred to the cell progenies and are stable over the time, the analysis of DNA methylation status has been proposed for diagnostic and prognostic purposes in cancer. Currently, DNA bisulfite conversion is the gold standard method for the high‑throughput analysis of DNA methylation alterations. However, bisulfite treatment induces DNA fragmentation affecting its quality for the downstream analyses. In this field, it is mandatory to identify novel methods to overcome the limits of conventional approaches. In the present study, the Methylation‑Sensitive Restriction Enzyme‑droplet digital PCR (MSRE‑ddPCR) assay was developed as a novel sensitive method for the analysis of DNA methylation of short genomic regions, combining the MSRE assay with the high‑sensitivity ddPCR and using an exogenous methylation sequence as control. Setup and validation experiments were performed analyzing a methylation hotspot of the Solute Carrier Family 22 Member 17 in DNA samples derived from melanoma cell lines as well as from tissues and serum samples obtained from patients with melanoma and healthy controls. Compared with the standard MSRE approaches, the MSRE‑ddPCR assay is more appropriate for the analysis of DNA methylation (methDNA) in samples with low amounts of DNA (up to 0.651 ng) showing a greater sensitivity. These findings suggested the potential clinical application of MSRE‑ddPCR paving the way to the analysis of other methDNA hotspots in different tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Alessandro Lavoro
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosario Caltabiano
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies 'G.F. Ingrassia', University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Gabriele Madonna
- Melanoma Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, I‑80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Mariaelena Capone
- Melanoma Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, I‑80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Melanoma Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, I‑80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, I‑80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Saverio Candido
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
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Tang X, Wen D, Jin X, Wang C, Xu W, Qu W, Xu R, Jia H, Liu Y, Li X, Chen S, Fu X, Liang B, Li J, Liu Y, Zha L. A preliminary study on identification of the blood donor in a body fluid mixture using a novel compound genetic marker blood-specific methylation-microhaplotype. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2024; 70:103031. [PMID: 38493735 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Blood-containing mixtures are frequently encountered at crime scenes involving violence and murder. However, the presence of blood, and the association of blood with a specific donor within these mixtures present significant challenges in forensic analysis. In light of these challenges, this study sought to address these issues by leveraging blood-specific methylation sites and closely linked microhaplotype sites, proposing a novel composite genetic marker known as "blood-specific methylation-microhaplotype". This marker was designed to the detection of blood and the determination of blood donor within blood-containing mixtures. According to the selection criteria mentioned in the Materials and Methods section, we selected 10 blood-specific methylation-microhaplotype loci for inclusion in this study. Among these loci, eight exhibited blood-specific hypomethylation, while the remaining two displayed blood-specific hypermethylation. Based on data obtained from 124 individual samples in our study, the combined discrimination power (CPD) of these 10 successfully sequenced loci was 0.999999298. The sample allele methylation rate (Ram) was obtained from massive parallel sequencing (MPS), which was defined as the proportion of methylated reads to the total clustered reads that were genotyped to a specific allele. To develop an allele type classification model capable of identifying the presence of blood and the blood donor, we used the Random Forest algorithm. This model was trained and evaluated using the Ram distribution of individual samples and the Ram distribution of simulated shared alleles. Subsequently, we applied the developed allele type classification model to predict alleles within actual mixtures, trying to exclude non-blood-specific alleles, ultimately allowing us to identify the presence of blood and the blood donor in the blood-containing mixtures. Our findings demonstrate that these blood-specific methylation-microhaplotype loci have the capability to not only detect the presence of blood but also accurately associate blood with the true donor in blood-containing mixtures with the mixing ratios of 1:29, 1:19, 1:9, 1:4, 1:2, 2:1, 7:1, 8:1, 31:1 and 36:1 (blood:non-blood) by DNA mixture interpretation methods. In addition, the presence of blood and the true blood donor could be identified in a mixture containing four body fluids (blood:vaginal fluid:semen:saliva = 1:1:1:1). It is important to note that while these loci exhibit great potential, the impact of allele dropouts and alleles misidentification must be considered when interpreting the results. This is a preliminary study utilising blood-specific methylation-microhaplotype as a complementary tool to other well-established genetic markers (STR, SNP, microhaplotype, etc.) for the analysis in blood-containing mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Tang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Dan Wen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Public Security of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Chudong Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Wei Xu
- Central Laboratory, Hunan Provincal People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospitak of Hunan Normal University), Changsha, Hunan Province 410000, PR China
| | - Weifeng Qu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Ruyi Xu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Hongtao Jia
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830017, PR China
| | - Siqi Chen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Xiaoyi Fu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Bin Liang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Jienan Li
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China
| | - Ying Liu
- Xiangya Stomatological Collage, Central South University, No72. Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China.
| | - Lagabaiyila Zha
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, No172. Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, School of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China.
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5
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Castagnola MJ, Medina-Paz F, Zapico SC. Uncovering Forensic Evidence: A Path to Age Estimation through DNA Methylation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4917. [PMID: 38732129 PMCID: PMC11084977 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Age estimation is a critical aspect of reconstructing a biological profile in forensic sciences. Diverse biochemical processes have been studied in their correlation with age, and the results have driven DNA methylation to the forefront as a promising biomarker. DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification, has been extensively studied in recent years for developing age estimation models in criminalistics and forensic anthropology. Epigenetic clocks, which analyze DNA sites undergoing hypermethylation or hypomethylation as individuals age, have paved the way for improved prediction models. A wide range of biomarkers and methods for DNA methylation analysis have been proposed, achieving different accuracies across samples and cell types. This review extensively explores literature from the past 5 years, showing scientific efforts toward the ultimate goal: applying age prediction models to assist in human identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Josefina Castagnola
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
| | - Francisco Medina-Paz
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
| | - Sara C. Zapico
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
- Department of Anthropology and Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 112, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
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Emantoko Dwi Putra S, Martriano Humardani F, Antonius Y, Jonathan J, Thalia Mulyanata L. Epigenetics of Diabetes: A bioinformatic approach. Clin Chim Acta 2024; 557:117856. [PMID: 38490340 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2024.117856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The adaptability of epigenetics offers a compelling research avenue, notably in the context of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) biomarkers and provides a nuanced approach to managing biological systems for diagnosis. However, challenges such as DNA degradation during methylation studies are prominent, especially with cell-free DNA (cfDNA) which is present in small quantities in plasma, calling for innovative solutions. To tackle these challenges, four methodological approaches have been identified: firstly, selecting an appropriate DNA extraction method and enhancing DNA yield through amplification; secondly, adapting bisulfite modification techniques to minimize DNA degradation; thirdly, utilizing tools capable of working with minimal DNA quantities; and lastly, employing bisulfite-free methylation techniques. A particularly promising approach is the use of Methylated CpG Tandem Amplification and Sequencing (MCTA-Seq) combined with fragmentation analysis. MCTA-Seq, especially when targeting the CGCGCGG motif sequence associated with T2DM, is an underexplored area. In addressing the dearth of the exploration, our in-silico analysis identified 66 genes with the CGCGCGG motif sequence that contribute to the pathophysiology of T2DM. Further analysis revealed five potential target genes for T2DM screening: EP300, SRC, PPARG, CREBBP, and NCOR2. The method can also be integrated into fragment analysis, notable for its ability to differentiate between long and short DNA segments effectively. Such a distinction is a valuable asset in future diagnostic methodologies, particularly relevant in the analysis of cfDNA, where high precision and sensitivity are essential. However, it is crucial to validate these genes with clinical studies to confirm their relevance and effectiveness in T2DM diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Farizky Martriano Humardani
- Bioinformatics Research Center, Malang 65162, Indonesia; Magister in Biomedical Science Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang 65112, Indonesia.
| | - Yulanda Antonius
- Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Surabaya, Surabaya 60292, Indonesia.
| | - Jonathan Jonathan
- Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Surabaya, Surabaya 60292, Indonesia.
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Shiga M, Asari M, Takahashi Y, Isozaki S, Hoshina C, Mori K, Namba R, Okuda K, Shimizu K. DNA methylation-based age estimation and quantification of the degradation levels of bisulfite-converted DNA. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2024; 67:102336. [PMID: 37923589 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation modifications are known to influence epigenetic phenomena and have been a focus of forensic science research for some time. Degraded DNA after bisulfite treatment is widely used in DNA methylation analysis. In this study, we analyzed methylation levels at 12 CpG sites of four selected genomic regions by pyrosequencing after bisulfite treatment. DNA was extracted from buccal swab samples collected from 102 Japanese individuals who were 21-77 years old. We also developed a simple method to quantify the degradation levels of bisulfite-converted DNA by real-time PCR, and evaluated the effect of DNA degradation on age estimation. We found that the methylation levels and chronological ages were highly correlated in the four selected regions, and the mean absolute deviation (MAD) between chronological and estimated ages was low at 3.88 years. These results indicated that pyrosequencing analysis at the 12 CpGs was useful for age estimation in the Japanese population. To develop a sensitive quantification method, we analyzed the amplification efficiency of short and long fragments from 10 regions by real-time PCR. The amplification efficiency was highest for CCDC102B, and the degradation levels of bisulfite-converted DNA for the 102 samples were categorized as moderately or heavily degraded. For the younger age groups (20-49 years), the MADs were lower for moderately degraded DNA than they were for heavily degraded DNA. This finding indicates that degradation levels affected the accuracy of age estimation in most of the samples; the exception was the samples from the 50-77 years age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihiro Shiga
- Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keiyukai Medical Foundation Yoshida Hospital, Asahikawa 070-0054, Japan
| | - Masaru Asari
- Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
| | - Yuta Takahashi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan
| | - Shotaro Isozaki
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara 259-1193, Japan
| | - Chisato Hoshina
- Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan
| | - Kanae Mori
- Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan
| | - Ryo Namba
- Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan
| | - Katsuhiro Okuda
- Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan
| | - Keiko Shimizu
- Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan
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8
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Cui P, Zhou X, Xu S, He W, Huang G, Xiong Y, Zhang C, Chang T, Feng M, Lai H, Pan Y. Prediction of methylation status using WGS data of plasma cfDNA for multi-cancer early detection (MCED). Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:34. [PMID: 38414068 PMCID: PMC10898085 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01646-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) contains a large amount of molecular information that can be used for multi-cancer early detection (MCED), including changes in epigenetic status of cfDNA, such as cfDNA fragmentation profile. The fragmentation of cfDNA is non-random and may be related to cfDNA methylation. This study provides clinical evidence for the feasibility of inferring cfDNA methylation levels based on cfDNA fragmentation patterns. We performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on both healthy individuals and cancer patients. Using the information of whole-genome methylation levels, we investigated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) cleavage profile and validated the method of predicting the methylation level of individual CpG sites using WGS data. RESULTS We conducted CpG cleavage profile biomarker analysis on data from both healthy individuals and cancer patients. We obtained unique or shared potential biomarkers for each group and built models accordingly. The modeling results proved the feasibility to predict the methylation status of single CpG sites in cfDNA using cleavage profile model from WGS data. CONCLUSION By combining cfDNA cleavage profile of CpG sites with machine learning algorithms, we have identified specific CpG cleavage profile as biomarkers to predict the methylation status of individual CpG sites. Therefore, methylation profile, a widely used epigenetic biomarker, can be obtained from a single WGS assay for MCED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin Cui
- Shenzhen Rapha Biotechnology Incorporate, Shenzhen, 518118, China.
