Cancer cells typically exhibit aberrant DNA methylation patterns that can drive malignant transformation. Whether cancer cells are dependent on these abnormal epigenetic modifications remains elusive. We used experimental and bioinformatic approaches to unveil genomic regions that require DNA methylation for survival of cancer cells. First, we surveyed the residual DNA methylation profiles in cancer cells with highly impaired DNA methyltransferases. Then, we clustered these profiles according to their DNA methylation status in primary normal and tumor tissues. Finally, we used gene expression meta-analysis to identify regions that are dependent on DNA methylation-mediated gene silencing. We further showed experimentally that these genes must be silenced by DNA methylation for cancer cell survival, suggesting these are key epigenetic events associated with tumorigenesis.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	DNA methylation, transcription, oncogenes
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Genetics
Research Field:	Epigenetics (incl. genome methylation and epigenomics)
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical health
Objective Field:	Clinical health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Taberlay, PC (Associate Professor Phillippa Taberlay)
ID Code:	101257
Year Published:	2012
Web of Science® Times Cited:	191
Deposited By:	Medicine
Deposited On:	2015-06-15
Last Modified:	2017-11-06
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