Mirror Bisulfite Sequencing: A Method for Single-Base Resolution of Hydroxymethylcytosine

Although the role of 5-methylcytosine has been well studied, the biological role of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine still remains unclear because of the limited methods available for single-base detection of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Here, we present mirror bisulfite sequencing for 5hmC detection at a single CpG site by synthesizing a DNA strand to mirror the parental strand. This semiconservative duplex is sequentially treated with β-glucosyltransferase and M.SssI methylase. The glucosyl-5hmCpG in the parental strand inhibits methylation of the mirroring CpG site, and after bisulfite conversion, a thymine in the mirroring strand indicates a 5hmCpG site in the parental strand, whereas a cytosine indicates a non-5hmC site. Using this method, the 5hmC levels of various human tissues and paired liver tissues were mapped genomewide.