| | - Xiaozhou Zhou
- Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, 518033, China
| | - Shu Xu
- Department of Oncology, Shenzhen Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518106, China
| | - Weihuang He
- Shenzhen Rapha Biotechnology Incorporate, Shenzhen, 518118, China
| | - Guozeng Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518106, China
| | - Yong Xiong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518106, China
| | - Chuxin Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518106, China
| | - Tingmin Chang
- Department of Endoscopy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Weihui, 453100, China
| | - Mingji Feng
- Shenzhen Rapha Biotechnology Incorporate, Shenzhen, 518118, China
| | - Hanming Lai
- Shenzhen Rapha Biotechnology Incorporate, Shenzhen, 518118, China
| | - Yi Pan
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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9
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Gleerup D, Chen Y, Van Snippenberg W, Valcke C, Thas O, Trypsteen W, De Spiegelaere W. Measuring DNA quality by digital PCR using probability calculations. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1279:341822. [PMID: 37827643 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate methods to assess DNA integrity are needed for many biomolecular methods. A multiplex digital PCR (dPCR) method designed for interspaced target sequences can be used to assess sequence integrity of large DNA strands. The ratio of single positive partitions versus double positive partitions is then used to calculate the sheared DNA strands. However, this simple calculation is only valid with low DNA concentration. We here describe a method based on probability calculations which enables DNA quality analysis in a large dynamic range of DNA concentrations. RESULTS Known DNA integrity percentages were mimicked using artificial double stranded DNA in low, intermediate and high DNA concentration scenarios, respectively 600, 12500 and 30000 copies of DNA per reaction. At low concentrations both methods were similar. However, at the intermediate concentration (12500 copies per reaction) the ratio based method started producing a larger error than the proposed probability calculation method with a mean relative error of 20.7 and 16.7 for the Bruner and the proposed method respectively. At the high concentration (30000 copies per reaction) only the proposed method provided accurate measurements with a mean relative error of 60.9 and 9.3 for the ratio based and the proposed method respectively. Furthermore, while both methods have a bias, it is constant for the proposed method, while it decreases with the integrity of the DNA for the ratio based method. The probability calculation equation was extended to 4 dimensions and a proof of concept experiment was performed, the data suggested that the 4 dimensional equation is valid. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY We here validate a method of estimating DNA integrity with dPCR using multiple probe combinations, allowing fast and flexible DNA integrity analysis. Additionally, we extend the method from 2 to 4 plex for more accurate DNA integrity measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gleerup
- Laboratory of Veterinary Morphology, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent University Digital PCR Consortium, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Yao Chen
- Ghent University Digital PCR Consortium, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Willem Van Snippenberg
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
| | - Cedric Valcke
- Department of Healthcare, HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Belgium.
| | - Olivier Thas
- Ghent University Digital PCR Consortium, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Belgium; National Institute for Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA), University of Wollongong, Australia; Data Science Institute, I-BioStat, Hasselt University, Belgium.
| | - Wim Trypsteen
- Ghent University Digital PCR Consortium, Ghent University, Belgium; HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
| | - Ward De Spiegelaere
- Laboratory of Veterinary Morphology, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent University Digital PCR Consortium, Ghent University, Belgium.
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10
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Nguyen VTC, Nguyen TH, Doan NNT, Pham TMQ, Nguyen GTH, Nguyen TD, Tran TTT, Vo DL, Phan TH, Jasmine TX, Nguyen VC, Nguyen HT, Nguyen TV, Nguyen THH, Huynh LAK, Tran TH, Dang QT, Doan TN, Tran AM, Nguyen VH, Nguyen VTA, Ho LMQ, Tran QD, Pham TTT, Ho TD, Nguyen BT, Nguyen TNV, Nguyen TD, Phu DTB, Phan BHH, Vo TL, Nai THT, Tran TT, Truong MH, Tran NC, Le TK, Tran THT, Duong ML, Bach HPT, Kim VV, Pham TA, Tran DH, Le TNA, Pham TVN, Le MT, Vo DH, Tran TMT, Nguyen MN, Van TTV, Nguyen AN, Tran TT, Tran VU, Le MP, Do TT, Phan TV, Nguyen HDL, Nguyen DS, Cao VT, Do TTT, Truong DK, Tang HS, Giang H, Nguyen HN, Phan MD, Tran LS. Multimodal analysis of methylomics and fragmentomics in plasma cell-free DNA for multi-cancer early detection and localization. eLife 2023; 12:RP89083. [PMID: 37819044 PMCID: PMC10567114 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite their promise, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based assays for multi-cancer early detection face challenges in test performance, due mostly to the limited abundance of ctDNA and its inherent variability. To address these challenges, published assays to date demanded a very high-depth sequencing, resulting in an elevated price of test. Herein, we developed a multimodal assay called SPOT-MAS (screening for the presence of tumor by methylation and size) to simultaneously profile methylomics, fragmentomics, copy number, and end motifs in a single workflow using targeted and shallow genome-wide sequencing (~0.55×) of cell-free DNA. We applied SPOT-MAS to 738 non-metastatic patients with breast, colorectal, gastric, lung, and liver cancer, and 1550 healthy controls. We then employed machine learning to extract multiple cancer and tissue-specific signatures for detecting and locating cancer. SPOT-MAS successfully detected the five cancer types with a sensitivity of 72.4% at 97.0% specificity. The sensitivities for detecting early-stage cancers were 73.9% and 62.3% for stages I and II, respectively, increasing to 88.3% for non-metastatic stage IIIA. For tumor-of-origin, our assay achieved an accuracy of 0.7. Our study demonstrates comparable performance to other ctDNA-based assays while requiring significantly lower sequencing depth, making it economically feasible for population-wide screening.
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11
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Kresse SH, Brandt-Winge S, Pharo H, Flatin BTB, Jeanmougin M, Vedeld HM, Lind GE. Evaluation of commercial kits for isolation and bisulfite conversion of circulating cell-free tumor DNA from blood. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:151. [PMID: 37710283 PMCID: PMC10503171 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01563-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation biomarkers in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) have great clinical potential for cancer management. Most methods for DNA methylation analysis require bisulfite conversion, causing DNA degradation and loss. This is particularly challenging for cfDNA, which is naturally fragmented and normally present in low amounts. The aim of the present study was to identify an optimal combination of cfDNA isolation and bisulfite conversion kits for downstream analysis of DNA methylation biomarkers in plasma. RESULTS Of the five tested bisulfite conversion kits (EpiJET Bisulfite Conversion Kit, EpiTect Plus DNA Bisulfite Kit (EpiTect), EZ DNA Methylation-Direct Kit, Imprint DNA Modification Kit (Imprint) and Premium Bisulfite Kit), the highest and lowest DNA yield and recovery were achieved using the EpiTect kit and the Imprint kit, respectively, with more than double the amount of DNA for the EpiTect kit. Of the three tested cfDNA isolation kits (Maxwell RSC ccfDNA Plasma Kit, QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit (CNA) and QIAamp MinElute ccfDNA Mini Kit), the CNA kit yielded around twice as much cfDNA compared to the two others kits, although with more high molecular weight DNA present. When comparing various combinations of cfDNA isolation kits and bisulfite conversion kits, the CNA kit and the EpiTect kit were identified as the best-performing combination, resulting in the highest yield of bisulfite converted cfDNA from normal plasma, as measured by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). As a proof of principle, this kit combination was used to process plasma samples from 13 colorectal cancer patients for subsequent ddPCR methylation analysis of BCAT1 and IKZF1. Methylation of BCAT1 and/or IKZF1 was identified in 6/10 (60%) stage IV patients and 1/3 (33%) stage III patients. CONCLUSIONS Based on a thorough evaluation of five bisulfite conversion kits and three cfDNA isolation kits, both individually and in combination, the CNA kit and the EpiTect kit were identified as the best-performing kit combination, with highest DNA yield and recovery across a range of DNA input amounts. The combination was successfully used for detection of clinically relevant DNA methylation biomarkers in plasma from cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine H Kresse
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sara Brandt-Winge
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379, Oslo, Norway
| | - Heidi Pharo
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379, Oslo, Norway
| | - Bjørnar T B Flatin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marine Jeanmougin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hege Marie Vedeld
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379, Oslo, Norway
| | - Guro E Lind
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379, Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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12
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Bendixen KK, Mindegaard M, Epistolio S, Dazio G, Marchi F, Spina P, Arnspang EC, Soerensen M, Christensen UB, Frattini M, Petersen RK. A qPCR technology for direct quantification of methylation in untreated DNA. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5153. [PMID: 37620381 PMCID: PMC10449789 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40873-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is important for gene expression and alterations in DNA methylation are involved in the development and progression of cancer and other major diseases. Analysis of DNA methylation patterns has until now been dependent on either a chemical or an enzymatic pre-treatment, which are both time consuming procedures and potentially biased due to incomplete treatment. We present a qPCR technology, EpiDirect®, that allows for direct PCR quantification of DNA methylations using untreated DNA. EpiDirect® is based on the ability of Intercalating Nucleic Acids (INA®) to differentiate between methylated and unmethylated cytosines in a special primer design. With this technology, we develop an assay to analyze the methylation status of a region of the MGMT promoter used in treatment selection and prognosis of glioblastoma patients. We compare the assay to two bisulfite-relying, methyl-specific PCR assays in a study involving 42 brain tumor FFPE samples, revealing high sensitivity, specificity, and the clinical utility of the method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamilla Kolding Bendixen
- PentaBase A/S, Odense, Denmark.
