Tissue-Specific Methylation of Human Insulin Gene and PCR Assay for Monitoring Beta Cell Death
Figure 2
Tissue-specific methylation of the human INS promoter.
Genomic DNA samples obtained from human blood, breast, colon, kidney, liver, lung, spleen, stomach, and human beta cells (‘Islet cell fraction’≈70% beta cells) were analyzed for methylation of the INS promoter. The positions of the nine CpG sites relative to the transcription starting site (TSS) are indicated. The bars display the position and the percentage of unmethylation (white bars) to methylation (black bars) for each CpG. Each pattern results from 20 to 61 clones and obtained from 6 individuals for blood and 3 individuals for other tissues. Statistics were done using the QUMA computer program and Fisher exact test comparing each site with the same site in beta cells. The statistical significance is indicated by asterisks (*, p<0.1; **, p<0.01).