Callipyge mutation affects gene expression in cis: A potential role for chromatin structure

Methylation analysis of the genomic region flanking the callipyge mutation. (A) Nucleotide sequence encompassing the position of the callipyge mutation (highlighted A) showing the CpG dinucleotides analyzed. (B) Quantitative CpG methylation analysis in prenatal and postnatal longissimus dorsi and liver tissues from sheep of each genotype. The status of each CpG is shown by the individual pie charts, where the darkened portion corresponds to the average level of cytosine methylation detected for N = 2 animals of each genotype. CpG position 8 within the sequence in A was omitted from analysis because of the presence of a G→A SNP (arrowhead in A) in some animals. (NN) N^MATN^PAT; (CN) C^MATN^PAT; (NC) N^MATC^PAT; (CC) C^MATC^PAT. (C) Locus-specific methylation for all CpGs (except position 8) within the sequenced region in longissimus dorsi and liver of prenatal and postnatal sheep. Shown is the average percent methylation (±SEM) across the 10 CpGs within the amplicon for two sheep of each genotype. (Gray bars) Fetal sheep; (black bars) adult sheep.