Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for detecting exhaled microRNAs for identifying lung diseases such as cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Abstract: Methods and kits are provided for testing the functional effect of methylating different cytosine residues, for testing patterns of DNA methylation on gene expression, and for site-specific methylation, as well as methylated DNA constructs. Methods are provided that include steps of denaturing a circular double-stranded DNA construct; hybridizing primers to separate strands of the denatured circular DNA construct; contacting the hybridized primers with a DNA polymerase, deoxynucleoside triphosphates, and copies of the primers; contacting nicked copies with a DNA ligase so as to form a copy of the circular DNA construct; contacting the copy of the circular DNA construct with a methyltransferase enzyme; transfecting a cell with C-5 methylated circular DNA construct; and quantifying expression of a gene of interest, thereby determining the effect of C-5 methylating cytosine nucleotide residues of DNA on expression of the gene of interest.

Abstract: Methods and kits are provided for testing the functional effect of methylating different cytosine residues or testing patterns of DNA methylation on gene expression. Methods are also provided for site-specific methylation, as well as methylated DNA constructs.