MethMarker: user-friendly design and optimization of gene-specific DNA methylation assays

Genome Biol. 2009;10(10):R105. doi: 10.1186/gb-2009-10-10-r105. Epub 2009 Oct 5.

Abstract

DNA methylation is a key mechanism of epigenetic regulation that is frequently altered in diseases such as cancer. To confirm the biological or clinical relevance of such changes, gene-specific DNA methylation changes need to be validated in multiple samples. We have developed the MethMarker http://methmarker.mpi-inf.mpg.de/ software to help design robust and cost-efficient DNA methylation assays for six widely used methods. Furthermore, MethMarker implements a bioinformatic workflow for transforming disease-specific differentially methylated genomic regions into robust clinical biomarkers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Assay / methods*
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • DNA Methylation / genetics*
  • DNA Modification Methylases / genetics
  • DNA Repair Enzymes / genetics
  • Humans
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Software Design*
  • Software*
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • DNA Modification Methylases
  • MGMT protein, human
  • DNA Repair Enzymes