Developmental Profile of DNA Methylation in the Developing Heart

Background: To better understand the role DNA methylation plays in regulating gene expression in the developng heart and furthermore the role it plays in heart development we performed genome wide DNA methylation profiling of embryonic hearts at embryonic day (E)11.5 and E14.5 using methyl sensitive tiny fragment enrichment coupled with massive parallel sequencing by using the methyl-sensitive restriction enzyme HpyCH4IV, recognition site 'ACGT'. Results: We found that global methylation remains stable at analyzed 'ACGT' sites (1.64 million site) in developing hearts between E11.5 and E14.5. However, differential methylation was identified at individual loci enriched at genes involved in heart development suggesting a role for DNA methylation in the developing heart. Used Methyl Sensitive Tiny Fragment Enrichment/Massive Parallel Sequencing (MSFE/MPS) to assay methylation at 'ACGT' sites throughout the genome and generate a developmental profile of DNA methylation in the embryonic heart and to identify differences between developing mouse hearts at E11.5 and E14.5.