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Denomme MM, McCallie BR, Haywood ME, Parks JC, Schoolcraft WB, Katz-Jaffe MG. Paternal aging impacts expression and epigenetic markers as early as the first embryonic tissue lineage differentiation. Hum Genomics 2024; 18:32. [PMID: 38532526 PMCID: PMC10964547 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-024-00599-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced paternal age (APA) is associated with adverse outcomes to offspring health, including increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the methylome and transcriptome of the first two early embryonic tissue lineages, the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophectoderm (TE), from human blastocysts in association with paternal age and disease risk. High quality human blastocysts were donated with patient consent from donor oocyte IVF cycles from either APA (≥ 50 years) or young fathers. Blastocysts were mechanically separated into ICM and TE lineage samples for both methylome and transcriptome analyses. RESULTS Significant differential methylation and transcription was observed concurrently in ICM and TE lineages of APA-derived blastocysts compared to those from young fathers. The methylome revealed significant enrichment for neuronal signaling pathways, as well as an association with neurodevelopmental disorders and imprinted genes, largely overlapping within both the ICM and TE lineages. Significant enrichment of neurodevelopmental signaling pathways was also observed for differentially expressed genes, but only in the ICM. In stark contrast, no significant signaling pathways or gene ontology terms were identified in the trophectoderm. Despite normal semen parameters in aged fathers, these significant molecular alterations can adversely contribute to downstream impacts on offspring health, in particular neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS An increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders is well described in children conceived by aged fathers. Using blastocysts derived from donor oocyte IVF cycles to strategically control for maternal age, our data reveals evidence of methylation dysregulation in both tissue lineages, as well as transcription dysregulation in neurodevelopmental signaling pathways associated with APA fathers. This data also reveals that embryos derived from APA fathers do not appear to be compromised for initial implantation potential with no significant pathway signaling disruption in trophectoderm transcription. Collectively, our work provides insights into the complex molecular mechanisms that occur upon paternal aging during the first lineage differentiation in the preimplantation embryo. Early expression and epigenetic markers of APA-derived preimplantation embryos highlight the susceptibility of the future fetus to adverse health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Blair R McCallie
- CCRM Genetics, 10290 Ridgegate Circle, Lone Tree, CO, 80124, USA
| | - Mary E Haywood
- CCRM Genetics, 10290 Ridgegate Circle, Lone Tree, CO, 80124, USA
| | - Jason C Parks
- CCRM Genetics, 10290 Ridgegate Circle, Lone Tree, CO, 80124, USA
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2
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Salminen I, Read S, Crespi B. Do the diverse phenotypes of Prader-Willi syndrome reflect extremes of covariation in typical populations? Front Genet 2022; 13:1041943. [PMID: 36506301 PMCID: PMC9731222 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1041943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenotypes of human imprinted neurogenetic disorders can be hypothesized as extreme alterations of typical human phenotypes. The imprinted neurogenetic disorder Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) features covarying phenotypes that centrally involve altered social behaviors, attachment, mood, circadian rhythms, and eating habits, that can be traced to altered functioning of the hypothalamus. Here, we conducted analyses to investigate the extent to which the behavioral variation shown in typical human populations for a set of PWAS-associated traits including autism spectrum cognition, schizotypal cognition, mood, eating, and sleeping phenotypes shows covariability that recapitulates the covariation observed in individuals with PWS. To this end, we collected data from 296 typical individuals for this set of phenotypes, and showed, using principal components analysis, evidence of a major axis reflecting key covarying PWS traits. We also reviewed the literature regarding neurogenetic syndromes that overlap in their affected traits with PWS, to determine their prevalence and properties. These findings demonstrate that a notable suite of syndromes shows phenotypic overlap with PWS, implicating a large set of imprinted and non-imprinted genes, some of which interact, in the phenotypes of this disorder. Considered together, these findings link variation in and among neurogenetic disorders with variation in typical populations, especially with regard to pleiotropic effects mediated by the hypothalamus. This work also implicates effects of imprinted gene variation on cognition and behavior in typical human populations.
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3
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Rowlands A, Juergensen EC, Prescivalli AP, Salvante KG, Nepomnaschy PA. Social and Biological Transgenerational Underpinnings of Adolescent Pregnancy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182212152. [PMID: 34831907 PMCID: PMC8620033 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182212152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent pregnancy (occurring < age 20) is considered a public health problem that creates and perpetuates inequities, affecting not only women, but societies as a whole globally. The efficacy of current approaches to reduce its prevalence is limited. Most existing interventions focus on outcomes without identifying or addressing upstream social and biological causes. Current rhetoric revolves around the need to change girls' individual behaviours during adolescence and puberty. Yet, emerging evidence suggests risk for adolescent pregnancy may be influenced by exposures taking place much earlier during development, starting as early as gametogenesis. Furthermore, pregnancy risks are determined by complex interactions between socio-structural and ecological factors including housing and food security, family structure, and gender-based power dynamics. To explore these interactions, we merge three complimentary theoretical frameworks: "Eco-Social", "Life History" and "Developmental Origins of Health and Disease". We use our new lens to discuss social and biological determinants of two key developmental milestones associated with age at first birth: age at girls' first menstrual bleed (menarche) and age at first sexual intercourse (coitarche). Our review of the literature suggests that promoting stable and safe environments starting at conception (including improving economic and social equity, in addition to gender-based power dynamics) is paramount to effectively curbing adolescent pregnancy rates. Adolescent pregnancy exacerbates and perpetuates social inequities within and across generations. As such, reducing it should be considered a key priority for public health and social change agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Rowlands
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Emma C Juergensen
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Ana Paula Prescivalli
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Katrina G Salvante
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Pablo A Nepomnaschy
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
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4
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Bressan P, Kramer P. Mental Health, Mitochondria, and the Battle of the Sexes. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9020116. [PMID: 33530498 PMCID: PMC7911591 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9020116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a broad perspective on how mental disease relates to the different evolutionary strategies of men and women and to growth, metabolism, and mitochondria—the enslaved bacteria in our cells that enable it all. Several mental disorders strike one sex more than the other; yet what truly matters, regardless of one’s sex, is how much one’s brain is “female” and how much it is “male”. This appears to be the result of an arms race between the parents over how many resources their child ought to extract from the mother, hence whether it should grow a lot or stay small and undemanding. An uneven battle alters the child’s risk of developing not only insulin resistance, diabetes, or cancer, but a mental disease as well. Maternal supremacy increases the odds of a psychosis-spectrum disorder; paternal supremacy, those of an autism-spectrum one. And a particularly lopsided struggle may invite one or the other of a series of syndromes that come in pairs, with diametrically opposite, excessively “male” or “female” characteristics. By providing the means for this tug of war, mitochondria take center stage in steadying or upsetting the precarious balance on which our mental health is built.
