Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41102181›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Methylation reference datasets from quartet DNA materials for benchmarking epigenome sequencing.

Xiaorou Guo, Qingwang Chen, Yuanfeng Zhang, Yujing Zhang, Yaqing Liu, Shumeng Duan, Yu Ma, Peng Ni, Jianxin Wang, Bo He and 15 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

25 authors.

Xiaorou Guo *State Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-7163-9562
Qingwang Chen *State Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yuanfeng Zhang *National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2308-019X
Yujing Zhang *Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China.
Yaqing LiuState Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9356-9164
Shumeng DuanState Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yu MaNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China.
Peng NiSchool of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0801-7574
Jianxin WangSchool of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1516-0480
Bo HePeking University Chengdu Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Biotechnologies, Chengdu, China.
Luyao RenState Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Ruiwen MaState Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Wanwan HouState Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Ying YuState Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4084-908X
Bingsi LiBurning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou, China.
Fujun QiuBurning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou, China.
Yuan SunBurning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou, China.
Zhihong ZhangBurning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1454-1604
Weihong XuGreater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), Fudan University, Guangzhou, China.
Xiang FangCenter for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China.
Jinming LiNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1476-3397
Leming ShiState Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. lemingshi@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2981-4150
Rui ZhangNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China. ruizhang@nccl.org.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4660-2042
Yuanting ZhengState Key Laboratory of Genetics and Development of Complex Phenotypes, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute and Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. zhengyuanting@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4480-8303
Lianhua DongCenter for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China. donglh@nim.ac.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The lack of quantitative methylation reference datasets (ground truth) and cross-laboratory reproducibility assessment hinders clinical translation of epigenome-wide sequencing technologies. Using certified Quartet DNA reference materials, here we generate 108 epigenome-sequencing datasets across three mainstream protocols (whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, enzymatic methyl-seq, and TET-assisted pyridine borane sequencing) with triplicates per sample across laboratories. We observe strand-specific methylation biases across all protocols and libraries. Cross-laboratory reproducibility analyses reveal high quantitative methylation levels agreement (mean Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) = 0.96) but low detection concordance (mean Jaccard index = 0.36). Using consensus voting, we construct genome-wide quantitative methylation reference datasets serving as ground truth for proficiency testing. Key technical parameters-including mean CpG depth, coverage, and strand consistency-correlate strongly with reference-dependent quality metrics (recall, PCC, and RMSE). Collectively, these resources establish foundational standards for benchmarking emerging epigenomic technologies and analytical pipelines, enabling robust, standardized quality control in research and clinical applications.

Indexed as

DNADNA MethylationEpigenomeEpigenomicsSequence Analysis, DNABenchmarkingCpG IslandsHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansReference StandardsReproducibility of ResultsDNA

Identifiers

PMID41102181
PMCPMC12533135

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.