Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In humans, there are hundreds of cell types, each with specialized functions that make up different tissues and organs. All these cells share the same genetic makeup but exhibit different patterns of gene expression contributing to their specialized functions. It is now known that such varying gene expression patterns are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, one of which is DNA methylation where a methyl group is covalently added to cytosine. The Illumina DNA methylation microarrays are the most widely used platforms for genome-wide DNA methylation study in humans. Significant findings regarding human developments and disease mechanisms have been reported using the Illumina microarrays. This thesis describes the discovery of problematic probes in the Illumina microarrays. These probes generate unreliable array signals that, when misinterpreted, can lead to false discoveries. By recognizing the existence of problematic probes, data generated by the Illumina microarrays can be more reliably interpreted for biological meaning.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Y. Ann Chen
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2563531540