Novel detection method for 5mCpG on DNA Viruses: Hepatitis B Virus
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Methylation sequencing can provide insights into transmission events and disease progression. Hepatitis B is a relaxed circular DNA virus and is one of the causative agents of viral hepatitis. HBV infection is a major health problem worldwide and can cause both acute and chronic disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 240 million people exhibit chronic HBV infections and about 600,000 people die every year due to the consequences of HBV. The methylation patterns of HBV can provide valuable information regarding chronicity and disease activity. Previously, the analysis of DNA base modifications on native DNA is not possible without bisulfite conversion steps and PCR which degrade DNA and add additional biases. ‘Third generation’ sequencing approaches such as Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) can potentially overcome these limitations. Here we have developed a novel technique for detecting modified bases on HBV that is not dependent on bisulfite conversion or PCR.