A Sensitive Approach to Map Genome-wide 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-Formylcytosine at Single-base Resolution

Mapping genome-wide 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and 5-formylcytosine (5fC) at single-base resolution is important to understand their biological functions. We present a cost-efficient mapping method that combines 5hmC-specific restriction enzyme PvuRts1I with a 5hmC enrichment method. The sensitive method enables detection of low abundant 5hmC sites, providing a more complete 5hmC landscape than available bisulfite-based methods. This method generated the first genome-wide 5fC map at single-base resolution. Parallel analyses revealed that 5hmC and 5fC existed with lower abundance and more dynamically in non-CpG context than in CpG context. In the genic region, distribution of 5hmCpG and 5fCpG differed from 5hmCH and 5fCH (H=A, T, C). 5hmC and 5fC were distributed distinctly at regulatory protein-DNA binding sites, depleted in permissive transcription factor binding sites, and enriched at active and poised enhancers. This sensitive bisulfite-conversion free method can be applied to biological samples with limited starting material or low abundance of cytosine modifications. Overall design: Sensitive mapping of genome-wide 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-formylcytosine in mouse embryonic stem cell at single-base resolution by combining 5-hydroxymethylcytosine specific restriction enzyme PvuRts1I and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine enrichment method (selective chemical labeling or SEAL)