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | | | - Samantha Epistolio
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Locarno, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Dazio
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Locarno, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Marchi
- Service of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter of the Southern Switzerland, Regional Hospital of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Spina
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Locarno, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy
| | - Eva C Arnspang
- Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mette Soerensen
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Milo Frattini
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Locarno, Switzerland
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13
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Xiao YL, Liu S, Ge R, Wu Y, He C, Chen M, Tang W. Transcriptome-wide profiling and quantification of N 6-methyladenosine by enzyme-assisted adenosine deamination. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:993-1003. [PMID: 36593412 PMCID: PMC10625715 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01587-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant internal messenger RNA modification in higher eukaryotes, serves myriad roles in regulating cellular processes. Functional dissection of m6A is, however, hampered in part by the lack of high-resolution and quantitative detection methods. Here we present evolved TadA-assisted N6-methyladenosine sequencing (eTAM-seq), an enzyme-assisted sequencing technology that detects and quantifies m6A by global adenosine deamination. With eTAM-seq, we analyze the transcriptome-wide distribution of m6A in HeLa and mouse embryonic stem cells. The enzymatic deamination route employed by eTAM-seq preserves RNA integrity, facilitating m6A detection from limited input samples. In addition to transcriptome-wide m6A profiling, we demonstrate site-specific, deep-sequencing-free m6A quantification with as few as ten cells, an input demand orders of magnitude lower than existing quantitative profiling methods. We envision that eTAM-seq will enable researchers to not only survey the m6A landscape at unprecedented resolution, but also detect m6A at user-specified loci with a simple workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lan Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shun Liu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ruiqi Ge
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yuan Wu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Mengjie Chen
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Weixin Tang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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14
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Lehle JD, McCarrey JR. Accelerating the alignment processing speed of the comprehensive end-to-end whole-genome bisulfite sequencing pipeline, wg-blimp. Biol Methods Protoc 2023; 8:bpad012. [PMID: 37431446 PMCID: PMC10329742 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpad012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Analyzing whole-genome bisulfite and related sequencing datasets is a time-intensive process due to the complexity and size of the input raw sequencing files and lengthy read alignment step requiring correction for conversion of all unmethylated Cs to Ts genome-wide. The objective of this study was to modify the read alignment algorithm associated with the whole-genome bisulfite sequencing methylation analysis pipeline (wg-blimp) to shorten the time required to complete this phase while retaining overall read alignment accuracy. Here, we report an update to the recently published pipeline wg-blimp achieved by replacing the use of the bwa-meth aligner with the faster gemBS aligner. This improvement to the wg-blimp pipeline has led to a more than ×7 acceleration in the processing speed of samples when scaled to larger publicly available FASTQ datasets containing 80-160 million reads while maintaining nearly identical accuracy of properly mapped reads when compared with data from the previous pipeline. The modifications to the wg-blimp pipeline reported here merge the speed and accuracy of the gemBS aligner with the comprehensive analysis and data visualization assets of the wg-blimp pipeline to provide a significantly accelerated workflow that can produce high-quality data much more rapidly without compromising read accuracy at the expense of increasing RAM requirements up to 48 GB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake D Lehle
- Correspondence address. Department of Neurosciences, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA. Tel: +1 (512)-992-8144; E-mail:
| | - John R McCarrey
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
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15
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Refn MR, Kampmann ML, Morling N, Tfelt-Hansen J, Børsting C, Pereira V. Prediction of chronological age and its applications in forensic casework: methods, current practices, and future perspectives. Forensic Sci Res 2023; 8:85-97. [PMID: 37621446 PMCID: PMC10445583 DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Estimating an individual's age can be relevant in several areas primarily related to the clinical and forensic fields. In the latter, estimation of an individual's chronological age from biological material left by the perpetrator at a crime scene may provide helpful information for police investigation. Estimation of age is also beneficial in immigration cases, where age can affect the person's protection status under the law, or in disaster victim identification to narrow the list of potential missing persons. In the last decade, research has focused on establishing new approaches for age prediction in the forensic field. From the first forensic age estimations based on morphological inspections of macroscopic changes in bone and teeth, the focus has shifted to molecular methods for age estimation. These methods allow the use of samples from human biological material that does not contain morphological age features and can, in theory, be investigated in traces containing only small amounts of biological material. Molecular methods involving DNA analyses are the primary choice and estimation of DNA methylation levels at specific sites in the genome is the most promising tool. This review aims to provide an overview of the status of forensic age prediction using molecular methods, with particular focus in DNA methylation. The frequent challenges that impact forensic age prediction model development will be addressed, together with the importance of validation efforts within the forensic community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mie Rath Refn
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie-Louise Kampmann
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Morling
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jacob Tfelt-Hansen
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Department of Cardiology, The Heart Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Claus Børsting
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vania Pereira
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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16
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Agius DR, Kapazoglou A, Avramidou E, Baranek M, Carneros E, Caro E, Castiglione S, Cicatelli A, Radanovic A, Ebejer JP, Gackowski D, Guarino F, Gulyás A, Hidvégi N, Hoenicka H, Inácio V, Johannes F, Karalija E, Lieberman-Lazarovich M, Martinelli F, Maury S, Mladenov V, Morais-Cecílio L, Pecinka A, Tani E, Testillano PS, Todorov D, Valledor L, Vassileva V. Exploring the crop epigenome: a comparison of DNA methylation profiling techniques. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1181039. [PMID: 37389288 PMCID: PMC10306282 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1181039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications play a vital role in the preservation of genome integrity and in the regulation of gene expression. DNA methylation, one of the key mechanisms of epigenetic control, impacts growth, development, stress response and adaptability of all organisms, including plants. The detection of DNA methylation marks is crucial for understanding the mechanisms underlying these processes and for developing strategies to improve productivity and stress resistance of crop plants. There are different methods for detecting plant DNA methylation, such as bisulfite sequencing, methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism, genome-wide DNA methylation analysis, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, MS and immuno-based techniques. These profiling approaches vary in many aspects, including DNA input, resolution, genomic region coverage, and bioinformatics analysis. Selecting an appropriate methylation screening approach requires an understanding of all these techniques. This review provides an overview of DNA methylation profiling methods in crop plants, along with comparisons of the efficacy of these techniques between model and crop plants. The strengths and limitations of each methodological approach are outlined, and the importance of considering both technical and biological factors are highlighted. Additionally, methods for modulating DNA methylation in model and crop species are presented. Overall, this review will assist scientists in making informed decisions when selecting an appropriate DNA methylation profiling method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Rita Agius
- Centre of Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Biology Department, Ġ.F.Abela Junior College, Msida, Malta
| | - Aliki Kapazoglou
- Department of Vitis, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture (IOSV), Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DIMITRA (ELGO-DIMITRA), Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia Avramidou
- Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DIMITRA (ELGO-DIMITRA), Athens, Greece
| | - Miroslav Baranek
- Mendeleum-Insitute of Genetics, Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University in Brno, Lednice, Czechia
| | - Elena Carneros
- Center for Biological Research (CIB) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Caro
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefano Castiglione
- Department of Chemistry and Biology ‘A. Zambelli’, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Angela Cicatelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biology ‘A. Zambelli’, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Aleksandra Radanovic
- Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Jean-Paul Ebejer
- Centre of Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Daniel Gackowski
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Francesco Guarino
- Department of Chemistry and Biology ‘A. Zambelli’, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Andrea Gulyás
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Hungary
| | - Norbert Hidvégi
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Hungary
| | - Hans Hoenicka
- Genomic Research Department, Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics, Grosshansdorf, Germany
| | - Vera Inácio
- BioISI – BioSystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Frank Johannes
- Plant Epigenomics, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
| | - Erna Karalija
- Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Michal Lieberman-Lazarovich
- Department of Vegetables and Field Crops, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Institute of Plant Sciences, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | | | - Stéphane Maury
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures EA1207 USC1328, INRAE, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Velimir Mladenov
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Leonor Morais-Cecílio
- Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food (LEAF), Institute of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ales Pecinka
- Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Olomouc, Czechia
| | - Eleni Tani
- Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Pilar S. Testillano
- Center for Biological Research (CIB) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Dimitar Todorov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Luis Valledor
- Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology and University Institute of Biotechnology of Asturias, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Valya Vassileva
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
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17
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Wang Y, Douville C, Cohen JD, Mattox A, Curtis S, Silliman N, Popoli M, Ptak J, Dobbyn L, Nehme N, Dudley JC, Summers M, Zhang M, Ho-Pham LT, Tran BNH, Tran TS, Nguyen TV, Bettegowda C, Papadopoulos N, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B. Detection of rare mutations, copy number alterations, and methylation in the same template DNA molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220704120. [PMID: 37014860 PMCID: PMC10104560 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220704120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma offers great promise for the earlier detection of cancer. At present, changes in DNA sequence, methylation, or copy number are the most sensitive ways to detect the presence of cancer. To further increase the sensitivity of such assays with limited amounts of sample, it would be useful to be able to evaluate the same template molecules for all these changes. Here, we report an approach, called MethylSaferSeqS, that achieves this goal, and can be applied to any standard library preparation method suitable for massively parallel sequencing. The innovative step was to copy both strands of each DNA-barcoded molecule with a primer that allows the subsequent separation of the original strands (retaining their 5-methylcytosine residues) from the copied strands (in which the 5-methylcytosine residues are replaced with unmodified cytosine residues). The epigenetic and genetic alterations present in the DNA molecules can then be obtained from the original and copied strands, respectively. We applied this approach to plasma from 265 individuals, including 198 with cancers of the pancreas, ovary, lung, and colon, and found the expected patterns of mutations, copy number alterations, and methylation. Furthermore, we could determine which original template DNA molecules were methylated and/or mutated. MethylSaferSeqS should be useful for addressing a variety of questions relating genetics and epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Wang
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Christopher Douville
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Joshua D. Cohen
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
| | - Austin Mattox
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Sam Curtis
