Hello everyone,
I am currently conducting a DNA methylation analysis and have obtained a list of Differentially Methylated Positions (DMPs) and their associated genes. Additionally, I have collected information such as chromosome location and position. In my dataset, the DMPs are categorized into different genomic regions, including promoters, 5' UTR, 3' UTR, exons, introns, and distal intergenic regions.
Based on existing literature, there is a consensus that higher methylation levels in gene promoters generally lead to reduced gene expression. Conversely, in the gene body, which includes exons and introns, increased methylation may not necessarily correlate with decreased gene expression. However, I would like to gain a deeper understanding of how gene expression varies depending on the specific location of methylation within the gene.
I'm particularly interested in comprehending the impact of DMPs found in the "distal intergenic" region. This category has the highest proportion of DMPs in my dataset, and I'm curious about its significance. What exactly is the "distal intergenic" region, and how does methylation in this region affect gene expression? Does it influence neighboring genes, or does it have unique implications?
I would greatly appreciate any insights or expertise from those who have knowledge in this area. Your explanations and guidance would be invaluable in advancing my research.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Best regards, Irene
Distal is typically "non-promoter". For the other questions, there is no simple answer that can be provided here. Essentially, you ask what the biology of your data is. Nobody knows. There is extensive literature on methylation and gene expression. Please go through it. It is not only what methylation does itself, but also whether a distal region affects a gene or not. Please do a literature search. These questions are beyond what we can answer here.
Out of curiosity, how did you collect the DMP and associated genes?
I used dmpFinder function to collect the DMPs. Then, I created a GRanges object. This is the object necessary to use the annotatePeak function from the Chipseeker.