Analysis of Sex-dependent Epigenome

关于性别差异的生物学，我们所知道的是，在导致人类和动物疾病的生物学功能上存在着显著的差异。表观遗传系统被认为是遗传基因功能的记忆系统。DNA甲基化是哺乳动物表观遗传调控的主要机制。哺乳动物基因组的一个独特特征是存在许多组织依赖性和差异甲基化区域（T-DMRs），其中包括基因及其调控元件。我们开发了D-REAM，一种使用基因组平铺阵列的全基因组DNA甲基化分析方法，用于限制性标签介导扩增的T-DMRs分析。本研究项目重点研究了男性和女性组织和细胞的表观基因组。我们发现，除了在性染色体和与性器官发育相关的基因组区域中发现的T-DMRs，在雄性和雌性动物之间存在甲基化差异。

What is known about the biology of sexual differences is that there are striking differences in the biological functions that can lead to human and animal diseases. Epigenetic systems are recognized as memory systems for inheritable gene functions. DNA methylation plays a role the main epigenetic regulation mechanism in mammals. A unique feature of the mammalian genome is that there are numerous tissue-dependent and differentially methylated regions (T-DMRs), which include genes and their regulatory elements. We have developed D-REAM, a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis method using a genome tiling array, for T-DMRs profiling with restriction tag-mediated amplification. This research project highlights the epigenome of tissues and cells in male and female respectively. We found that there are T-DMRs that are differentially methylated between male and female animals, other than those found in the sex chromosomes and the genomic regions related to sexual organs development.