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Science, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Natalie Silliman
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- HHMI, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Maria Popoli
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Janine Ptak
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- HHMI, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Lisa Dobbyn
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Nadine Nehme
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Jonathan C. Dudley
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Mahmoud Summers
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Ming Zhang
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Lan T. Ho-Pham
- BioMedical Research Center, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City72510, Vietnam
- Clinical Genetics Research Group, Saigon Precision Medicine Research Center, Ho Chi Minh City72512, Vietnam
| | - Bich N. H. Tran
- Clinical Genetics Research Group, Saigon Precision Medicine Research Center, Ho Chi Minh City72512, Vietnam
| | - Thach S. Tran
- Clinical Genetics Research Group, Saigon Precision Medicine Research Center, Ho Chi Minh City72512, Vietnam
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology, NSW2007, Australia
| | - Tuan V. Nguyen
- Clinical Genetics Research Group, Saigon Precision Medicine Research Center, Ho Chi Minh City72512, Vietnam
- Centre for Health Technologies, University of Technology, NSW2007, Australia
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, NSW2003, Australia
| | - Chetan Bettegowda
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21298
| | - Nickolas Papadopoulos
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Kenneth W. Kinzler
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Bert Vogelstein
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
- HHMI, Baltimore, MD21287
- Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
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18
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Brito-Rocha T, Constâncio V, Henrique R, Jerónimo C. Shifting the Cancer Screening Paradigm: The Rising Potential of Blood-Based Multi-Cancer Early Detection Tests. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060935. [PMID: 36980276 PMCID: PMC10047029 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, partly owing to late detection which entails limited and often ineffective therapeutic options. Most cancers lack validated screening procedures, and the ones available disclose several drawbacks, leading to low patient compliance and unnecessary workups, adding up the costs to healthcare systems. Hence, there is a great need for innovative, accurate, and minimally invasive tools for early cancer detection. In recent years, multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests emerged as a promising screening tool, combining molecular analysis of tumor-related markers present in body fluids with artificial intelligence to simultaneously detect a variety of cancers and further discriminate the underlying cancer type. Herein, we aim to provide a highlight of the variety of strategies currently under development concerning MCED, as well as the major factors which are preventing clinical implementation. Although MCED tests depict great potential for clinical application, large-scale clinical validation studies are still lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Brito-Rocha
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC), Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Master Program in Oncology, School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vera Constâncio
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC), Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Henrique
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC), Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto), Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
| | - Carmen Jerónimo
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (P.CCC), Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
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19
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Nikolaienko O, Lønning PE, Knappskog S. epialleleR: an R/Bioconductor package for sensitive allele-specific methylation analysis in NGS data. Gigascience 2022; 12:giad087. [PMID: 37919976 PMCID: PMC10622323 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-level mosaic epimutations within the BRCA1 gene promoter occur in 5-8% of healthy individuals and are associated with a significantly elevated risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Similar events may also affect other tumor suppressor genes, potentially being a significant contributor to cancer burden. While this opens a new area for translational research, detection of low-level mosaic epigenetic events requires highly sensitive and robust methodology for methylation analysis. We here present epialleleR, a computational framework for sensitive detection, quantification, and visualization of mosaic epimutations in methylation sequencing data. Analyzing simulated and real data sets, we provide in-depth assessments of epialleleR performance and show that linkage to epihaplotype data is necessary to detect low-level methylation events. The epialleleR is freely available at https://github.com/BBCG/epialleleR and https://bioconductor.org/packages/epialleleR/ as an open-source R/Bioconductor package.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksii Nikolaienko
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genome-Directed Cancer Therapy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway
| | - Per Eystein Lønning
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genome-Directed Cancer Therapy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway
- Department of Oncology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen 5021, Norway
| | - Stian Knappskog
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genome-Directed Cancer Therapy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway
- Department of Oncology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen 5021, Norway
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20
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Nguyen HT, Khoa Huynh LA, Nguyen TV, Tran DH, Thu Tran TT, Khang Le ND, Le NAT, Pham TVN, Le MT, Quynh Pham TM, Nguyen TH, Van Nguyen TC, Nguyen TD, Tran Nguyen BQ, Phan MD, Giang H, Tran LS. Multimodal analysis of ctDNA methylation and fragmentomic profiles enhances detection of nonmetastatic colorectal cancer. Future Oncol 2022; 18:3895-3912. [PMID: 36524960 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2022-1041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims: Early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) provides substantially better survival rates. This study aimed to develop a blood-based screening assay named SPOT-MAS ('screen for the presence of tumor by DNA methylation and size') for early CRC detection with high accuracy. Methods: Plasma cell-free DNA samples from 159 patients with nonmetastatic CRC and 158 healthy controls were simultaneously analyzed for fragment length and methylation profiles. We then employed a deep neural network with fragment length and methylation signatures to build a classification model. Results: The model achieved an area under the curve of 0.989 and a sensitivity of 96.8% at 97% specificity in detecting CRC. External validation of our model showed comparable performance, with an area under the curve of 0.96. Conclusion: SPOT-MAS based on integration of cancer-specific methylation and fragmentomic signatures could provide high accuracy for early-stage CRC detection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Le Anh Khoa Huynh
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | | | - Duc Huy Tran
- University Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Thuy Thi Thu Tran
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Duy Khang Le
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | | | - Minh-Triet Le
- University Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Thi Mong Quynh Pham
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Trong Hieu Nguyen
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Thien Chi Van Nguyen
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Thanh Dat Nguyen
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Bui Que Tran Nguyen
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Minh-Duy Phan
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Hoa Giang
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Le Son Tran
- Medical Genetics Institute, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Gene Solutions, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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21
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Johnston AD, Lu J, Korbie D, Trau M. Modelling clinical DNA fragmentation in the development of universal PCR-based assays for bisulfite-converted, formalin-fixed and cell-free DNA sample analysis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16051. [PMID: 36163372 PMCID: PMC9512909 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18196-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In fragmented DNA, PCR-based methods quantify the number of intact regions at a specific amplicon length. However, the relationship between the population of DNA fragments within a sample and the likelihood they will amplify has not been fully described. To address this, we have derived a mathematical equation that relates the distribution profile of a stochastically fragmented DNA sample to the probability that a DNA fragment within that sample can be amplified by any PCR assay of arbitrary length. Two panels of multiplex PCR assays for quantifying fragmented DNA were then developed: a four-plex panel that can be applied to any human DNA sample and used to estimate the percentage of regions that are intact at any length; and a two-plex panel optimized for quantifying circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA). For these assays, regions of the human genome least affected by copy number aberration were identified and selected; within these copy-neutral regions, each PCR assay was designed to amplify both genomic and bisulfite-converted DNA; and all assays were validated for use in both conventional qPCR and droplet-digital PCR. Finally, using the cfDNA-optimized assays we find evidence of universally conserved nucleosome positioning among individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Johnston
- Centre for Personalized NanoMedicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Molecular Diagnostics Solutions, CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennifer Lu
- Centre for Personalized NanoMedicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Darren Korbie
- Centre for Personalized NanoMedicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Matt Trau
- Centre for Personalized NanoMedicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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22
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High-throughput sample processing for methylation analysis in an automated, enclosed environment. SLAS Technol 2022; 27:172-179. [DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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23
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Zhou XC, Chen QP, Yuan JJ, Zhou S, Li M, Zhou WP, Qin Y, Deng H, Zhang L. Kidney-Derived Methylated PAX2 Sequences in the Urine of Healthy Subjects as a Convenient Model for Optimizing Methylation-Based Liquid biopsy. Mol Biotechnol 2022; 64:1088-1094. [PMID: 35412261 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00481-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Although urine-based liquid biopsy has received considerable attention, there is a lack of a simple model to optimize assay parameters, including cell-free DNA (cfDNA) extraction, bisulfite modification, and bis-DNA recovery after conversion for methylation analysis in urine. The primary aim of this work was to establish a practical model by developing a quantitative methylation-sensitive PCR (qMS-PCR) assay for PAX2 based on hypermethylated PAX2 cfDNA that could be detected in healthy human urine. We first studied the methylation status of PAX2 in kidney tissues and whole blood, followed by an assessment of commercial kits for bisulfite conversion and bis-DNA recovery. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of urine storage and collection conditions on the preservation of methylated PAX2 in urine samples by qMS-PCR. As expected, PAX2 methylation was identified in urine but not in blood. Two commercial kits (CellCook and Zymo Research) had similar conversion efficiency and bis-DNA recovery. Urine storage for up to 5 days did not change PAX2 methylation estimates. Overall, cold storage of urine samples and the CellCook urine container maintained higher levels of methylated PAX2 compared to urine kept at room temperature and the conventional tubes, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of using the correct approaches/kits and optimizing experimental conditions as a diagnostic tool in the clinical setting. Our study provides insights on the development of urine-based liquid biopsy with DNA methylation as a universal biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Cheng Zhou
- Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Qiu-Ping Chen
- Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Jia-Jia Yuan
- Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Shuai Zhou
- Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Mi Li
- Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Wei-Ping Zhou
- Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Yan Qin
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Hua Deng
- Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China.
| | - Liang Zhang
- Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China.
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24
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Challenges in promoter methylation analysis in the new era of translational oncology: a focus on liquid biopsy. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2022; 1868:166390. [PMID: 35296416 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Toward the discovery of novel reliable biomarkers, epigenetic alterations have been repeatedly proposed for the diagnosis and the development of therapeutic strategies against cancer. Indeed, for promoter methylation to actively become a tumor marker for clinical use, it must be combined with a highly informative technology evaluated in an appropriate biospecimen. Methodological standardization related to epigenetic research is, in fact, one of the most challenging tasks. Moreover, tissue-based biopsy is being complemented and, in some cases, replaced by liquid biopsy. This review will highlight the advancements made for both pre-analytical and analytical implementation for the prospective use of methylation biomarkers in clinical settings, with particular emphasis on liquid biopsy.
