Figure 6

Methylation status of beclin 1 gene in different cases. (A) Methylation patterns of the beclin 1 gene in breast tumors and adjacent normal tissues. Sequencing of bisulfite treated DNA revealed methylation patterns for beclin 1 gene. Black squares represent methylated CpG dinucleotides, white squares represent unmethylated CpG dinucleotides and gray squares are hemimethylated. Hemimethylated (grey squares) means that only one C allele in the same CpG site of the two DNA strands is methylated. Methylated (dark squares) means that both C alleles in the same CpG site of the two DNA strands are methylated and unmethylated means that both C alleles in the same CpG site of the two DNA strands are unmethylated. 1, 3, 8, 12, 16 and 20: samples with significant decreased expression of beclin 1; 2, 5, 9, 11, 15 and 17: samples without decreased expression of beclin 1 in tumors. (B) Percentage of methylation status from 1^st to 19^th CpG site in the promoter of beclin 1 in 6 cases with significant decreased mRNA expression. (C) Percentage of methylation status from 1^st to 11^th CpG site in intron 2 of beclin 1 in 6 cases with significant decreased mRNA expression.