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1
I. I
NTRODUCTION
Using This Manual
Please read the entire instruction manual prior to using CpG WIZ
Amplification Kits. Note that in the Procedures and Troubleshooting sections,
instructions are separate for the CpG WIZ Prader-Willi/ Angelman
Amplification Kit (S7806). Should additional questions arise, assistance is
available from Chemicon Technical Service at techserv@chemicon.com or
(800) 437-7500.
Background
Methylation of cytosines located 5' to guanosine is known to have a profound
effect on the expression of several eukaryotic genes (1). In normal cells,
methylation occurs predominantly in CG-poor regions, while CG-rich areas,
called CpG islands, remain unmethylated. The exception is extensive
methylation of CpG islands associated with transcriptional inactivation of
regulatory regions of imprinted genes (2, 3) such as those associated with
Prader-Willi/Angelman Syndrome (4) and genes on the inactive X-chromosome
of females (5, 6). Aberrant methylation of normally unmethylated CpG islands
has been documented as a relatively frequent event in immortalized and
transformed cells (7) and has been associated with transcriptional inactivation of
defined tumor suppressor genes in human cancers (8, 9). E-cadherin, p16, and
p15 are examples of genes that exhibit characteristic hypermethylation.
Previously developed methods to determine the methylation status of cytosine
include digestion with methylation sensitive restriction enzymes and genomic
DNA sequencing. Both techniques have limitations: restriction enzymes can
only detect methylation sites within their recognition sequence and sequencing
is time consuming. Increasing the detection sensitivity of CpG island
methylation has the potential to define tumor suppressor gene function and
provides a new strategy for early tumor detection.
Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) is a new technology for sensitive detection of
abnormal gene methylation utilizing small amounts of DNA (10). This process
employs an initial bisulfite reaction to modify the DNA, followed by PCR
amplification with specific primers designed to distinguish methylated from
unmethylated DNA. The CpGenome DNA Modification Kit (S7820) contains
the reagents necessary to perform the initial bisulfite reactions, while CpG
WIZ Amplification Kits contain the reagents required for the PCR
amplification reactions.