Global DNA methylation analysis using the luminometric methylation assay

Abstract

Epigenetic alterations regulate the utilization of the genome by permitting or inhibiting access of transcription factors and associated complexes. Although there are several different types of epigenetic alterations, such as acetylation and methylation of histone tails, the one which has been the most extensively studied is DNA-methylation, wherein the cytosine residue in a CpG dinucleotide is methylated. Luminometric Methylation Assay (LUMA) enables researchers to study global methylation by using methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes followed by Pyrosequencing ® which quantitates the number of cuts in the genome relative to an internal standard. The relative measurement of global methylation levels is simple and enables up to 96 samples to be analyzed at the same time. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.