HIGH-RESOLUTION METHYLATION ANALYSIS OF THE GALECTIN-1 GENE PROMOTER REGION IN EXPRESSING AND NONEXPRESSING TISSUES

We conducted by bisulfite genomic sequencing a high resolution study o f the methylation of the galectin-1 gene in expressing and nonexpressi ng tissues, We show that: (i) hypomethylation of galectin-1 promoter c orrelates with expression; (ii) differences in methylation occur in a small region, which include a CpG cluster; (iii) the density of methyl -CpGs rather than site-specific methylation distinguishes the nonexpre ssing from the expressing alleles; (iv) the modification profiles in n onexpressing tissues are highly heterogeneous; (v) a single CpG within 1300 bp is always methylated both in expressing and nonexpressing tis sues; (vi) these features are conserved in rat and mouse. (C) 1998 Fed eration of European Biochemical Societies.