Novel tools for unbiased DNA differential methylation screening

Abstract

DNA differential methylation screening approaches may be hypothesis driven (preselection of the loci to screen) or unbiased (screening precedes mapping of differentially methylated loci). The latter allow for the identification of sequences demonstrating ‘nonclassical’ methylation behavior in cancer and, thus, widen our concept of tumor biology. Extensive employment of unbiased screening methods is hampered by the troublesome procedures involved in physically mapping the identified differentially methylated DNA fragments. In this special report, we describe a positive experience of optimizing two screening methods, methylation-sensitive arbitrarily primed PCR and amplification of intermethylated sites, with a special focus on simplification, or even exclusion, of sequencing procedures. With our modifications, unbiased screening of DNA differential methylation acquires an easy-to-use workflow, including sophisticated experimental design, high-resolution analysis and simple genomic mapping of the fragments of interest.