il-10 gene locus DNA methylation in regulatory B cells

Epigenetic studies are becoming increasingly common in the immunology field thanks to the support of cutting edge technology and to their potential of providing a large amount of data at the single cell level. Moreover, epigenetic modifications were shown to play a role in autoimmune/inflammatory disorders, paving the way for the possibility of using the results of epigenetic studies for therapeutic purposes. In recent years, epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and nucleosome positioning were shown to regulate B cell fate and function during an immune response, but very little has been done in the context of one of the most recently discovered B cell subsets, that is regulatory B cells. Although no consensus has yet been found on the identity of these immunosuppressive B cells, the role of the IL-10 cytokine is consolidated, both in the murine and human setting. In this chapter we will focus on the analysis of the methylation profile of a gene of interest and we will specifically describe cloning and pyrosequencing bisulphite sequencing PCR (BSP). Given the specific context, we will provide tips and tricks for the analysis of the il-10 gene locus. Nonetheless, the methods presented are valid for the study of any gene of interest.