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25
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26
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Thomson K, Game J, Karouta C, Morgan IG, Ashby R. Correlation between small-scale methylation changes and gene expression during the development of myopia. FASEB J 2021; 36:e22129. [PMID: 34958689 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101487r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Visually induced changes in the expression of early growth response-1 (EGR1), FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene (FOS), and NGFI-A binding protein-2 (NAB2) appear to form a part of a retinal network fundamental to ocular growth regulation, and thus, the development of myopia (short-sightedness). However, it is unclear how environmental (visual) cues are translated into these molecular changes. One possibility is through epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, a known regulator of such processes. By sequencing bisulfite-converted DNA amplicons, this study examined whether changes in DNA methylation occur within specific regulatory and promoter regions of EGR1, FOS, and NAB2 during the periods of increased and decreased ocular growth in chicks. Visually induced changes in ocular growth rates were associated with single-point, but not large-scale, shifts in methylation levels within the investigated regions. Analysis of methylation pattern variability (entropy) demonstrated that the observed methylation changes are occurring within small subpopulations of retinal cells. This concurs with previous observations that EGR1 and FOS are differentially regulated at the peptide level within specific retinal cell types. Together, the findings of this study support a potential role for DNA methylation in the translation of external visual cues into molecular changes critical for ocular growth regulation and myopia development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Thomson
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jeremy Game
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Cindy Karouta
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ian G Morgan
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Regan Ashby
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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27
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Heidegger A, Pisarek A, de la Puente M, Niederstätter H, Pośpiech E, Woźniak A, Schury N, Unterländer M, Sidstedt M, Junker K, Ventayol Garcia M, Laurent FX, Ulus A, Vannier J, Bastisch I, Hedman J, Sijen T, Branicki W, Xavier C, Parson W. Development and inter-laboratory validation of the VISAGE enhanced tool for age estimation from semen using quantitative DNA methylation analysis. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 56:102596. [PMID: 34763164 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of DNA methylation has become an established method for chronological age estimation. This has triggered interest in the forensic community to develop new methods for age estimation from biological crime scene material. Various assays are available for age estimation from somatic tissues, the majority from blood. Age prediction from semen requires different DNA methylation markers and the only assays currently developed for forensic analysis are based on SNaPshot or pyrosequencing. Here, we describe a new assay using massively parallel sequencing to analyse 13 candidate CpG sites targeted in two multiplex PCRs. The assay has been validated by five consortium laboratories of the VISible Attributes through GEnomics (VISAGE) project within a collaborative exercise and was tested for reproducible quantification of DNA methylation levels and sensitivity with DNA methylation controls. Furthermore, DNA extracts and stains on Whatman FTA cards from two semen samples were used to evaluate concordance and mimic casework samples. Overall, the assay yielded high read depths (> 1000 reads) at all 13 marker positions. The methylation values obtained indicated robust quantification with an average standard deviation of 2.8% at the expected methylation level of 50% across the 13 markers and a good performance with 50 ng DNA input into bisulfite conversion. The absolute difference of quantifications from one participating laboratory to the mean quantifications of concordance and semen stains of remaining laboratories was approximately 1%. These results demonstrated the assay to be robust and suitable for age estimation from semen in forensic investigations. In addition to the 13-marker assay, a more streamlined protocol combining only five age markers in one multiplex PCR was developed. Preliminary results showed no substantial differences in DNA methylation quantification between the two assays, indicating its applicability with the VISAGE age model for semen developed with data from the complete 13-marker tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Heidegger
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - A Pisarek
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - M de la Puente
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - H Niederstätter
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - E Pośpiech
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - A Woźniak
- Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, Warsaw, Poland
| | - N Schury
- Federal Criminal Police Office, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | | | - M Sidstedt
- National Forensic Centre (NFC), Swedish Police Authority, Linköping, Sweden
| | - K Junker
- National Forensic Centre (NFC), Swedish Police Authority, Linköping, Sweden
| | - M Ventayol Garcia
- Biological Traces, Netherlands Forensic Institute, Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - F X Laurent
- Institut National de Police Scientifique, Laboratoire de Police Scientifique de Lyon, Ecully Cedex, France
| | - A Ulus
- Institut National de Police Scientifique, Laboratoire de Police Scientifique de Lyon, Ecully Cedex, France
| | - J Vannier
- Institut National de Police Scientifique, Laboratoire de Police Scientifique de Lyon, Ecully Cedex, France
| | - I Bastisch
- Federal Criminal Police Office, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - J Hedman
- National Forensic Centre (NFC), Swedish Police Authority, Linköping, Sweden; Applied Microbiology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - T Sijen
- Biological Traces, Netherlands Forensic Institute, Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB The Hague, The Netherlands; University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - W Branicki
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, Warsaw, Poland
| | - C Xavier
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - W Parson
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.
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28
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Kerachian MA, Azghandi M, Mozaffari-Jovin S, Thierry AR. Guidelines for pre-analytical conditions for assessing the methylation of circulating cell-free DNA. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:193. [PMID: 34663458 PMCID: PMC8525023 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01182-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Methylation analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (cirDNA), as a liquid biopsy, has a significant potential to advance the detection, prognosis, and treatment of cancer, as well as many genetic disorders. The role of epigenetics in disease development has been reported in several hereditary disorders, and epigenetic modifications are regarded as one of the earliest and most significant genomic aberrations that arise during carcinogenesis. Liquid biopsy can be employed for the detection of these epigenetic biomarkers. It consists of isolation (pre-analytical) and detection (analytical) phases. The choice of pre-analytical variables comprising cirDNA extraction and bisulfite conversion methods can affect the identification of cirDNA methylation. Indeed, different techniques give a different return of cirDNA, which confirms the importance of pre-analytical procedures in clinical diagnostics. Although novel techniques have been developed for the simplification of methylation analysis, the process remains complex, as the steps of DNA extraction, bisulfite treatment, and methylation detection are each carried out separately. Recent studies have noted the absence of any standard method for the pre-analytical processing of methylated cirDNA. We have therefore conducted a comprehensive and systematic review of the important pre-analytical and analytical variables and the patient-related factors which form the basis of our guidelines for analyzing methylated cirDNA in liquid biopsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Amin Kerachian
- Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Cancer Genetics Research Unit, Reza Radiotherapy and Oncology Center, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Marjan Azghandi
- Cancer Genetics Research Unit, Reza Radiotherapy and Oncology Center, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Sina Mozaffari-Jovin
- Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Alain R Thierry
- IRCM, Institute of Research in Oncology of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
- INSERM, U1194, Montpellier, France.
- University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
- ICM, Regional Institute of Cancer of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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29
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Shareef SJ, Bevill SM, Raman AT, Aryee MJ, van Galen P, Hovestadt V, Bernstein BE. Extended-representation bisulfite sequencing of gene regulatory elements in multiplexed samples and single cells. Nat Biotechnol 2021; 39:1086-1094. [PMID: 33958785 PMCID: PMC8434949 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-021-00910-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The biological roles of DNA methylation have been elucidated by profiling methods based on whole-genome or reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing, but these approaches do not efficiently survey the vast numbers of non-coding regulatory elements in mammalian genomes. Here we present an extended-representation bisulfite sequencing (XRBS) method for targeted profiling of DNA methylation. Our design strikes a balance between expanding coverage of regulatory elements and reproducibly enriching informative CpG dinucleotides in promoters, enhancers and CTCF binding sites. Barcoded DNA fragments are pooled before bisulfite conversion, allowing multiplex processing and technical consistency in low-input samples. Application of XRBS to single leukemia cells enabled us to evaluate genetic copy number variations and methylation variability across individual cells. Our analysis highlights heterochromatic H3K9me3 regions as having the highest cell-to-cell variability in their methylation, likely reflecting inherent epigenetic instability of these late-replicating regions, compounded by differences in cell cycle stages among sampled cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Shareef
- Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Samantha M. Bevill
- Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ayush T. Raman
- Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Martin J. Aryee
- Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter van Galen
- Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Division of Hematology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Volker Hovestadt
- Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Co-corresponding (, )
| | - Bradley E. Bernstein
- Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Co-corresponding (, )
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30
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Ahn J, Heo S, Lee J, Bang D. Introduction to Single-Cell DNA Methylation Profiling Methods. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1013. [PMID: 34356635 PMCID: PMC8301785 DOI: 10.3390/biom11071013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that is related to mammalian cellular differentiation, gene expression regulation, and disease. In several studies, DNA methylation has been identified as an effective marker to identify differences between cells. In this review, we introduce single-cell DNA-methylation profiling methods, including experimental strategies and approaches to computational data analysis. Furthermore, the blind spots of the basic analysis and recent alternatives are briefly described. In addition, we introduce well-known applications and discuss future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongseong Ahn
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.A.); (S.H.)
| | - Sunghoon Heo
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.A.); (S.H.)
| | - Jihyun Lee
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Duhee Bang
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.A.); (S.H.)
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31
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Kint S, Van Criekinge W, Vandekerckhove L, De Vos WH, Bomsztyk K, Krause DS, Denisenko O. Single cell epigenetic visualization assay. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e43. [PMID: 33511400 PMCID: PMC8096246 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterization of the epigenetic status of individual cells remains a challenge. Current sequencing approaches have limited coverage, and it is difficult to assign an epigenetic status to the transcription state of individual gene alleles in the same cell. To address these limitations, a targeted microscopy-based epigenetic visualization assay (EVA) was developed for detection and quantification of epigenetic marks at genes of interest in single cells. The assay is based on an in situ biochemical reaction between an antibody-conjugated alkaline phosphatase bound to the epigenetic mark of interest, and a 5'-phosphorylated fluorophore-labeled DNA oligo tethered to a target gene by gene-specific oligonucleotides. When the epigenetic mark is present at the gene, phosphate group removal by the phosphatase protects the oligo from λ-exonuclease activity providing a quantitative fluorescent readout. We applied EVA to measure 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and H3K9Ac levels at different genes and the HIV-1 provirus in human cell lines. To link epigenetic marks to gene transcription, EVA was combined with RNA-FISH. Higher 5mC levels at the silenced compared to transcribed XIST gene alleles in female somatic cells validated this approach and demonstrated that EVA can be used to relate epigenetic marks to the transcription status of individual gene alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Kint
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Criekinge
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Karol Bomsztyk
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Diane S Krause
- Depts. of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Cell Biology; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Oleg Denisenko
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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32
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Martisova A, Holcakova J, Izadi N, Sebuyoya R, Hrstka R, Bartosik M. DNA Methylation in Solid Tumors: Functions and Methods of Detection. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084247. [PMID: 33921911 PMCID: PMC8073724 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation, i.e., addition of methyl group to 5′-carbon of cytosine residues in CpG dinucleotides, is an important epigenetic modification regulating gene expression, and thus implied in many cellular processes. Deregulation of DNA methylation is strongly associated with onset of various diseases, including cancer. Here, we review how DNA methylation affects carcinogenesis process and give examples of solid tumors where aberrant DNA methylation is often present. We explain principles of methods developed for DNA methylation analysis at both single gene and whole genome level, based on (i) sodium bisulfite conversion, (ii) methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes, and (iii) interactions of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) with methyl-binding proteins or antibodies against 5mC. In addition to standard methods, we describe recent advances in next generation sequencing technologies applied to DNA methylation analysis, as well as in development of biosensors that represent their cheaper and faster alternatives. Most importantly, we highlight not only advantages, but also disadvantages and challenges of each method.
