Analysis of the methylome of human embryonic stem cells employing methylated DNA immunoprecipitation coupled to next-generation sequencing

The analysis of DNA-methylation on a genome-wide scale by next-generation sequencing techniques is an invaluable tool towards the understanding of the epigenetic basis of cellular differentiation. Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) is an immunocapturing method using an antibody targeting 5-methylcytidine (5 mC) and thereby enriching methylated DNA. MeDIP combined with next-generation sequencing (MeDIP-seq) provides a powerful tool for the analysis of genome-wide DNA-methylation profiles. Here, we describe a protocol for the preparation of MeDIP samples suitable for next-generation sequencing on a Genome Analyser (Illumina)