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5
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Denomme MM, Haywood ME, Parks JC, Schoolcraft WB, Katz‐Jaffe MG. The inherited methylome landscape is directly altered with paternal aging and associated with offspring neurodevelopmental disorders. Aging Cell 2020; 19:e13178. [PMID: 32610362 PMCID: PMC7431824 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Paternal aging and the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring are well documented. Yet, the underlying mechanism and the mode of inheritance have not been conclusively established. Advancing paternal age is a subtle and varying phenotype. As such, it is likely that a threshold for cumulative risk may exist that, if surpassed, culminates in a predisposition to disease and ultimately an observed phenotype in offspring. Epigenetic regulation provides a plausible explanation for the nongenetic paternal transmission of disease susceptibility. With the use of whole‐genome methylation sequencing, the data described herein substantiate an increasingly compromised DNA methylation profile as sperm ages and, for the first time, also demonstrate a generational correlation in sperm and blastocyst of an altered methylome associated with advanced paternal age. Methylation alterations are not randomly distributed across the genome, but appear clustered at certain chromosomal locations, and significantly colocalize with regions of nucleosome retention. Genes associated with autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder are significantly enriched with causative methylation aberrations in both sperm and embryos from aged fathers. The long‐term health burden and societal economic impact of these conditions are substantial and will continue with increasingly prevalent diagnosis. This work provides a mechanistic link between the paternal age effect and offspring neurodevelopmental disorders leading to a better understanding of causation and investigation into potential future therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mandy G. Katz‐Jaffe
- Fertility Labs of Colorado Lone Tree CO USA
- Fertility Genetics Lone Tree CO USA
- Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine Lone Tree CO USA
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6
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Wilkins JF, Bhattacharya T. Intragenomic conflict over bet-hedging. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20180142. [PMID: 30966914 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic imprinting, where an allele's expression pattern depends on its parental origin, is thought to result primarily from an intragenomic evolutionary conflict. Imprinted genes are widely expressed in the brain and have been linked to various phenotypes, including behaviours related to risk tolerance. In this paper, we analyse a model of evolutionary bet-hedging in a system with imprinted gene expression. Previous analyses of bet-hedging have shown that natural selection may favour alleles and traits that reduce reproductive variance, even at the expense of reducing mean reproductive success, with the trade-off between mean and variance depending on the population size. In species where the sexes have different reproductive variances, this bet-hedging trade-off differs between maternally and paternally inherited alleles. Where males have the higher reproductive variance, alleles are more strongly selected to reduce variance when paternally inherited than when maternally inherited. We connect this result to phenotypes connected with specific imprinted genes, including delay discounting and social dominance. The empirical patterns are consistent with paternally expressed imprinted genes promoting risk-averse behaviours that reduce reproductive variance. Conversely, maternally expressed imprinted genes promote risk-tolerant, variance-increasing behaviours. We indicate how future research might further test the hypotheses suggested by our analysis. This article is part of the theme issue 'Risk taking and impulsive behaviour: fundamental discoveries, theoretical perspectives and clinical implications'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon F Wilkins
- 1 Ronin Institute , Montclair, NJ 07043 , USA.,2 Santa Fe Institute , 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501 , USA
| | - Tanmoy Bhattacharya
- 2 Santa Fe Institute , 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501 , USA.,3 Group T2, Los Alamos National Laboratory , PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545 , USA
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Placental imprinted gene expression mediates the effects of maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy on fetal growth. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2019; 10:196-205. [PMID: 30968809 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174418000545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Imprinted genes uniquely drive and support fetoplacental growth by controlling the allocation of maternal resources to the fetus and affecting the newborn's growth. We previously showed that alterations of the placental imprinted gene expression are associated with suboptimal perinatal growth and respond to environmental stimuli including socio-economic determinants. At the same time, maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy (MPSP) has been shown to affect fetal growth. Here, we set out to test the hypothesis that placental imprinted gene expression mediates the effects of MPSP on fetal growth in a well-characterized birth cohort, the Stress in Pregnancy (SIP) Study. We observed that mothers experiencing high MPSP deliver infants with lower birthweight (P=0.047). Among the 109 imprinted genes tested, we detected panels of placental imprinted gene expression of 23 imprinted genes associated with MPSP and 26 with birthweight. Among these genes, five imprinted genes (CPXM2, glucosidase alpha acid (GAA), GPR1, SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 2 (SHANK2) and THSD7A) were common to the two panels. In multivariate analyses, controlling for maternal age and education and gestational age at birth and infant gender, two genes, GAA and SHANK2, each showed a 22% mediation of MPSP on fetal growth. These data provide new insights into the role that imprinted genes play in translating the maternal stress message into a fetoplacental growth pattern.
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8
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Finik J, Nomura Y. Cohort Profile: Stress in Pregnancy (SIP) Study. Int J Epidemiol 2019; 46:1388-1388k. [PMID: 28089961 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyw264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jackie Finik
- Queens College.,School of Public Health.,Department of Psychiatry
| | - Yoko Nomura
- Queens College.,Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry.,Department of Community Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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9
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Gulyás-Kovács A, Keydar I, Xia E, Fromer M, Hoffman G, Ruderfer D, Sachidanandam R, Chess A. Unperturbed expression bias of imprinted genes in schizophrenia. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2914. [PMID: 30046039 PMCID: PMC6060121 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04960-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
How gene expression correlates with schizophrenia across individuals is beginning to be examined through analyses of RNA-seq from postmortem brains of individuals with disease and control brains. Here we focus on variation in allele-specific expression, following up on the CommonMind Consortium (CMC) RNA-seq experiments of nearly 600 human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) samples. Analyzing the extent of allelic expression bias-a hallmark of imprinting-we find that the number of imprinted human genes is consistent with lower estimates (≈0.5% of all genes), and thus contradicts much higher estimates. Moreover, the handful of putatively imprinted genes are all in close genomic proximity to known imprinted genes. Joint analysis of the imprinted genes across hundreds of individuals allowed us to establish how allelic bias depends on various factors. We find that age and genetic ancestry have gene-specific, differential effect on allelic bias. In contrast, allelic bias appears to be independent of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Gulyás-Kovács
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ifat Keydar
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- The Simon And Katya Michaeli Bioinformatics Laboratory For The Research Of The Genome Department of Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 69978, Israel
| | - Eva Xia
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Neuroscience Program, The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Menachem Fromer
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Psychiatry, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Verily Life Sciences, 94080, South San Francisco, USA
| | - Gabriel Hoffman
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Douglas Ruderfer
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Department of Psychiatry, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Departments of Medicine, Psychiatry and Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | | | - Andrew Chess
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, ISMMS, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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10
