Do MicroRNAs Preferentially Target the Genes with Low DNA Methylation Level at the Promoter Region?

  • Zhixi Su
  • Junfeng Xia
  • Zhongming Zhao
Conference paper
Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNCS, volume 6840)

Abstract

DNA methylation in genes’ promoter regions and microRNA (miRNA) regulation at the 3’ untranslated regions (UTRs) are two major epigenetic regulation mechanisms in majority of eukaryotes. Both DNA methylation of gene’s 5’promoter region and miRNA targeting 3’ UTR can suppress gene expression and play very important roles in regulating many cellular processes. Although the gene silencing role of both promoter methylation regulation and the miRNA targeting have been well investigated, the relationship between them remains largely unknown. In this study, we used human single base-resolution methylome data of two cell lines to investigate the relationship between them. Our preliminary results suggested that there is a functional complementation between transcriptional promoter methylation and post-transcriptional miRNA regulation, suggesting a possible combined regulation system in the cellular system.

Keywords

DNA methylation microRNA gene expression epigenetic regulation 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Zhixi Su
    • 1
  • Junfeng Xia
    • 1
  • Zhongming Zhao
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of Biomedical InformaticsVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUSA
  2. 2.Department of PsychiatryVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUSA
  3. 3.Department of Cancer BiologyVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUSA

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