What resolution is achieved by the changes introduced in DNA sequences during bisulfite conversion?

The process of bisulfite conversion specifically targets the methylation status of cytosine residues in DNA. During this treatment, unmethylated cytosines are converted to uracils, while methylated cytosines remain unchanged. This alteration allows researchers to determine the methylation pattern at the single-nucleotide level, meaning they can identify whether each individual cytosine in the sequence is methylated or not.

The precision of this method is what gives it single-nucleotide resolution. Consequently, analysis that follows bisulfite conversion, such as sequencing or PCR, can reveal detailed information about the methylation status of DNA down to the level of individual nucleotides, making it a powerful tool for epigenetic studies. This level of detail is crucial for understanding the role of DNA methylation in gene expression and regulation. The other resolutions mentioned, such as single-molecule, single-cell, or single-gene, do not capture the specificity and detail of the information derived from bisulfite conversion regarding methylation at every cytosine position.