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33
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Ueda S, Yamashita S, Watanabe SI, Wakabayashi M, Motoi N, Noguchi M, Sekine S, Sato Y, Ushijima T. Influence of degree of DNA degradation in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples on accuracy of genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. Epigenomics 2021; 13:565-576. [PMID: 33820444 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Depending upon the degree of DNA degradation of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples, accuracy of measurement by Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip assay (Illumina, CA, USA) was assessed. Materials & methods: DNA quality of six formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded lung tissue samples with different formalin fixation periods was assessed by Illumina quality control, DNA copy number and DNA integrity number value. Infinium data from restored bisulfite treated DNA were compared with datum from a fresh-frozen sample. Results: The correlation coefficient decreased from 0.993 to 0.970 depending upon DNA degradation, even if the Illumina quality control was met. Exclusion of specific probes improved the correlation regardless of tissue. Conclusion: Poor DNA quality can be assessed as an amplifiable DNA copy number and DNA integrity number value. Probe filtering has the potential to improve assay accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Ueda
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104 0045, Japan.,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 8575, Japan.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 8575, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yamashita
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104 0045, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichi Watanabe
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104 0045, Japan
| | - Mika Wakabayashi
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104 0045, Japan
| | - Noriko Motoi
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104 0045, Japan
| | - Masayuki Noguchi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 8575, Japan
| | - Shigeki Sekine
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104 0045, Japan
| | - Yukio Sato
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 8575, Japan
| | - Toshikazu Ushijima
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104 0045, Japan
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34
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Woźniak A, Heidegger A, Piniewska-Róg D, Pośpiech E, Xavier C, Pisarek A, Kartasińska E, Boroń M, Freire-Aradas A, Wojtas M, de la Puente M, Niederstätter H, Płoski R, Spólnicka M, Kayser M, Phillips C, Parson W, Branicki W. Development of the VISAGE enhanced tool and statistical models for epigenetic age estimation in blood, buccal cells and bones. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:6459-6484. [PMID: 33707346 PMCID: PMC7993733 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is known as a biomarker for age with applications in forensics. Here we describe the VISAGE (VISible Attributes through GEnomics) Consortium's enhanced tool for epigenetic age estimation in somatic tissues. The tool is based on eight DNA methylation markers (44 CpGs), bisulfite multiplex PCR followed by sequencing on the MiSeq FGx platform, and three statistical prediction models for blood, buccal cells and bones. The model for blood is based on six CpGs from ELOVL2, MIR29B2CHG, KLF14, FHL2, TRIM59 and PDE4C, and predicts age with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.2 years, while the model for buccal cells includes five CpGs from PDE4C, MIR29B2CHG, ELOVL2, KLF14 and EDARADD and predicts age with MAE of 3.7 years, and the model for bones has six CpGs from ELOVL2, KLF14, PDE4C and ASPA and predicts age with MAE of 3.4 years. The VISAGE enhanced tool for age estimation in somatic tissues enables reliable collection of DNA methylation data from small amounts of DNA using a sensitive multiplex MPS assay that provides accurate estimation of age in blood, buccal swabs, and bones using the statistical model tailored to each tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Woźniak
- Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Antonia Heidegger
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Danuta Piniewska-Róg
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewelina Pośpiech
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Catarina Xavier
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Aleksandra Pisarek
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Michał Boroń
- Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ana Freire-Aradas
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Marta Wojtas
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Maria de la Puente
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.,Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Harald Niederstätter
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rafał Płoski
- Department Medical Genetics, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Manfred Kayser
- Department of Genetic Identification, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christopher Phillips
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Walther Parson
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.,Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Wojciech Branicki
- Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, Warsaw, Poland.,Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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35
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Hong SR, Shin KJ. Bisulfite-Converted DNA Quantity Evaluation: A Multiplex Quantitative Real-Time PCR System for Evaluation of Bisulfite Conversion. Front Genet 2021; 12:618955. [PMID: 33719336 PMCID: PMC7947210 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.618955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bisulfite (BS) conversion, which includes a series of chemical reactions using bisulfite, is a prerequisite to most DNA methylation analysis methods, and thus is an essential step in the associated research process. Unfortunately, BS conversion leads to the degradation or loss of DNA, which can hinder further downstream analysis. In addition, it is well known that incomplete BS conversion is crucial, as it causes an exaggeration of the DNA methylation level, which can adversely affect the results. Therefore, there have been many attempts to measure three key features of BS conversion: BS conversion efficiency, recovery, and degradation level. In this study, a multiplex quantitative real-time PCR system named BisQuE was suggested to simultaneously analyze three important aspects of the conversion step. By adopting cytosine-free PCR primers for two differently sized multicopy regions, the short amplicon and long amplicon were obtained from both the genomic and BS-converted DNA, thus enabling the obtaining of reliable and sensitive results and the calculation of the degradation level of the conversion step. Also, probes for detecting converted/unconverted templates and C-T indicators for inducing the formula were included in this assay to quantify BS-converted DNA in order to compute the conversion efficiency and recovery. Six BS conversion kits (EZ DNA Methylation-Lightning Kit, Premium Bisulfite kit, MethylEdge® Bisulfite Conversion System, EpiJET Bisulfite Conversion Kit, EpiTect Fast DNA Bisulfite Kit, and NEBNext® Enzymatic Methyl-seq Conversion Module) were tested in 20 samples using 50 ng of genomic DNA as an input with the BisQuE. The conversion efficiency, degradation levels, as well as recovery rates of the kits were investigated. A total of 99.61-99.90% conversion efficiency was perceived for five of the kits, while the NEBNext kit showed about 94%. The lowest degradation level was shown by the NEBNext kit, whereas the other kits were quite similar. The recovery rates of the kits were found to be within the range of 18-50%. A Qubit assay was also used to compare the recovery rate of BisQuE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sae Rom Hong
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyoung-Jin Shin
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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36
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Circulating Cell-Free DNA Methylation Profiles in the Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer: A Scoping Review of the Literature. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040838. [PMID: 33671298 PMCID: PMC7923044 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary There are limited non-invasive methods for detecting epithelial ovarian cancer despite early detection and treatment dramatically increasing survival. As alterations in serum or plasma cell-free (cf)DNA methylation occur early in cancer development, they are promising biomarkers for ovarian cancer. Our literature review includes 18 studies depicting a wide array of gene targets and techniques. The data suggest a good performance of these cfDNA methylation tests, with accuracies up to 91% in detecting ovarian cancer in serum or plasma. Abstract Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy and has few reliable non-invasive tests for early detection or diagnosis. Recent advances in genomic techniques have bolstered the utility of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) evaluation from peripheral blood as a viable cancer biomarker. For multiple reasons, comparing alterations in DNA methylation is particularly advantageous over other molecular assays. We performed a literature review for studies exploring cfDNA methylation in serum and plasma for the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. The data suggest that serum/plasma cfDNA methylation tests have strong diagnostic accuracies for ovarian cancer (median 85%, range 40–91%). Moreover, there is improved diagnostic performance if multiple genes are used and if the assays are designed to compare detection of ovarian cancer with benign pelvic masses. We further highlight the vast array of possible gene targets and techniques, and a need to include more earlier-stage ovarian cancer samples in test development. Overall, we show the promise of cfDNA methylation analysis in the development of a viable diagnostic biomarker for ovarian cancer.
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37
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Drag MH, Kilpeläinen TO. Cell-free DNA and RNA-measurement and applications in clinical diagnostics with focus on metabolic disorders. Physiol Genomics 2020; 53:33-46. [PMID: 33346689 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00086.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and RNA (cfRNA) hold enormous potential as a new class of biomarkers for the development of noninvasive liquid biopsies in many diseases and conditions. In recent years, cfDNA and cfRNA have been studied intensely as tools for noninvasive prenatal testing, solid organ transplantation, cancer screening, and monitoring of tumors. In obesity, higher cfDNA concentration indicates accelerated cellular turnover of adipocytes during expansion of adipose mass and may be directly involved in the development of adipose tissue insulin resistance by inducing inflammation. Furthermore, cfDNA and cfRNA have promising diagnostic value in a range of obesity-related metabolic disorders, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and diabetic complications. Here, we review the current and future applications of cfDNA and cfRNA within clinical diagnostics, discuss technical and analytical challenges in the field, and summarize the opportunities of using cfDNA and cfRNA in the diagnostics and prognostics of obesity-related metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus H Drag
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tuomas O Kilpeläinen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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38
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Liu Z, Sun J, Zhao G, Xiong S, Ma Y, Zheng M. Transient stem-loop structure of nucleic acid template may interfere with polymerase chain reaction through endonuclease activity of Taq DNA polymerase. Gene 2020; 764:145095. [PMID: 32866587 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.145095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
As a standard molecular biology technique, PCR uses DNA polymerase to detect, amplify and manipulate DNA targets. Due to its effect of exponential amplification, PCR can achieve high sensitivity required for detecting targets of low abundance. Therefore, it has become the method of choice for the majority of nucleic acid-based tests. In PCR reactions, DNA templates are first unwound into single strands, followed by a quick temperature drop when transient intramolecular secondary structures may form first within the single-stranded templates due to reaction kinetics. In this study, we showed that the adverse effects of stem-loop structures on PCR performance were directly correlated with their thermal stability. Moreover, fractions of intermediate PCR products of templates with stable stem-loop structures were significantly shorter than those without. It was further demonstrated that when encountering the duplex region of such a structure during the PCR extension step, the endonuclease activity of Taq DNA polymerase mediated by its 5'-3' exonuclease activity could digest template strand, resulting in stem-loop structure unwinding and subsequent completion of replication to produce truncated products. This work thus provided some new mechanistic insights into the complex nature of PCR assays, a frequently encountered but neglected aspect of this widely used technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaocheng Liu
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Jinli Sun
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Guodong Zhao
- Zhejiang University Kunshan Biotechnology Laboratory, Zhejiang University Kunshan Innovation Institute, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215300, China; Suzhou VersaBio Technologies Co. Ltd., Kunshan, Jiangsu 215300, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China
| | - Shangmin Xiong
- Zhejiang University Kunshan Biotechnology Laboratory, Zhejiang University Kunshan Innovation Institute, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215300, China; Suzhou VersaBio Technologies Co. Ltd., Kunshan, Jiangsu 215300, China.
