Genome-wide analysis of replication timing by next-generation sequencing with E/L Repli-seq

Nat Protoc. 2018 May;13(5):819-839. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2017.148. Epub 2018 Mar 29.

Abstract

This protocol is an extension to: Nat. Protoc. 6, 870-895 (2014); doi:10.1038/nprot.2011.328; published online 02 June 2011Cycling cells duplicate their DNA content during S phase, following a defined program called replication timing (RT). Early- and late-replicating regions differ in terms of mutation rates, transcriptional activity, chromatin marks and subnuclear position. Moreover, RT is regulated during development and is altered in diseases. Here, we describe E/L Repli-seq, an extension of our Repli-chip protocol. E/L Repli-seq is a rapid, robust and relatively inexpensive protocol for analyzing RT by next-generation sequencing (NGS), allowing genome-wide assessment of how cellular processes are linked to RT. Briefly, cells are pulse-labeled with BrdU, and early and late S-phase fractions are sorted by flow cytometry. Labeled nascent DNA is immunoprecipitated from both fractions and sequenced. Data processing leads to a single bedGraph file containing the ratio of nascent DNA from early versus late S-phase fractions. The results are comparable to those of Repli-chip, with the additional benefits of genome-wide sequence information and an increased dynamic range. We also provide computational pipelines for downstream analyses, for parsing phased genomes using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to analyze RT allelic asynchrony, and for direct comparison to Repli-chip data. This protocol can be performed in up to 3 d before sequencing, and requires basic cellular and molecular biology skills, as well as a basic understanding of Unix and R.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bromodeoxyuridine / metabolism
  • Cell Division*
  • Cell Line
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • DNA / biosynthesis*
  • DNA Replication*
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / methods*
  • Mice
  • Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Staining and Labeling / methods
  • Time*

Substances

  • DNA
  • Bromodeoxyuridine