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de Sá Machado Araújo G, da Silva Francisco Junior R, Dos Santos Ferreira C, Mozer Rodrigues PT, Terra Machado D, Louvain de Souza T, Teixeira de Souza J, Figueiredo Osorio da Silva C, Alves da Silva AF, Andrade CCF, da Silva AT, Ramos V, Garcia AB, Machado FB, Medina-Acosta E. Maternal 5 mCpG Imprints at the PARD6G-AS1 and GCSAML Differentially Methylated Regions Are Decoupled From Parent-of-Origin Expression Effects in Multiple Human Tissues. Front Genet 2018; 9:36. [PMID: 29545821 PMCID: PMC5838017 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A hallmark of imprinted genes in mammals is the occurrence of parent-of-origin-dependent asymmetry of DNA cytosine methylation (5mC) of alleles at CpG islands (CGIs) in their promoter regions. This 5mCpG asymmetry between the parental alleles creates allele-specific imprinted differentially methylated regions (iDMRs). iDMRs are often coupled to the transcriptional repression of the methylated allele and the activation of the unmethylated allele in a tissue-specific, developmental-stage-specific and/or isoform-specific fashion. iDMRs function as regulatory platforms, built through the recruitment of chemical modifications to histones to achieve differential, parent-of-origin-dependent chromatin segmentation states. Here, we used a comparative computational data mining approach to identify 125 novel constitutive candidate iDMRs that integrate the maximal number of allele-specific methylation region records overlapping CGIs in human methylomes. Twenty-nine candidate iDMRs display gametic 5mCpG asymmetry, and another 96 are candidate secondary iDMRs. We established the maternal origin of the 5mCpG imprints of one gametic (PARD6G-AS1) and one secondary (GCSAML) iDMRs. We also found a constitutively hemimethylated, nonimprinted domain at the PWWP2AP1 promoter CGI with oocyte-derived methylation asymmetry. Given that the 5mCpG level at the iDMRs is not a sufficient criterion to predict active or silent locus states and that iDMRs can regulate genes from a distance of more than 1 Mb, we used RNA-Seq experiments from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project and public archives to assess the transcriptional expression profiles of SNPs across 4.6 Mb spans around the novel maternal iDMRs. We showed that PARD6G-AS1 and GCSAML are expressed biallelically in multiple tissues. We found evidence of tissue-specific monoallelic expression of ZNF124 and OR2L13, located 363 kb upstream and 419 kb downstream, respectively, of the GCSAML iDMR. We hypothesize that the GCSAML iDMR regulates the tissue-specific, monoallelic expression of ZNF124 but not of OR2L13. We annotated the non-coding epigenomic marks in the two maternal iDMRs using data from the Roadmap Epigenomics project and showed that the PARD6G-AS1 and GCSAML iDMRs achieve contrasting activation and repression chromatin segmentations. Lastly, we found that the maternal 5mCpG imprints are perturbed in several hematopoietic cancers. We conclude that the maternal 5mCpG imprints at PARD6G-AS1 and GCSAML iDMRs are decoupled from parent-of-origin transcriptional expression effects in multiple tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graziela de Sá Machado Araújo
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo da Silva Francisco Junior
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil.,Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, Brazil
| | - Cristina Dos Santos Ferreira
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Pedro Thyago Mozer Rodrigues
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Douglas Terra Machado
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Thais Louvain de Souza
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil.,Faculdade de Medicina de Campos, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Jozimara Teixeira de Souza
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Cleiton Figueiredo Osorio da Silva
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Antônio Francisco Alves da Silva
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Claudia Caixeta Franco Andrade
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil.,Faculdade Metropolitana São Carlos, Bom Jesus do Itabapoana, Brazil
| | - Alan Tardin da Silva
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Victor Ramos
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ana Beatriz Garcia
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Filipe Brum Machado
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Enrique Medina-Acosta
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
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11
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Forsberg SL, Ilieva M, Maria Michel T. Epigenetics and cerebral organoids: promising directions in autism spectrum disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:14. [PMID: 29317608 PMCID: PMC5802583 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0062-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect 1 in 68 children in the US according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is characterized by impairments in social interactions and communication, restrictive and repetitive patterns of behaviors, and interests. Owing to disease complexity, only a limited number of treatment options are available mainly for children that alleviate but do not cure the debilitating symptoms. Studies confirm a genetic link, but environmental factors, such as medications, toxins, and maternal infection during pregnancy, as well as birth complications also play a role. Some studies indicate a set of candidate genes with different DNA methylation profiles in ASD compared to healthy individuals. Thus epigenetic alterations could help bridging the gene-environment gap in deciphering the underlying neurobiology of autism. However, epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have mainly included a very limited number of postmortem brain samples. Hence, cellular models mimicking brain development in vitro will be of great importance to study the critical epigenetic alterations and when they might happen. This review will give an overview of the state of the art concerning knowledge on epigenetic changes in autism and how new, cutting edge expertise based on three-dimensional (3D) stem cell technology models (brain organoids) can contribute in elucidating the multiple aspects of disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena Louise Forsberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mirolyuba Ilieva
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Tanja Maria Michel
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry in the region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Odense Center for Applied Neuroscience BRIDGE, University of Southern Denmark, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
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12
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Morel A, Peyroux E, Leleu A, Favre E, Franck N, Demily C. Overview of Social Cognitive Dysfunctions in Rare Developmental Syndromes With Psychiatric Phenotype. Front Pediatr 2018; 6:102. [PMID: 29774207 PMCID: PMC5943552 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2018.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rare neurodevelopmental syndromes often present social cognitive deficits that may underlie difficulties in social interactions and increase the risk of psychosis or autism spectrum disorders. However, little is known regarding the specificities of social cognitive impairment across syndromes while it remains a major challenge for the care. Our review provides an overview of social cognitive dysfunctions in rare diseases associated with psychiatric symptoms (with a prevalence estimated between 1 in 1,200 and 1 in 25,000 live births: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Rett syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, Turner syndrome, and Williams syndrome) and shed some light on the specific mechanisms that may underlie these skills in each clinical presentation. We first detail the different processes included in the generic expression "social cognition" before summarizing the genotype, psychiatric phenotype, and non-social cognitive profile in each syndrome. Then, we offer a systematic review of the social cognitive abilities and the disturbed mechanisms they are likely associated with. We followed the PRISMA process, including the definition of the relevant search terms, the selection of studies based on clear inclusion, and exclusion criteria and the quality appraisal of papers. We finally provide insights that may have considerable influence on the development of adapted therapeutic interventions such as social cognitive training (SCT) therapies specifically designed to target the psychiatric phenotype. The results of this review suggest that social cognition impairments share some similarities across syndromes. We propose that social cognitive impairments are strongly involved in behavioral symptoms regardless of the overall cognitive level measured by intelligence quotient. Better understanding the mechanisms underlying impaired social cognition may lead to adapt therapeutic interventions. The studies targeting social cognition processes offer new thoughts about the development of specific cognitive training programs, as they highlight the importance of connecting neurocognitive and SCT techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Morel
- Scientific Brain Training, Reference Center for Rare Diseases GénoPsy, CH Le Vinatier, UMR 5229, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Elodie Peyroux
- Reference Center for Rare Diseases GénoPsy, SUR/CL3R: Service Universitaire de Réhabilitation, CH Le Vinatier, UMR 5229, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Arnaud Leleu
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, Dijon, France
| | - Emilie Favre
- Reference Center for Rare Diseases GénoPsy, CH Le Vinatier, UMR 5229, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Franck
- Centre ressource de réhabilitation psychosociale et de remédiation cognitive, CH Le Vinatier, Lyon et UMR 5229 (CNRS and Université Lyon), Lyon, France
| | - Caroline Demily
- Reference Center for Rare Diseases GénoPsy, CH Le Vinatier, UMR 5229, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
