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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2016 May 6;17(7):411–423. doi: 10.1038/nrn.2016.41

Figure 2. The landscape of DNA methylation in relation to gene expression.

Figure 2

a | DNA methylation over a neuronally active enhancer, promoter, transcription start site (TSS; denoted by arrow) and gene body (TSS to transcription end site)of representative neuronally and non-neuronally expressed genes. b | Neuronal genes in a partially methylated domain (PMD) in a PMD-containing tissue (such as a preimplantation embryo, placenta or tumour) are characterized by lower levels of 5-methylcytosine-guanine (5mCG) but relatively higher levels of promoter 5mCG compared to the promoters of active genes. c | Non-neuronal genes with low expression in neurons (such as glial-specific genes) are characterized by high 5mCG methylation except at the promoter, are enriched for 5-methylcytosine-(A, C or T) (5mCH), and are depleted of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). d | Neuronal genes with high expression in neurons are characterized by high levels of gene-body 5mCG and 5hmC but low levels of 5mCH, and low levels of enhancer and promoter 5mCG and 5hmC. Figures adapted from data in REFS 19,59. Methylation levels are shown as relative low and high values so that 5mCG, 5mCH and 5hmC can all be represented together.