Epigenetic Studies Point to DNA Replication/Repair Genes as a Basis for the Heritable Nature of Long Term Complications in Diabetes

Figure 7

DNA methylation patterns within MRs of genomic areas upstream of the TSS for the dnmt1, mcm2, and orc3 genes (Panels (a), (b), and (c), resp.). The zebrafish genes (and associated upstream genomic regions) were analyzed in regard to (1) methylated regions, (2) percent GC content, and (3) CpG islands. CpG islands are defined as containing at least 50% of CG dinucleotides within a region of at least 200 bp. As in Figure 4, red bars represent methylated regions (MRs) as defined by the MACS algorithm for the zebrafish genes and black vertical bars represent GC content in the selected genomic region. For mcm2, the three red bars represent MRs 1, 2, and 3 as depicted in Figure 4. Green bars (when present) indicate CpG islands (CpG island is a region with at least 200 bp and a GC percentage that is greater than 50% and with an observed-to-expected CpG ratio that is greater than 60%). Notice that the red bars overlay areas of elevated GC content that are not classified as canonical CpG islands except for the far right red bar for mcm2, as indicated by the lower green bar to the right of center in Panel 7(b).

(a)

(b)

(c)