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Walter EE, Fernandez F, Snelling M, Barkus E. Genetic Consideration of Schizotypal Traits: A Review. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1769. [PMID: 27895608 PMCID: PMC5108787 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizotypal traits are of interest and importance in their own right and also have theoretical and clinical associations with schizophrenia. These traits comprise attenuated psychotic symptoms, social withdrawal, reduced cognitive capacity, and affective dysregulation. The link between schizotypal traits and psychotic disorders has long since been debated. The status of knowledge at this point is such schizotypal traits are a risk for psychotic disorders, but in and of themselves only confer liability, with other risk factors needing to be present before a transition to psychosis occurs. Investigation of schizotypal traits also has the possibility to inform clinical and research pursuits concerning those who do not make a transition to psychotic disorders. A growing body of literature has investigated the genetic underpinnings of schizotypal traits. Here, we review association, family studies and describe genetic disorders where the expression of schizotypal traits has been investigated. We conducted a thorough review of the existing literature, with multiple search engines, references, and linked articles being searched for relevance to the current review. All articles and book chapters in English were sourced and reviewed for inclusion. Family studies demonstrate that schizotypal traits are elevated with increasing genetic proximity to schizophrenia and some chromosomal regions have been associated with schizotypy. Genes associated with schizophrenia have provided the initial start point for the investigation of candidate genes for schizotypal traits; neurobiological pathways of significance have guided selection of genes of interest. Given the chromosomal regions associated with schizophrenia, some genetic disorders have also considered the expression of schizotypal traits. Genetic disorders considered all comprise a profile of cognitive deficits and over representation of psychotic disorders compared to the general population. We conclude that genetic variations associated with schizotypal traits require further investigation, perhaps with targeted phenotypes narrowed to assist in refining the clinical end point of significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E. Walter
- School of Psychology, University of WollongongWollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Francesca Fernandez
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of WollongongWollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Mollie Snelling
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of WollongongWollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Emma Barkus
- School of Psychology, University of WollongongWollongong, NSW, Australia
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Mokkonen M, Crespi BJ. Genomic conflicts and sexual antagonism in human health: insights from oxytocin and testosterone. Evol Appl 2015; 8:307-25. [PMID: 25926877 PMCID: PMC4408143 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the hypothesized and observed effects of two of the major forms of genomic conflicts, genomic imprinting and sexual antagonism, on human health. We focus on phenotypes mediated by peptide and steroid hormones (especially oxytocin and testosterone) because such hormones centrally mediate patterns of physical and behavioral resource allocation that underlie both forms of conflict. In early development, a suite of imprinted genes modulates the human oxytocinergic system as predicted from theory, with paternally inherited gene expression associated with higher oxytocin production, and increased solicitation to mothers by infants. This system is predicted to impact health through the incompatibility of paternal-gene and maternal-gene optima and increased vulnerability of imprinted gene systems to genetic and epigenetic changes. Early alterations to oxytocinergic systems have long-term negative impacts on human psychological health, especially through their effects on attachment and social behavior. In contrast to genomic imprinting, which generates maladaptation along an axis of mother–infant attachment, sexual antagonism is predicted from theory to generate maladaptation along an axis of sexual dimorphism, modulated by steroid and peptide hormones. We describe evidence of sexual antagonism from studies of humans and other animals, demonstrating that sexually antagonistic effects on sex-dimorphic phenotypes, including aspects of immunity, life history, psychology, and behavior, are commonly observed and lead to forms of maladaptation that are demonstrated, or expected, to impact human health. Recent epidemiological and psychiatric studies of schizophrenia in particular indicate that it is mediated, in part, by sexually antagonistic alleles. The primary implication of this review is that data collection focused on (i) effects of imprinted genes that modulate the oxytocin system, and (ii) effects of sexually antagonistic alleles on sex-dimorphic, disease-related phenotypes will lead to novel insights into both human health and the evolutionary dynamics of genomic conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Mokkonen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada ; Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada
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15
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Huang HS, Yoon BJ, Brooks S, Bakal R, Berrios J, Larsen RS, Wallace ML, Han JE, Chung EH, Zylka MJ, Philpot BD. Snx14 regulates neuronal excitability, promotes synaptic transmission, and is imprinted in the brain of mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98383. [PMID: 24859318 PMCID: PMC4032282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic imprinting describes an epigenetic process through which genes can be expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner. The monoallelic expression of imprinted genes renders them particularly susceptible to disease causing mutations. A large proportion of imprinted genes are expressed in the brain, but little is known about their functions. Indeed, it has proven difficult to identify cell type-specific imprinted genes due to the heterogeneity of cell types within the brain. Here we used laser capture microdissection of visual cortical neurons and found evidence that sorting nexin 14 (Snx14) is a neuronally imprinted gene in mice. SNX14 protein levels are high in the brain and progressively increase during neuronal development and maturation. Snx14 knockdown reduces intrinsic excitability and severely impairs both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. These data reveal a role for monoallelic Snx14 expression in maintaining normal neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsien-Sung Huang
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Bong-June Yoon
- Division of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sherian Brooks
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Robert Bakal
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Janet Berrios
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Unites States of America
| | - Rylan S. Larsen
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Michael L. Wallace
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Unites States of America
| | - Ji Eun Han
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Eui Hwan Chung
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Mark J. Zylka
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Unites States of America
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Benjamin D. Philpot
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Unites States of America
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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Skaar DA, Li Y, Bernal AJ, Hoyo C, Murphy SK, Jirtle RL. The human imprintome: regulatory mechanisms, methods of ascertainment, and roles in disease susceptibility. ILAR J 2014; 53:341-58. [PMID: 23744971 DOI: 10.1093/ilar.53.3-4.341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Imprinted genes form a special subset of the genome, exhibiting monoallelic expression in a parent-of-origin-dependent fashion. This monoallelic expression is controlled by parental-specific epigenetic marks, which are established in gametogenesis and early embryonic development and are persistent in all somatic cells throughout life. We define this specific set of cis-acting epigenetic regulatory elements as the imprintome, a distinct and specially tasked subset of the epigenome. Imprintome elements contain DNA methylation and histone modifications that regulate monoallelic expression by affecting promoter accessibility, chromatin structure, and chromatin configuration. Understanding their regulation is critical because a significant proportion of human imprinted genes are implicated in complex diseases. Significant species variation in the repertoire of imprinted genes and their epigenetic regulation, however, will not allow model organisms solely to be used for this crucial purpose. Ultimately, only the human will suffice to accurately define the human imprintome.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Skaar
- Department of Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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17
