July 2011

Epigenetic Gene Promoter Methylation at Birth Is Associated With Child’s Later Adiposity

• 5 genes were selected to show evidence of linking maternal diet with epigenetic control genes in the offspring and later adiposity risk
• The Sequenom MassARRAY® system and EpiTYPER® assay were used to measure the methylation status of 68 CpGs 5′from five candidate genes in umbilical cord tissue DNA from healthy neonates
• Findings suggest a substantial component of metabolic disease risk has a prenatal developmental basis. Perinatal epigenetic analysis may have utility in identifying individual vulnerability to later obesity and metabolic disease.

Dissecting Therapeutic Resistance to RAF Inhibition in Melanoma by Tumor Genomic Profiling
           

• 138 cancer genes were sequenced to compare a resistant tumor sample with normal skin
• Follow up of 14 mutations were verified on the Sequenom MassARRAY system
• Candidate MEK1 mutations may confer resistance to RAF inhibitors
• Interestingly RET mutant had no effect

You can also take advantage of the MassARRAY system to profile your melanoma samples with Sequenom’s MelaCarta™ Panel

• Pre-validated assays containing 72 somatic mutations in 20 cancer genes
• Key genes include MEK, NRAS, KRAS, PIK3CA, GNA11, GNAQ, and KIT
• Only ~200 nanograms per sample required to profile against MelaCarta

Nonneman et al., Predictive markers in calpastatin for tenderness in commercial pig populations.
           

• 194 SNPs and 22 Indels were discovered when 12 animals were re-sequenced using Sanger sequencing technology;
• 184 SNPs and 9 known markers were designed for iPLEX Gold assays and tested with 3,816 animals. Among them, 131 SNPs showed polymorphic.
• 4 markers were identifies to be significant in all samples and could be predictive of pork tenderness for marker assisted selection.

Upcoming Events:
Name: ASCO Highlight
Details: If you've missed ASCO check out these abstracts

Name: AACC
Details: Come to booth # 4308