DNA Methylation and Expression Patterns of Key Tissue-specific Genes in Adult Stem Cells and Stomach Tissues

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 24; no. 5; pp. 918 - 929
• Main Authors: Hong, Seung-Jin, Kang, Moo-Il, Oh, Jung-Hwan, Jung, Yu-Chae, Kim, Young-Ho, Kim, Sung-Ja, Choi, Seung-Hye, Seo, Eun-Joo, Choi, Sang-Wook, Rhyu, Mun-Gan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 01.10.2009; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - cytology; Adolescent; Adult; Adult Stem Cells - cytology; Adult Stem Cells - metabolism; Aged; CpG Islands - genetics; DNA Methylation; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Stomach - cytology; Stomach - metabolism; Stromal Cells - metabolism; Transcription Initiation Site; Transcription, Genetic; 의학일반; Stem Cells; CpG Islands; Stomach; DNA Methylation; Tissue-Specific Gene
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2009.24.5.918

CpG-island margins and non-island-CpG sites round the transcription start sites of CpG-island-positive and -negative genes are methylated to various degrees in a tissue-specific manner. These methylation-variable CpG sites were analyzed to delineate a relationship between the methylation and transcription of the tissue-specific genes. The level of tissue-specific transcription was estimated by counting the number of the total transcripts in the SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) database. The methylation status of 12 CpG-island margins and 21 non-island CpG sites near the key tissue-specific genes was examined in pluripotent stromal cells obtained from fat and bone marrow samples as well as in lineage-committed cells from marrow bulk, stomach, colon, breast, and thyroid samples. Of the 33 CpG sites examined, 10 non-island-CpG sites, but none of the CpG-island margins were undermethylated concurrent with tissue-specific expression of their nearby genes. The net methylation of the 33 CpG sites and the net amount of non-island-CpG gene transcripts were high in stomach tissues and low in stromal cells. The present findings suggest that the methylation of the non-island-CpG sites is inversely associated with the expression of the nearby genes, and the concert effect of transitional-CpG methylation is linearly associated with the stomach-specific genes lacking CpG-islands.