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Soubry A, Murphy SK, Wang F, Huang Z, Vidal AC, Fuemmeler BF, Kurtzberg J, Murtha A, Jirtle RL, Schildkraut JM, Hoyo C. Newborns of obese parents have altered DNA methylation patterns at imprinted genes. Int J Obes (Lond) 2013; 39:650-7. [PMID: 24158121 PMCID: PMC4048324 DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2013.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 09/25/2013] [Accepted: 10/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background: Several epidemiologic studies have demonstrated associations between periconceptional environmental exposures and health status of the offspring in later life. Although these environmentally related effects have been attributed to epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation shifts at imprinted genes, little is known about the potential effects of maternal and paternal preconceptional overnutrition or obesity. Objective: We examined parental preconceptional obesity in relation to DNA methylation profiles at multiple human imprinted genes important in normal growth and development, such as: maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3), mesoderm-specific transcript (MEST), paternally expressed gene 3 (PEG3), pleiomorphic adenoma gene-like 1 (PLAGL1), epsilon sarcoglycan and paternally expressed gene 10 (SGCE/PEG10) and neuronatin (NNAT). Methods: We measured methylation percentages at the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) by bisulfite pyrosequencing in DNA extracted from umbilical cord blood leukocytes of 92 newborns. Preconceptional obesity, defined as BMI ⩾30 kg m−2, was ascertained through standardized questionnaires. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders and cluster effects, paternal obesity was significantly associated with lower methylation levels at the MEST (β=−2.57; s.e.=0.95; P=0.008), PEG3 (β=−1.71; s.e.=0.61; P=0.005) and NNAT (β=−3.59; s.e.=1.76; P=0.04) DMRs. Changes related to maternal obesity detected at other loci were as follows: β-coefficient was +2.58 (s.e.=1.00; P=0.01) at the PLAGL1 DMR and −3.42 (s.e.=1.69; P=0.04) at the MEG3 DMR. Conclusion: We found altered methylation outcomes at multiple imprint regulatory regions in children born to obese parents, compared with children born to non-obese parents. In spite of the small sample size, our data suggest a preconceptional influence of parental life-style or overnutrition on the (re)programming of imprint marks during gametogenesis and early development. More specifically, the significant and independent association between paternal obesity and the offspring's methylation status suggests the susceptibility of the developing sperm for environmental insults. The acquired imprint instability may be carried onto the next generation and increase the risk for chronic diseases in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Soubry
- 1] Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA [2] Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - S K Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - F Wang
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Z Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - A C Vidal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Clinical and Epidemiologic Research and Cancer Prevention, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - B F Fuemmeler
- Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - J Kurtzberg
- Carolinas Cord Blood Bank, Robertson Cell and Translational Therapy Program, Duke Translational Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - A Murtha
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - R L Jirtle
- Department of Oncology, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - J M Schildkraut
- 1] Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA [2] Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - C Hoyo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Clinical and Epidemiologic Research and Cancer Prevention, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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18
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Tsang SY, Zhong S, Mei L, Chen J, Ng SK, Pun FW, Zhao C, Jing B, Chark R, Guo J, Tan Y, Li L, Wang C, Chew SH, Xue H. Social cognitive role of schizophrenia candidate gene GABRB2. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62322. [PMID: 23638040 PMCID: PMC3634734 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of positive selection in schizophrenia-associated GABRB2 suggests a broader impact of the gene product on population fitness. The present study considered the possibility of cognition-related GABRB2 involvement by examining the association of GABRB2 with psychosis and altruism, respectively representing psychiatric and psychological facets of social cognition. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped for quantitative trait analyses and population-based association studies. Psychosis was measured by either the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) or antipsychotics dosage, and altruism was based on a self-report altruism scale. The minor alleles of SNPs rs6556547, rs1816071 and rs187269 in GABRB2 were correlated with high PANSS score for positive symptoms in a Han Chinese schizophrenic cohort, whereas those of rs1816071 and rs1816072 were associated with high antipsychotics dosage in a US Caucasian schizophrenic cohort. Moreover, strongly significant GABRB2-disease associations were found among schizophrenics with severe psychosis based on high PANSS positive score, but no significant association was observed for schizophrenics with only mild psychosis. Interestingly, in addition to association with psychosis in schizophrenics, rs187269 was also associated with altruism in healthy Han Chinese. Furthermore, parallel to correlation with severe psychosis, its minor allele was correlated with high altruism scores. These findings revealed that GABRB2 is associated with psychosis, the core symptom and an endophenotype of schizophrenia. Importantly, the association was found across the breadth of the psychiatric (psychosis) to psychological (altruism) spectrum of social cognition suggesting GABRB2 involvement in human cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shui Ying Tsang
- Division of Life Science and Applied Genomics Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Songfa Zhong
- Department of Economics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Economics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Rep. of Singapore
| | - Lingling Mei
- Division of Life Science and Applied Genomics Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jianhuan Chen
- Division of Life Science and Applied Genomics Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Siu-Kin Ng
- Division of Life Science and Applied Genomics Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Frank W. Pun
- Division of Life Science and Applied Genomics Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Center for Statistical Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cunyou Zhao
- Division of Life Science and Applied Genomics Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bingyi Jing
- Center for Statistical Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Mathematics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Robin Chark
- Department of Marketing, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Rep. of Singapore
| | - Jianhua Guo
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Li
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanyue Wang
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Soo Hong Chew
- Department of Economics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Economics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Rep. of Singapore
| | - Hong Xue
- Division of Life Science and Applied Genomics Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Center for Statistical Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- * E-mail:
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19
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Lewitus E, Kalinka AT. Neocortical development as an evolutionary platform for intragenomic conflict. Front Neuroanat 2013; 7:2. [PMID: 23576960 PMCID: PMC3620502 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2013.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic development in mammals has evolved a platform for genomic conflict between mothers and embryos and, by extension, between maternal and paternal genomes. The evolutionary interests of the mother and embryo may be maximized through the promotion of sex-chromosome genes and imprinted alleles, resulting in the rapid evolution of postzygotic phenotypes preferential to either the maternal or paternal genome. In eutherian mammals, extraordinary in utero maternal investment in the brain, and neocortex especially, suggests that convergent evolution of an expanded mammalian neocortex along divergent lineages may be explained, in part, by parent-of-origin-linked gene expression arising from parent-offspring conflict. The influence of this conflict on neocortical development and evolution, however, has not been investigated at the genomic level. In this hypothesis and theory article, we provide preliminary evidence for positive selection in humans in the regions of two platforms of intragenomic conflict—chromosomes 15q11-q13 and X—and explore the potential relevance of cis-regulated imprinted domains to neocortical expansion in mammalian evolution. We present the hypothesis that maternal- and paternal-specific pressures on the developing neocortex compete intragenomically to influence neocortical expansion in mammalian evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Lewitus
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics Dresden, Germany
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20
