| abstract |
The present invention concerns a method for the detection of cytosine methylation in DNA samples, wherein the following steps are conducted: (a) a genomic DNA sample, which comprises the DNA to be investigated and background DNA, is chemically treated in such a way that all of the unmethylated cytosine bases are converted to uracil, whereas the 5-methylcytosine bases remain unchanged; (b) the chemically treated DNA sample is amplified with the use of at least 1 primer oligonucleotide as well as a polymerase, whereby the DNA to be investigated is preferred as the template over the background DNA, and (c) the amplified products are analyzed and the methylation status in the DNA to be investigated is concluded from the presence of an amplified product and/or from the analysis of additional positions. |