| | - Yong Ma
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
| | - Minxue Zheng
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
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39
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Deutschmeyer VE, Richter AM. The ZAR1 protein in cancer; from epigenetic silencing to functional characterisation and epigenetic therapy of tumour suppressors. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2020; 1874:188417. [PMID: 32828887 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
ZAR1, zygote arrest 1, is a zinc finger protein (C-terminus), which was initially identified in mouse oocytes. Later it was found that its expression is present in various human tissues e.g. lung and kidney. Interestingly, it was observed that in various tumour types the ZAR1 transcript is missing due to hypermethylation of its CpG island promoter, but not ZAR2. Since methylation of the ZAR1 promoter is described as a frequent event in tumourigenesis, ZAR1 could serve as a useful diagnostic marker in cancer screens. ZAR1 was described as a useful prognostic/diagnostic cancer marker for lung cancer, kidney cancer, melanoma and possibly liver carcinoma. Furthermore, ZAR1 was reactivated as a tumour suppressor by epigenetic therapy using CRISPR-dCas9 method. This method holds the potential to precisely target not only ZAR1 and reactivate tumour suppressors in a tailored cancer therapy. ZAR1 is highly conserved amongst vertebrates, especially its zinc finger, which is the relevant domain for its protein and RNA binding ability. ZAR1 is implicated in various cellular mechanisms including regulation of oocyte/embryo development, cell cycle control and mRNA binding, though little was known about the underlying mechanisms. ZAR1 was reported to regulate and activate translation through the binding to TCS translation control sequences in the 3'UTRs of its target mRNA the kinase WEE1. ZAR1 has a tumour suppressing function by inhibiting cell cycle progression. Here we review the current literature on ZAR1 focusing on structural, functional and epigenetic aspects. Characterising the cellular mechanisms that regulate the signalling pathways ZAR1 is involved in, could lead to a deeper understanding of tumour development and, furthermore, to new strategies in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antje M Richter
- Institute for Genetics, University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; Max-Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
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Freire-Aradas A, Pośpiech E, Aliferi A, Girón-Santamaría L, Mosquera-Miguel A, Pisarek A, Ambroa-Conde A, Phillips C, Casares de Cal MA, Gómez-Tato A, Spólnicka M, Woźniak A, Álvarez-Dios J, Ballard D, Court DS, Branicki W, Carracedo Á, Lareu MV. A Comparison of Forensic Age Prediction Models Using Data From Four DNA Methylation Technologies. Front Genet 2020; 11:932. [PMID: 32973877 PMCID: PMC7466768 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual age estimation can be applied to criminal, legal, and anthropological investigations. DNA methylation has been established as the biomarker of choice for age prediction, since it was observed that specific CpG positions in the genome show systematic changes during an individual’s lifetime, with progressive increases or decreases in methylation levels. Subsequently, several forensic age prediction models have been reported, providing average age prediction error ranges of ±3–4 years, using a broad spectrum of technologies and underlying statistical analyses. DNA methylation assessment is not categorical but quantitative. Therefore, the detection platform used plays a pivotal role, since quantitative and semi-quantitative technologies could potentially result in differences in detected DNA methylation levels. In the present study, we analyzed as a shared sample pool, 84 blood-based DNA controls ranging from 18 to 99 years old using four different technologies: EpiTYPER®, pyrosequencing, MiSeq, and SNaPshotTM. The DNA methylation levels detected for CpG sites from ELOVL2, FHL2, and MIR29B2 with each system were compared. A restricted three CpG-site age prediction model was rebuilt for each system, as well as for a combination of technologies, based on previous training datasets, and age predictions were calculated accordingly for all the samples detected with the previous technologies. While the DNA methylation patterns and subsequent age predictions from EpiTYPER®, pyrosequencing, and MiSeq systems are largely comparable for the CpG sites studied, SNaPshotTM gives bigger differences reflected in higher predictive errors. However, these differences can be reduced by applying a z-score data transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Freire-Aradas
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - E Pośpiech
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - A Aliferi
- King's Forensics, Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - L Girón-Santamaría
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - A Mosquera-Miguel
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - A Pisarek
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - A Ambroa-Conde
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - C Phillips
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - M A Casares de Cal
- Faculty of Mathematics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - A Gómez-Tato
- Faculty of Mathematics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - M Spólnicka
- Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, Warsaw, Poland
| | - A Woźniak
- Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, Warsaw, Poland
| | - J Álvarez-Dios
- Faculty of Mathematics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - D Ballard
- King's Forensics, Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - D Syndercombe Court
- King's Forensics, Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - W Branicki
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.,Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ángel Carracedo
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.,Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica - CIBERER-IDIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - M V Lareu
- Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
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Erger F, Nörling D, Borchert D, Leenen E, Habbig S, Wiesener MS, Bartram MP, Wenzel A, Becker C, Toliat MR, Nürnberg P, Beck BB, Altmüller J. cfNOMe - A single assay for comprehensive epigenetic analyses of cell-free DNA. Genome Med 2020; 12:54. [PMID: 32580754 PMCID: PMC7315486 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-020-00750-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis has become essential in cancer diagnostics and prenatal testing. We present cfNOMe, a two-in-one method of measuring cfDNA cytosine methylation and nucleosome occupancy in a single assay using non-disruptive enzymatic cytosine conversion and a custom bioinformatic pipeline. We show that enzymatic cytosine conversion better preserves cfDNA fragmentation information than does bisulfite conversion. Whereas previously separate experiments were required to study either epigenetic marking, cfNOMe delivers reliable results for both, enabling more comprehensive and inexpensive epigenetic cfDNA profiling. cfNOMe has the potential to advance biomarker discovery and diagnostic usage in diseases with systemic perturbations of cfDNA composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Erger
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. .,Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany. .,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Deborah Nörling
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Domenica Borchert
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Esther Leenen
- Department of Nephrology, Transplantation and Medical Intensive Care, University Witten/Herdecke, Medical Center Cologne-Merheim, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sandra Habbig
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael S Wiesener
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Malte P Bartram
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Department II of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andrea Wenzel
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Becker
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mohammad R Toliat
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Peter Nürnberg
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Bodo B Beck
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. .,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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Development and optimization of the VISAGE basic prototype tool for forensic age estimation. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2020; 48:102322. [PMID: 32574993 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2020.102322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The VISAGE (VISible Attributes through GEnomics) consortium aims to develop, optimize and validate prototype tools to broaden the use of DNA intelligence methods in forensic routine laboratories. This includes age estimation based on the quantification of DNA methylation at specific CpG sites. Here, we present the VISAGE basic prototype tool for age estimation targeting 32 CpGs from five genes ELOVL2, MIR29B2CHG (herein, MIR29B2C), FHL2, TRIM59 and KLF14. The assay interrogates these well described age markers by multiplex PCR for bisulfite converted DNA and massively parallel sequencing on a MiSeq FGx instrument. We describe protocol optimizations including tests on five bisulfite conversion kits and an evaluation of the assay's reproducibility and sensitivity with artificially methylated DNA standards. We observed robust quantification of methylation levels with a mean standard deviation of 1.4 % across ratios. Sensitivity tests showed no increase of variability down to 20 ng DNA input into bisulfite conversion with a median difference below 1.6 % between technical replicates.
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Kaur G, Batra S. Regulation of DNA methylation signatures on NF-κB and STAT3 pathway genes and TET activity in cigarette smoke extract-challenged cells/COPD exacerbation model in vitro. Cell Biol Toxicol 2020; 36:459-480. [PMID: 32342329 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-020-09522-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge about the pathobiology of this disease and available therapies are ineffective. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD; however, not all smokers develop COPD. Exacerbations of COPD caused by microbes are common and detrimental. Approximately 20-50% of patient exacerbations are caused by bacterial colonization in the lower airways. It is generally accepted that epigenetic mechanisms, especially DNA methylation, play an important role during progression of COPD. Thus, we hypothesized that DNA methylation patterns vary significantly following smoke exposure and during exacerbations caused by bacterial infections. To test our hypothesis, we used an in vitro study model that mimics COPD exacerbations and performed extensive studies to understand the role of CpG promoter methylation of NF-κB and STAT3-mediated pathway genes. Both NF-κB and STAT3 transcription factors play critical roles in orchestrating inflammatory responses during cigarette smoke exposure. In brief, human lung adenocarcinoma cells with type II alveolar epithelium characteristics (A549) were challenged with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or DMSO (control) followed by a 3-h challenge with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS; from Pseudomonas aeruginosa) prior to the termination of CSE exposure (COPD exacerbation group). The production of cytokines/chemokines, regulation of transcription factors, and DNA methylation of specific genes were then assessed. We also studied changes in the expression and activity of ten-eleven translocases (TETs), the enzymes responsible for DNA demethylation, and assessed their role in regulating DNA methylation in the CSE-challenged group. RESULTS There was a significant increase in the release of cytokines/chemokines (IL-8, MCP-1, IL-6 and CCL5) in the COPD exacerbation group as compared to the control group. Hypomethylation of NF-κB-mediated pathway genes correlated with their induction in our COPD exacerbation study model. Further, we observed an important role of TET1/2 in regulating the DNA methylation of NF-κB, STAT3, IKK, and NIK genes and cytokine/chemokine production by A549 cells during CSE challenge. CONCLUSIONS Studies to further define the role of TETs in CSE-mediated epigenetic regulation may lead to the development of better and more effective therapeutic intervention strategies for COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gagandeep Kaur
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunotoxicology, Department of Environmental Toxicology, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA, 70813, USA
| | - Sanjay Batra
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunotoxicology, Department of Environmental Toxicology, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA, 70813, USA.
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Kint S, Trypsteen W, De Spiegelaere W, Malatinkova E, Kinloch-de Loes S, De Meyer T, Van Criekinge W, Vandekerckhove L. Underestimated effect of intragenic HIV-1 DNA methylation on viral transcription in infected individuals. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:36. [PMID: 32111236 PMCID: PMC7049218 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00829-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The HIV-1 proviral genome harbors multiple CpG islands (CpGIs), both in the promoter and intragenic regions. DNA methylation in the promoter region has been shown to be heavily involved in HIV-1 latency regulation in cultured cells. However, its exact role in proviral transcriptional regulation in infected individuals is poorly understood or characterized. Moreover, methylation at intragenic CpGIs has never been studied in depth. Results A large, well-characterized HIV-1 patient cohort (n = 72), consisting of 17 long-term non-progressors and 8 recent seroconverters (SRCV) without combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), 15 early cART-treated, and 32 late cART-treated patients, was analyzed using a next-generation bisulfite sequencing DNA methylation method. In general, we observed low level of promoter methylation and higher levels of intragenic methylation. Additionally, SRCV showed increased promoter methylation and decreased intragenic methylation compared with the other patient groups. This data indicates that increased intragenic methylation could be involved in proviral transcriptional regulation. Conclusions Contrasting in vitro studies, our results indicate that intragenic hypermethylation of HIV-1 proviral DNA is an underestimated factor in viral control in HIV-1-infected individuals, showing the importance of analyzing the complete proviral genome in future DNA methylation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Kint
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Medical Research Building 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.,Biobix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Trypsteen
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Medical Research Building 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ward De Spiegelaere
- Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Eva Malatinkova
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Medical Research Building 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sabine Kinloch-de Loes
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Royal Free Hospital, Royal Free Campus, University College London, Pont St, Hampstead, London, NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Tim De Meyer
- Biobix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Criekinge
- Biobix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Medical Research Building 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) replicates through the integration of its viral DNA into the genome of human immune target cells. Chronically infected individuals thus carry a genomic burden of virus-derived sequences that persists through antiretroviral therapy. This burden consists of a small fraction of intact, but transcriptionally silenced, i.e. latent, viral genomes and a dominant fraction of defective sequences. Remarkably, all viral-derived sequences are subject to interaction with host cellular physiology at various levels. In this review, we focus on epigenetic aspects of this interaction. We provide a comprehensive overview of how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to establishment and maintenance of HIV-1 gene repression during latency. We furthermore summarize findings indicating that HIV-1 infection leads to changes in the epigenome of target and bystander immune cells. Finally, we discuss how an improved understanding of epigenetic features and mechanisms involved in HIV-1 infection could be exploited for clinical use.
