National Cancer Institute (source definition)
Bisulfite Sequencing
A DNA sequencing technique that can differentiate cytosine from 5-methylcytosine in a DNA sample. First, a denatured DNA sample is treated with bisulfite which converts non-methylated cytosine to uracil. Next, the sample is amplified using a PCR method that does not discriminate between non-methylated and methylated sequences. The amplified DNA is subjected to nucleotide sequencing. The resulting sequence is compared to an identical control sample of DNA that was not treated with bisulfite. Unmethylated cytosines will be displayed as cytosines in the control sample and as thymines in the bisulfite-treated sample.
Review and references
Automated source check (NCI definition)
2026-10-19
2026-10-20
professional use
References
- NCI Thesaurus 26.09d — Bisulfite Sequencing (C106054)
- Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C106054. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0.
- Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation Profiles on Jining Grey Goat Uterus Associated with Prolificacy Using Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing. — Animals (Basel), 2026-09-18 (PMID 42791792; literature)
- Multiplexed single-cell reduced representation bisulfite sequencing for genome-wide DNA methylation profiling. — Nat Protoc, 2026-10-15 (PMID 42881293; literature)
What it is
A DNA sequencing technique that can differentiate cytosine from 5-methylcytosine in a DNA sample. First, a denatured DNA sample is treated with bisulfite which converts non-methylated cytosine to uracil. Next, the sample is amplified using a PCR method that does not discriminate between non-methylated and methylated sequences. The amplified DNA is subjected to nucleotide sequencing. The resulting sequence is compared to an identical control sample of DNA that was not treated with bisulfite. Unmethylated cytosines will be displayed as cytosines in the control sample and as thymines in the bisulfite-treated sample.
Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C106054. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0.
Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-18. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.
Compliance note
Reference intervals and interpretation depend on the laboratory, specimen, method and clinical context. This source definition is educational information; it does not establish a diagnosis, product approval or suitability for an individual.
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