Epigentek Releases Bisulfite Conversion Kit for RNA Sequencing and RNA Methylation Studies

NEW YORK, Oct 22 - Leading epigenetics company Epigentek, located in Farmingdale, NY, has developed and released an RNA bisulfite conversion kit to enable researchers in academic, biotech, and pharmaceutical institutions to quickly and conveniently generate bisulfite-converted RNA for loci-specific and epitranscription-wide  RNA methylation analysis. The Methylamp(TM) RNA Bisulfite Conversion Kit (http://www.epigentek.com/catalog/methylamp-rna-bisulfite-conversion-kit-p-3644.html) expands upon Epigentek’s pursuit of a comprehensive portfolio for RNA-based studies of epigenetics (http://www.epigentek.com/catalog/rna-methylation-c-75_115.html).5-methylcytosine (5-mC) in DNA been well studied and is generally associated with repression of gene expression, but it has also been observed that in humans, 5-mC occurs in various RNA molecules including tRNAs, rRNAs, mRNAs, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). At least 10,275 5-mC candidate sites were discovered in mRNAs and ncRNAs, which covered 10.6% of the total cytosine residues in the transcriptome.

5-mC seems to be enriched in some classes of ncRNA, but relatively depleted in mRNAs. However, the majority (83%) of their candidate sites were found in mRNAs. Within these transcripts, 5-mC appears to be depleted within protein coding sequences but enriched in 5’ and 3’ UTRs. Two different methyltransferases, NSUN2 and DNMT2 are known to catalyze the 5-mC modification in eukaryotic RNAs. Recent data strongly suggest that RNA cytosine methylation affects the regulation of various biological processes such as RNA stability and mRNA translation. Furthermore, loss of 5-mC in vault RNAs causes aberrant processing into Argonaute-associated small RNA fragments that can function as microRNAs. Thus, impaired processing of vault ncRNA may contribute to the etiology of human disorders related to NSUN2-deficiency human disorders.For years Epigentek has offered the most complete kit series for DNA methylation analysis, including bisulfite conversion, global DNA methylation quantification, and DNA methyltransferase research kits. Due to increasing interest in RNA methylation analysis in the epigenetic research community over the past two years, Epigentek brings its expertise into this novel RNA bisulfite conversion kit to generate bisulfite-converted RNA for 5-methylcytosine RNA methylation analyses with use of  methylation specific RT-PCR, MS-HRM, and bisulfite-sequencing The high sensitivity of the kit  allows researchers to start from as low as 5 ng of input RNA with a 99.9% conversion efficiency.

Epigentek also recently released an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) -- the “fifth RNA base” -- RNA methylation quantification kit (http://www.epigentek.com/catalog/epiquik-m6a-rna-methylation-quantification-kit-colorimetric-p-3646.html) as well.

About Epigentek Group Inc.Epigentek is a leading biotechnology company that focuses on developing and providing innovative technologies and products as a complete and systematic solution for epigenetic related research and drug discovery. Visit our informative website at http://www.epigentek.com.

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William Lee

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Epigentek

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