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Figure 1 | Epigenetics & Chromatin

Figure 1

From: Rapid analysis of heterogeneously methylated DNA using digital methylation-sensitive high resolution melting: application to the CDKN2B (p15) gene

Figure 1

High resolution melting: application to DNA methylation analysis. High resolution melting (HRM) tracks melting of PCR amplicons using an intercalating fluorescent dye. Amplicons with different sequences display different melting profiles, allowing identification of sequence variants. The panels show model sequences and then representations of the resultant normalised melting curves and Tm curves (negative first derivative of the melting curves).

Panel a: Single base changes. HRM can distinguish heterozygotes from homozygotes due to formation of heteroduplexes (shown in blue). As heteroduplexes are less stable than homoduplexes (pink and purple), they will melt earlier.

Panel b: Homogeneous methylation. Detection of methylated cytosines via HRM (MS-HRM) relies upon sequence changes introduced by bisulphite modification. Unmethylated cytosines (black Cs) are converted to uracils (Us), while methylated cytosines (red Cs) are resistant to modification. Only one strand is amplified. When a mixture of fully methylated and unmethylated templates are analysed, heteroduplexes are not formed if there are four or more CpG sites in the amplicon.

Panel c: Heterogeneous methylation. When methylation is heterogeneous, heteroduplexes form because of the presence of molecules that differ only by a few bases. The large number of potential heteroduplexes leads to complex melting patterns. The original templates can be identified by digital analysis.

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