Direct, Programmable Detection of Epigenetic DNA Cytosine Modifications using TAL Effectors

摘要

The present invention relates to methods for the differentiation of a 5-hydroxymethyl modification of a cytosine residue of interest in a nucleic acid molecule from (i) a 5-methyl modification of said cytosine residue of interest o,r (ii) said unmodified cytosine residue of interest, said methods making use of the capability of transcription-activator-like effector (TALE) proteins to preferentially bind with strong affinity to nucleic acid sequences containing non-modified cytosine residues or 5-methyl modified cytosine residues, and to bind, if at all, with only strongly reduced affinity to nucleic acid sequences containing 5-hydroxymethyl modified cytosine residues. The present invention further relates to respective uses of TALE proteins for the differentiation of a 5-hydroxymethyl modification of a cytosine residue of interest in a nucleic acid molecule from (i) a 5-methyl modification of said cytosine residue of interest or (ii) said unmodified cytosine residue of interest.