DNA methylation microarrays are intended to be utilized in conjunction with other techniques. Bisulfite conversion, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP), methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD)-based capture, and almost any other techniques can take advantage of microarrays. The main advantage of microarrays in methylation studies is that they can target methylated or potentially methylated regions. For example, the CpG island array targets all known CpG islands. Promoter arrays are also common, usually covering all refseq promoters in the species of interest (human, mouse or rat). Although microarrays are not as powerful as next generation sequencing (NGS), the low cost and high-throughput attributes of arrays make them still very useful for conducting large-scale and high-throughput experiments. Creative BioMart has a variety of mainstream DNA methylation microarrays and comprehensive platforms for array-based assessment of DNA methylation. Additionally, customized methylation microarrays services are provided to our customers.

What Is DNA Methylation Microarray?

1. 1. Combination of bisulfite treatment and microarray

Illumina’s Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip protocol involves the bisulfite conversion of genomic DNA and amplification, followed by the hybridization of the converted DNA to arrays containing predesigned probes to distinguish between methylated and unmethylated cytosines. Each MethylationEPIC BeadChip can interrogate more than 850,000 methylation sites, including >90 % of the 450 K sites (Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip) plus additional CpG sites in the enhancer regions identified by the ENCODE and FANTOM5 projects.

1. 1. Combination of affinity-based capture method and microarray

The methylated DNA enriched by MeDIP or MBD proteins can be interrogated using DNA microarrays. Briefly, Genomic DNA is sheared to low molecular weight fragments, and methylated DNA fragments are enriched with anti-methyl-cytosine antibodies or MBD proteins, and may be PCR-amplified if source material is limited. Input and methylated DNA can be subsequently labeled with fluorescent dyes Cy3 (green) and Cy5 (red), pooled, denatured, and then hybridized with DNA methylation microarray for detection.

Figure 1. Principle of MeDIP-chip

Features of DNA Methylation Microarray Service at Creative BioMart

1. Tolerance of multiple sample types: we currently accept a wide range of biological and clinical samples including genomic DNA, cells, tissues, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples. Sample sources include human, animals, plants and microorganisms.
2. Multiple commercial DNA methylation microarrays: including complete genome methylation microarrays, CpG island/promoter microarrays, promoter microarrays, etc. The genome-wide DNA methylation microarray covers non-repetitive regions of the human, mouse, rat, and plant genomes.
3. Flexible combinatorial service: you can choose DNA methylation microarrays based on bisulfite treatment and single-base extension technology, while our enrichment-based techniques can also be combined with microarray technology, such as MeDIP-chip.
4. One-stop service: customers only need to provide samples, and our experienced experts will help you with the optimal project design. The technical service team will provide you with complete methylation microarray testing services, complete report with both raw and analyzed data, graphs, detailed protocols, and a summary of findings.
5. Highly customized service: we can also provide array designs to fit customer’s needs including whole-genome survey sets and promoter sets so that you can obtain comprehensive data from your methylation samples. We are ready to help you with your custom array needs, whether it’s a standard design or something more creative.
6. Professional data analysis: with a professional data analysis platform for array-based assessment of DNA methylation and a technical team composed of experienced bioinformatics analysts, Creative BioMart provides you with a full range of data analysis services.
7. Cost-effective: with more than 10 years of experience in DNA methylation analysis, Creative BioMart assures the qualified experimental data that you seek in a convenient manner and at a competitive price.

Workflow of DNA Methylation Microarray Service at Creative BioMart

At Creative BioMart, there are multiple quality control steps in all workflows and validated reagents deliver superior data. We guarantee to meet your different needs during the screening and verification phase.

Figure 2. Workflow of DNA methylation microarray service at Creative BioMart

As a dedicated provider of epigenetic research services, Creative BioMart is looking forward to work close with your team and accelerate your DNA methylation analysis project. Our services are tailored to meet your specific needs. If you have any additional requirements or questions about our DNA methylation microarray service, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

Reference
1. Moran S.; et al. Validation of a DNA methylation microarray for 850,000 CpG sites of the human genome enriched in enhancer sequences. Epigenomics. 2016, 8(3): 389-399.