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Flashner BM, Russo ME, Boileau JE, Leong DW, Gallicano GI. Epigenetic factors and autism spectrum disorders. Neuromolecular Med 2013; 15:339-50. [PMID: 23468062 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-013-8222-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that has significant phenotypic overlap with several diseases, many of which fall within the broader category of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The etiology of the disorder is unclear and seems to involve a complex interplay of polygenic as well as environmental factors. We discuss evidence that suggests that epigenetic dysregulation is highly implicated as a contributing cause of ASDs and autism. Specifically, we examine neurodevelopmental disorders that share significant phenotypic overlap with ASDs and feature the dysregulation of epigenetically modified genes including UBE3A, GABA receptor genes, and RELN. We then look at the dysregulated expression of implicated epigenetic modifiers, namely MeCP2, that yield complex and varied downstream pleiotropic effects. Finally, we examine epigenetically mediated parent-of-origin effects through which paternal gene expression dominates that of maternal contributing to contrasting phenotypes implicated in ASDs. Such preliminary evidence suggests that elucidating the complex role of epigenetic regulations involved in ASDs could prove vital in furthering our understanding of the complex etiology of autism and ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bess M Flashner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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21
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Holman L, Kokko H. The consequences of polyandry for population viability, extinction risk and conservation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120053. [PMID: 23339244 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyandry, by elevating sexual conflict and selecting for reduced male care relative to monandry, may exacerbate the cost of sex and thereby seriously impact population fitness. On the other hand, polyandry has a number of possible population-level benefits over monandry, such as increased sexual selection leading to faster adaptation and a reduced mutation load. Here, we review existing information on how female fitness evolves under polyandry and how this influences population dynamics. In balance, it is far from clear whether polyandry has a net positive or negative effect on female fitness, but we also stress that its effects on individuals may not have visible demographic consequences. In populations that produce many more offspring than can possibly survive and breed, offspring gained or lost as a result of polyandry may not affect population size. Such ecological 'masking' of changes in population fitness could hide a response that only manifests under adverse environmental conditions (e.g. anthropogenic change). Surprisingly few studies have attempted to link mating system variation to population dynamics, and in general we urge researchers to consider the ecological consequences of evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Holman
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Division of Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia.
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22
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Chakraborty D, Bernal AJ, Schoch K, Howard TD, Ip EH, Hooper SR, Keshavan MS, Jirtle RL, Shashi V, Shashi V. Dysregulation of DGCR6 and DGCR6L: psychopathological outcomes in chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e105. [PMID: 22832905 PMCID: PMC3337078 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is the most common microdeletion syndrome in humans. It is typified by highly variable symptoms, which might be explained by epigenetic regulation of genes in the interval. Using computational algorithms, our laboratory previously predicted that DiGeorge critical region 6 (DGCR6), which lies within the deletion interval, is imprinted in humans. Expression and epigenetic regulation of this gene have not, however, been examined in 22q11DS subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine if the expression levels of DGCR6 and its duplicate copy DGCR6L in 22q11DS subjects are associated with the parent-of-origin of the deletion and childhood psychopathologies. Our investigation showed no evidence of parent-of-origin-related differences in expression of both DGCR6 and DGCR6L. However, we found that the variability in DGCR6 expression was significantly greater in 22q11DS children than in age and gender-matched control individuals. Children with 22q11DS who had anxiety disorders had significantly lower DGCR6 expression, especially in subjects with the deletion on the maternal chromosome, despite the lack of imprinting. Our findings indicate that epigenetic mechanisms other than imprinting contribute to the dysregulation of these genes and the associated childhood psychopathologies observed in individuals with 22q11DS. Further studies are now needed to test the usefulness of DGCR6 and DGCR6L expression and alterations in the epigenome at these loci in predicting childhood anxiety and associated adult-onset pathologies in 22q11DS subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Chakraborty
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - A J Bernal
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - K Schoch
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - T D Howard
- Center for Genomics & Personalized Medicine Research and Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - E H Ip
- Center for Genomics & Personalized Medicine Research and Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - S R Hooper
- Department of Psychiatry and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - M S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R L Jirtle
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - V Shashi
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA,Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Box 102857, DUMC, 595 LaSalle Street, Durham, NC 27710, USA. E-mail:
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Rosenfeld AJ, Lieberman JA, Jarskog LF. Oxytocin, dopamine, and the amygdala: a neurofunctional model of social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2011; 37:1077-87. [PMID: 20308198 PMCID: PMC3160224 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbq015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Until recently, the social cognitive impairment in schizophrenia has been underappreciated and remains essentially untreated. Deficits in emotional processing, social perception and knowledge, theory of mind, and attributional bias may contribute to functional social cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. The amygdala has been implicated as a key component of social cognitive circuitry in both animal and human studies. In addition, structural and functional studies of schizophrenia reproducibly demonstrate abnormalities in the amygdala and dopaminergic signaling. Finally, the neurohormone oxytocin plays an important role in multiple social behaviors in several mammals, including humans. We propose a model of social cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia and discuss its therapeutic implications. The model comprises abnormalities in oxytocinergic and dopaminergic signaling in the amygdala that result in impaired emotional salience processing with consequent social cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Rosenfeld
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Box 89, New York, NY 10032, USA; tel: 212-543-5303; fax: 212-543-5356, e-mail:
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24
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Dykens EM, Lee E, Roof E. Prader-Willi syndrome and autism spectrum disorders: an evolving story. J Neurodev Disord 2011; 3:225-37. [PMID: 21858456 PMCID: PMC3261277 DOI: 10.1007/s11689-011-9092-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2011] [Accepted: 07/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is well-known for its genetic and phenotypic complexities. Caused by a lack of paternally derived imprinted material on chromosome 15q11-q13, individuals with PWS have mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, repetitive and compulsive behaviors, skin picking, tantrums, irritability, hyperphagia, and increased risks of obesity. Many individuals also have co-occurring autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), psychosis, and mood disorders. Although the PWS 15q11-q13 region confers risks for autism, relatively few studies have assessed autism symptoms in PWS or directly compared social, behavioral, and cognitive functioning across groups with autism or PWS. This article identifies areas of phenotypic overlap and difference between PWS and ASD in core autism symptoms and in such comorbidities as psychiatric disorders, and dysregulated sleep and eating. Though future studies are needed, PWS provides a promising alternative lens into specific symptoms and comorbidities of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth M Dykens
- Departments of Psychology and Human Development, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, TN, USA,
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25
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Genomic imprinting and the evolutionary psychology of human kinship. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108 Suppl 2:10878-85. [PMID: 21690414 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1100295108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic imprinting is predicted to influence behaviors that affect individuals to whom an actor has different degrees of matrilineal and patrilineal kinship (asymmetric kin). Effects of imprinted genes are not predicted in interactions with nonrelatives or with individuals who are equally related to the actor's maternally and paternally derived genes (unless a gene also has pleiotropic effects on fitness of asymmetric kin). Long-term mating bonds are common in most human populations, but dissolution of marriage has always affected a significant proportion of mated pairs. Children born in a new union are asymmetric kin of children born in a previous union. Therefore, the innate dispositions of children toward parents and sibs are expected to be sensitive to cues of marital stability, and these dispositions may be subject to effects of imprinted genes.