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Ali MM, Phillips SA, Mahmoud AM. HIF1α/TET1 Pathway Mediates Hypoxia-Induced Adipocytokine Promoter Hypomethylation in Human Adipocytes. Cells 2020; 9:cells9010134. [PMID: 31935962 PMCID: PMC7016890 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is associated with the accumulation of dysfunctional adipose tissue that secretes several pro-inflammatory cytokines (adipocytokines). Recent studies have presented evidence that adipose tissues in obese individuals and animal models are hypoxic, which may result in upregulation and stabilization of the hypoxia inducible factor HIF1α. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation enable the body to respond to microenvironmental changes such as hypoxia and may represent a mechanistic link between obesity-associated hypoxia and upregulated inflammatory adipocytokines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of hypoxia in modifying adipocytokine DNA methylation and subsequently adipocytokine expression. We suggested that this mechanism is mediated via the DNA demethylase, ten-eleven translocation-1 (TET1), transcription of which has been shown to be induced by HIF1α. To this end, we studied the effect of hypoxia (2% O2) in differentiated subcutaneous human adipocytes in the presence or absence of HIF1α stabilizer (Dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG), 500 μM), HIF1α inhibitor (methyl 3-[[2-[4-(2-adamantyl) phenoxy] acetyl] amino]-4-hydroxybenzoate, 30 μM), or TET1-specific siRNA. Subjecting the adipocytes to hypoxia significantly induced HIF1α and TET1 protein levels. Moreover, hypoxia induced global hydroxymethylation, reduced adipocytokine DNA promoter methylation, and induced adipocytokine expression. These effects were abolished by either HIF1α inhibitor or TET1 gene silencing. The major hypoxia-responsive adipocytokines were leptin, interleukin-1 (IL6), IL1β, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and interferon γ (IFNγ). Overall, these data demonstrate an activation of the hydroxymethylation pathway mediated by TET1. This pathway contributes to promoter hypomethylation and gene upregulation of the inflammatory adipocytokines in adipocytes in response to hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed M. Ali
- Department of Physical Therapy and Integrative Physiology Laboratory, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | - Shane A. Phillips
- Department of Physical Therapy and Integrative Physiology Laboratory, College of Applied Health Sciences and Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | - Abeer M. Mahmoud
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-312-355-8099
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RASSF10 Is a TGFβ-Target That Regulates ASPP2 and E-Cadherin Expression and Acts as Tumor Suppressor That Is Epigenetically Downregulated in Advanced Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11121976. [PMID: 31817988 PMCID: PMC6966473 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11121976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ras Association Domain Family (RASSF) encodes members of tumor suppressor genes which are frequently inactivated in human cancers. Here, the function and the regulation of RASSF10, that contains a RA (Ras-association) and two coiled domains, was investigated. We utilized mass spectrometry and immuno-precipitation to identify interaction partners of RASSF10. Additionally, we analyzed the up- and downstream pathways of RASSF10 that are involved in its tumor suppressive function. We report that RASSF10 binds ASPP1 (Apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53) and ASPP2 through its coiled-coils. Induction of RASSF10 leads to increased protein levels of ASPP2 and acts negatively on cell cycle progression. Interestingly, we found that RASSF10 is a target of the EMT (epithelial mesenchymal transition) driver TGFβ (Transforming growth factor beta) and that negatively associated genes of RASSF10 are significantly over-represented in an EMT gene set collection. We observed a positive correlation of RASSF10 expression and E-cadherin that prevents EMT. Depletion of RASSF10 by CRISPR/Cas9 technology induces the ability of lung cancer cells to proliferate and to invade an extracellular matrix after TGFβ treatment. Additionally, knockdown of RASSF10 or ASPP2 induced constitutive phosphorylation of SMAD2 (Smad family member 2). Moreover, we found that epigenetic reduction of RASSF10 levels correlates with tumor progression and poor survival in human cancers. Our study indicates that RASSF10 acts a TGFβ target gene and negatively regulates cell growth and invasion through ASPP2. This data suggests that epigenetic loss of RASSF10 contributes to tumorigenesis by promoting EMT induced by TGFβ.
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Chitrala KN, Hernandez DG, Nalls MA, Mode NA, Zonderman AB, Ezike N, Evans MK. Race-specific alterations in DNA methylation among middle-aged African Americans and Whites with metabolic syndrome. Epigenetics 2019; 15:462-482. [PMID: 31739726 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1695340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Identifying epigenetic alterations associated with MetS in African Americans (AAs) and Whites may provide insight into genes that influence its differential health outcomes. We examined DNA methylation (DNAm) and performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of MetS among AAs and Whites with and without MetS. We assessed age, race and poverty status associated DNAm among AAs (n = 225) and White (n = 233) adults using NCEP-ATP III guidelines. Genome-wide DNAm measurement was assessed using Illumina Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip. Differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified using dmpFinder and bumphunter. EWAS was performed using CpGassoc. We found significant DMPs associated with age, poverty status and MetS in each race. GSTT1(Glutathione S-Transferase Theta 1) was one of the top-hypermethylated genes and MIPEP (Mitochondrial Intermediate Peptidase) was one of the most hypomethylated genes when comparing AAs with and without MetS. PPP1R13L (Protein Phosphatase 1 Regulatory Subunit 13 Like) was the top hypermethylated and SCD (stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1) was one of the most hypomethylated genes for Whites with and without MetS. EWAS results showed that DNAm differences might contribute to MetS risk among Whites and AAs since different genes were identified in AAs and Whites. We replicated previously identified MetS associated genes and found that Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXN1P) was statistically significantly differentially expressed only in Whites. Our results may be useful in further studies of genes underlying differences in MetS among AAs and Whites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumaraswamy Naidu Chitrala
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dena G Hernandez
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael A Nalls
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Data Tecnica International, Glen Echo, MD, USA
| | - Nicolle A Mode
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alan B Zonderman
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ngozi Ezike
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michele K Evans
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Deutschmeyer V, Breuer J, Walesch SK, Sokol AM, Graumann J, Bartkuhn M, Boettger T, Rossbach O, Richter AM. Epigenetic therapy of novel tumour suppressor ZAR1 and its cancer biomarker function. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:182. [PMID: 31801617 PMCID: PMC6894338 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0774-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer still is one of the leading causes of death and its death toll is predicted to rise further. We identified earlier the potential tumour suppressor zygote arrest 1 (ZAR1) to play a role in lung carcinogenesis through its epigenetic inactivation. Results We are the first to report that ZAR1 is epigenetically inactivated not only in lung cancer but also across cancer types, and ZAR1 methylation occurs across its complete CpG island. ZAR1 hypermethylation significantly correlates with its expression reduction in cancers. We are also the first to report that ZAR1 methylation and expression reduction are of clinical importance as a prognostic marker for lung cancer and kidney cancer. We further established that the carboxy (C)-terminally present zinc-finger of ZAR1 is relevant for its tumour suppression function and its protein partner binding associated with the mRNA/ribosomal network. Global gene expression profiling supported ZAR1's role in cell cycle arrest and p53 signalling pathway, and we could show that ZAR1 growth suppression was in part p53 dependent. Using the CRISPR-dCas9 tools, we were able to prove that epigenetic editing and reactivation of ZAR1 is possible in cancer cell lines. Conclusion ZAR1 is a novel cancer biomarker for lung and kidney, which is epigenetically silenced in various cancers by DNA hypermethylation. ZAR1 exerts its tumour suppressive function in part through p53 and through its zinc-finger domain. Epigenetic therapy can reactivate the ZAR1 tumour suppressor in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janina Breuer
- Institute for Genetics, University of Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany.,Institute for Biochemistry, University of Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sara K Walesch
- Institute for Genetics, University of Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anna M Sokol
- Scientific Service Group Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany.,The German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Max-Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Johannes Graumann
- Scientific Service Group Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany.,The German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Max-Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Marek Bartkuhn
- Institute for Genetics, University of Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany.,Institute for Bioinformatics, University of Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Boettger
- Max-Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Oliver Rossbach
- Institute for Biochemistry, University of Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Antje M Richter
- Institute for Genetics, University of Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany. .,Max-Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
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Han L, Zhang H, Kaushal A, Rezwan FI, Kadalayil L, Karmaus W, Henderson AJ, Relton CL, Ring S, Arshad SH, Ewart SL, Holloway JW. Changes in DNA methylation from pre- to post-adolescence are associated with pubertal exposures. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:176. [PMID: 31791392 PMCID: PMC6888960 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0780-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a period characterized by major biological development, which may be associated with changes in DNA methylation (DNA-M). However, it is unknown to what extent DNA-M varies from pre- to post-adolescence, whether the pattern of changes is different between females and males, and how adolescence-related factors are associated with changes in DNA-M. METHODS Genome-scale DNA-M at ages 10 and 18 years in whole blood of 325 subjects (n = 140 females) in the Isle of Wight (IOW) birth cohort was analyzed using Illumina Infinium arrays (450K and EPIC). Linear mixed models were used to examine DNA-M changes between pre- and post-adolescence and whether the changes were gender-specific. Adolescence-related factors and environmental exposure factors were assessed on their association with DNA-M changes. Replication of findings was attempted in the comparable Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. RESULTS In the IOW cohort, after controlling for technical variation and cell compositions at both pre- and post-adolescence, 15,532 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites (of 400,825 CpGs, 3.88%) showed statistically significant DNA-M changes from pre-adolescence to post-adolescence invariant to gender (false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.05). Of these 15,532 CpGs, 10,212 CpGs (66%) were replicated in the ALSPAC cohort. Pathway analysis using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) identified significant biological pathways related to growth and development of the reproductive system, emphasizing the importance of this period of transition on epigenetic state of genes. In addition, in IOW, we identified 1179 CpGs with gender-specific DNA-M changes. In the IOW cohort, body mass index (BMI) at age 10 years, age of growth spurt, nonsteroidal drugs use, and current smoking status showed statistically significant associations with DNA-M changes at 15 CpGs on 14 genes such as the AHRR gene. For BMI at age 10 years, the association was gender-specific. Findings on current smoking status were replicated in the ALSPAC cohort. CONCLUSION Adolescent transition is associated with changes in DNA-M at more than 15K CpGs. Identified pathways emphasize the importance of this period of transition on epigenetic state of genes relevant to cell growth and immune system development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luhang Han
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152 USA
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152 USA
| | | | - Faisal I. Rezwan
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL UK
| | - Latha Kadalayil
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Wilfried Karmaus
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152 USA
| | - A. John Henderson
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1QU UK
| | - Caroline L. Relton
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1QU UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1QU UK
| | - Susan Ring
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1QU UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1QU UK
| | - S. Hasan Arshad
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK
- David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary’s Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5TG UK
| | - Susan L. Ewart
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - John W. Holloway
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK
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