Influence of DNA-methylation at multiple stages of limb chondrogenesis. Influence of DNA-methylation at multiple stages of limb chondrogenesis

Limb development is a well-established model for understanding cell fate decisions, and the formation of skeletal elements is coordinated through a sequence of events that control chondrogenesis spatiotemporally. It has been established that epigenetic control participates in cartilage maturation. Our research has shown for the first time that the inhibition of DNA methylation in interdigital tissue with 5-azacytidine results in the formation of an ectopic digit. This discovery suggested that DNA methylation dynamics could regulate the fate of cells between chondrogenesis and cell death during autopod development. We sequenced WGBS libraries from in-vivo interdigital tissue treated with 5-azacytidine or DMSO to identify genome-wide methylation changes during the early stages of 5-azacytidine-induced chondrogenesis. Overall design: Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing libraries (WGBS) from interdigital tissue implanted beads, soaked in 250µM 5-azacytidine or DMSO for 4 hours.