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26
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Crespi B. The evolutionary biology of child health. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 278:1441-9. [PMID: 21288946 PMCID: PMC3081756 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2010] [Accepted: 01/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
I apply evolutionary perspectives and conceptual tools to analyse central issues underlying child health, with emphases on the roles of human-specific adaptations and genomic conflicts in physical growth and development. Evidence from comparative primatology, anthropology, physiology and human disorders indicates that child health risks have evolved in the context of evolutionary changes, along the human lineage, affecting the timing, growth-differentiation phenotypes and adaptive significance of prenatal stages, infancy, childhood, juvenility and adolescence. The most striking evolutionary changes in humans are earlier weaning and prolonged subsequent pre-adult stages, which have structured and potentiated maladaptations related to growth and development. Data from human genetic and epigenetic studies, and mouse models, indicate that growth, development and behaviour during pre-adult stages are mediated to a notable degree by effects from genomic conflicts and imprinted genes. The incidence of cancer, the primary cause of non-infectious childhood mortality, mirrors child growth rates from birth to adolescence, with paediatric cancer development impacted by imprinted genes that control aspects of growth. Understanding the adaptive significance of child growth and development phenotypes, in the context of human-evolutionary changes and genomic conflicts, provides novel insights into the causes of disease in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, Canada.
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27
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Abstract
In this review, I describe how evolutionary genomics is uniquely suited to spearhead advances in understanding human disease risk, owing to the privileged position of genes as fundamental causes of phenotypic variation, and the ability of population genetic and phylogenetic methods to robustly infer processes of natural selection, drift, and mutation from genetic variation at the levels of family, population, species, and clade. I first provide an overview of models for the origins and maintenance of genetically based disease risk in humans. I then discuss how analyses of genetic disease risk can be dovetailed with studies of positive and balancing selection, to evaluate the degree to which the 'genes that make us human' also represent the genes that mediate risk of polygenic disease. Finally, I present four basic principles for the nascent field of human evolutionary medical genomics, each of which represents a process that is nonintuitive from a proximate perspective. Joint consideration of these principles compels novel forms of interdisciplinary analyses, most notably studies that (i) analyze tradeoffs at the level of molecular genetics, and (ii) identify genetic variants that are derived in the human lineage or in specific populations, and then compare individuals with derived versus ancestral alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada
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The parent-of-origin of the extra X chromosome may differentially affect psychopathology in Klinefelter syndrome. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 68:1156-62. [PMID: 21035791 PMCID: PMC3038433 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2010] [Revised: 08/27/2010] [Accepted: 08/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several genetic mechanisms have been proposed for the variability of the Klinefelter syndrome (KS) phenotype such as the parent-of-origin of the extra X chromosome. Parent-of-origin effects on behavior in KS can possibly provide insights into X-linked imprinting effects on psychopathology that may be extrapolated to other populations. Here, we investigated whether the parent-of-origin of the supernumerary X chromosome influences autistic and schizotypal symptom profiles in KS. METHODS Parent-of-origin of the X chromosome was determined through analysis of the polymorphic CAG tandem repeat of the androgen receptor gene. Autistic traits (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) were measured in a younger KS sample (n = 33) with KS and schizotypal traits (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire) were assessed in an older KS sample (n = 43). Scale scores on these questionnaires were entered in statistical analyses to test parent-of-origin effects. RESULTS The results show that parent-of-origin of the X chromosome is reflected in autistic and schizotypal symptomatology. Differences were shown in the degree of both schizotypal and autistic symptoms between the parent-of-origin groups. Furthermore, the parent-of-origin could be correctly discriminated in more than 90% of subjects through Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised scales and in around 80% of subjects through Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire scales. CONCLUSIONS These findings point to parent-of-origin effects on psychopathology in KS and indicate that imprinted X chromosomal genes may have differential effects on autistic and schizotypal traits. Further exploration of imprinting effects on psychopathology in KS is needed to confirm and expand on our findings.
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Abstract
Psychiatric diseases place a tremendous burden on affected individuals, their caregivers, and the health care system. Although evidence exists for a strong inherited component to many of these conditions, dedicated efforts to identify DNA sequence-based causes have not been exceptionally productive, and very few pharmacologic treatment options are clinically available. Many features of psychiatric diseases are consistent with an epigenetic dysregulation, such as discordance of monozygotic twins, late age of onset, parent-of-origin and sex effects, and fluctuating disease course. In recent years, experimental technologies have significantly advanced, permitting indepth studies of the epigenome and its role in maintenance of normal genomic functions, as well as disease etiopathogenesis. Here, we present an epigenetic explanation for many characteristics of psychiatric disease, review the current literature on the epigenetic mechanisms involved in major psychosis, Alzheimer's disease, and autism spectrum disorders, and describe some future directions in the field of psychiatric epigenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Ptak
- The Krembil Family Epigenetics Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Successful computational prediction of novel imprinted genes from epigenomic features. Mol Cell Biol 2010; 30:3357-70. [PMID: 20421412 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01355-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 100 mouse genes undergo genomic imprinting, whereby one of the two parental alleles is epigenetically silenced. Imprinted genes influence processes including development, X chromosome inactivation, obesity, schizophrenia, and diabetes, motivating the identification of all imprinted loci. Local sequence features have been used to predict candidate imprinted genes, but rigorous testing using reciprocal crosses validated only three, one of which resided in previously identified imprinting clusters. Here we show that specific epigenetic features in mouse cells correlate with imprinting status in mice, and we identify hundreds of additional genes predicted to be imprinted in the mouse. We used a multitiered approach to validate imprinted expression, including use of a custom single nucleotide polymorphism array and traditional molecular methods. Of 65 candidates subjected to molecular assays for allele-specific expression, we found 10 novel imprinted genes that were maternally expressed in the placenta.
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Abstract
Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field and holds great promise for a range of human diseases, including brain disorders such as Rett syndrome, anxiety and depressive disorders, schizophrenia, Alzheimer disease and Huntington disease. This review is concerned with the pharmacology of epigenetics to treat disorders of the epigenome whether induced developmentally or manifested/acquired later in life. In particular, we will focus on brain disorders and their treatment by drugs that modify the epigenome. While the use of DNA methyl transferase inhibitors and histone deacetylase inhibitors in in vitro and in vivo models have demonstrated improvements in disease-related deficits, clinical trials in humans have been less promising. We will address recent advances in our understanding of the complexity of the epigenome with its many molecular players, and discuss evidence for a compromised epigenome in the context of an ageing or diseased brain. We will also draw on examples of species differences that may exist between humans and model systems, emphasizing the need for more robust pre-clinical testing. Finally, we will discuss fundamental issues to be considered in study design when targeting the epigenome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pritika Narayan
- Department of Pharmacology and the National Research Centre for Growth and Development, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Schizophrenia and birthplace of paternal and maternal grandfather in the Jerusalem perinatal cohort prospective study. Schizophr Res 2009; 111:23-31. [PMID: 19361958 PMCID: PMC2716070 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2009.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2008] [Revised: 03/11/2009] [Accepted: 03/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Some forms of epigenetic abnormalities transmitted to offspring are manifested in differences in disease incidence that depend on parent-of-origin. To explore whether such phenomena might operate in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, we estimated the relative incidence of these conditions in relation to parent-of-origin by considering the two grandfathers' countries of birth. In a prospective cohort of 88,829 offspring, born in Jerusalem in 1964-76 we identified 637 cases through Israel's psychiatric registry. Relative risks (RR) were estimated for paternal and maternal grandfathers' countries of birth using proportional hazards methods, controlling for parents' ages, low social class and duration of marriage. After adjusting for multiple observations, we found no significant differences between descendants of maternal or paternal grandfathers born in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya/Egypt, Poland, USSR, Czechoslovakia, Germany or the USA. Those with paternal grandfathers from Romania (RR=1.9, 95% CI=1.3-2.8) or Hungary (1.6, 1.0-2.6) showed an increased incidence; however, those with maternal grandfathers from these countries experienced reduced incidence (RR=0.5, 0.3-0.8 and 0.4, 0.2-0.8). In post-hoc analyses we found that results were similar whether the comparison groups were restricted to descendants of other Europeans or included those from Western Asia and North Africa; and effects of paternal grandfathers from Romania/Hungary were more pronounced in females, while effects of maternal grandfathers from these countries were similar in males and females. These post-hoc "hypothesis-generating" findings lead one to question whether some families with ancestors in Romania or Hungary might carry a variant or mutation at a parentally imprinted locus that is altering susceptibility to schizophrenia. Such a locus, if it exists, might involve the X chromosome.
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Crespi B, Summers K, Dorus S. Genomic sister-disorders of neurodevelopment: an evolutionary approach. Evol Appl 2009; 2:81-100. [PMID: 25567849 PMCID: PMC3352408 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2008.00056.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2008] [Accepted: 11/26/2008] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic sister-disorders are defined here as diseases mediated by duplications versus deletions of the same region. Such disorders can provide unique information concerning the genomic underpinnings of human neurodevelopment because effects of diametric variation in gene copy number on cognitive and behavioral phenotypes can be inferred. We describe evidence from the literature on deletions versus duplications for the regions underlying the best-known human neurogenetic sister-disorders, including Williams syndrome, Velocardiofacial syndrome, and Smith-Magenis syndrome, as well as the X-chromosomal conditions Klinefelter and Turner syndromes. These data suggest that diametric copy-number alterations can, like diametric alterations to imprinted genes, generate contrasting phenotypes associated with autistic-spectrum and psychotic-spectrum conditions. Genomically based perturbations to the development of the human social brain are thus apparently mediated to a notable degree by effects of variation in gene copy number. We also conducted the first analyses of positive selection for genes in the regions affected by these disorders. We found evidence consistent with adaptive evolution of protein-coding genes, or selective sweeps, for three of the four sets of sister-syndromes analyzed. These studies of selection facilitate identification of candidate genes for the phenotypes observed and lend a novel evolutionary dimension to the analysis of human cognitive architecture and neurogenetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Crespi
- Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Kyle Summers
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Steve Dorus
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath Bath, UK
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Ubeda F. Evolution of genomic imprinting with biparental care: implications for Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes. PLoS Biol 2008; 6:e208. [PMID: 18752349 PMCID: PMC2525684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0060208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2007] [Accepted: 07/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The term "imprinted gene" refers to genes whose expression is conditioned by their parental origin. Among theories to unravel the evolution of genomic imprinting, the kinship theory prevails as the most widely accepted, because it sheds light on many aspects of the biology of imprinted genes. While most assumptions underlying this theory have not escaped scrutiny, one remains overlooked: mothers are the only source of parental investment in mammals. But, is it reasonable to assume that fathers' contribution of resources is negligible? It is not in some key mammalian orders including humans. In this research, I generalize the kinship theory of genomic imprinting beyond maternal contribution only. In addition to deriving new conditions for the evolution of imprinting, I have found that the same gene may show the opposite pattern of expression when the investment of one parent relative to the investment of the other changes; the reversion, interestingly, does not require that fathers contribute more resources than mothers. This exciting outcome underscores the intimate connection between the kinship theory and the social structure of the organism considered. Finally, the insight gained from my model enabled me to explain the clinical phenotype of Prader-Willi syndrome. This syndrome is caused by the paternal inheritance of a deletion of the PWS/AS cluster of imprinted genes in human Chromosome 15. As such, children suffering from this syndrome exhibit a striking biphasic phenotype characterized by poor sucking and reduced weight before weaning but by voracious appetite and obesity after weaning. Interest in providing an evolutionary explanation to such phenotype is 2-fold. On the one hand, the kinship theory has been doubted as being able to explain the symptoms of patients with Prader-Willi. On the other hand, the post-weaning symptoms remain as one of the primary concern of pediatricians treating children with Prader-Willi. In this research, I reconcile the clinical phenotype of Prader-Willi syndrome with the kinship theory, contending that paternal investment relative to maternal investment increases after weaning. I also propose a genetic composition of the PWS/AS cluster, discuss the effects of new types of mutations, and contemplate the potential side effects of reactivating silent genes for medical purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ubeda
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America.
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