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Zhao N, Lai C, Wang Y, Dai S, Gu H. Understanding the role of DNA methylation in colorectal cancer: Mechanisms, detection, and clinical significance. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189096. [PMID: 38499079 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide, ranking third in incidence and second in mortality. Remarkably, early stage localized CRC has a 5-year survival rate of over 90%; in stark contrast, the corresponding 5-year survival rate for metastatic CRC (mCRC) is only 14%. Compounding this problem is the staggering lack of effective therapeutic strategies. Beyond genetic mutations, which have been identified as critical instigators of CRC initiation and progression, the importance of epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation (DNAm), cannot be underestimated, given that DNAm can be used for diagnosis, treatment monitoring and prognostic evaluation. This review addresses the intricate mechanisms governing aberrant DNAm in CRC and its profound impact on critical oncogenic pathways. In addition, a comprehensive review of the various techniques used to detect DNAm alterations in CRC is provided, along with an exploration of the clinical utility of cancer-specific DNAm alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Zhao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Chuanxi Lai
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Yunfei Wang
- Zhejiang ShengTing Biotech. Ltd, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Sheng Dai
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.
| | - Hongcang Gu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.
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Charpentier LA, Dolben EF, Hendricks MR, Hogan DA, Bomberger JM, Stanton BA. Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles and Immune Modulation of the Host. Membranes (Basel) 2023; 13:752. [PMID: 37755174 PMCID: PMC10536716 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13090752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
This article reviews the role of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in mediating the interaction between Gram-negative bacteria and their human hosts. OMVs are produced by a diverse range of Gram-negative bacteria during infection and play a critical role in facilitating host-pathogen interactions without requiring direct cell-to-cell contact. This article describes the mechanisms by which OMVs are formed and subsequently interact with host cells, leading to the transport of microbial protein virulence factors and short interfering RNAs (sRNA) to their host targets, exerting their immunomodulatory effects by targeting specific host signaling pathways. Specifically, this review highlights mechanisms by which OMVs facilitate chronic infection through epigenetic modification of the host immune response. Finally, this review identifies critical knowledge gaps in the field and offers potential avenues for future OMV research, specifically regarding rigor and reproducibility in OMV isolation and characterization methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily A. Charpentier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; (L.A.C.); (E.F.D.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.B.)
| | - Emily F. Dolben
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; (L.A.C.); (E.F.D.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.B.)
| | - Matthew R. Hendricks
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA;
| | - Deborah A. Hogan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; (L.A.C.); (E.F.D.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.B.)
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; (L.A.C.); (E.F.D.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA;
| | - Bruce A. Stanton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; (L.A.C.); (E.F.D.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.B.)
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Correia Dias H, Manco L, Corte Real F, Cunha E. A Blood-Bone-Tooth Model for Age Prediction in Forensic Contexts. Biology (Basel) 2021; 10:biology10121312. [PMID: 34943227 PMCID: PMC8698317 DOI: 10.3390/biology10121312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary DNA methylation age estimation is one of the hottest topics in forensic field nowadays. Age estimation can be improved under a multidisciplinary approach, the role of a forensic anthropologist and forensic epigeneticist being crucial in the establishment of new basis for age estimation. The development of epigenetic models for bones and tooth samples is crucial in this way. Moreover, developing models for age estimation using several samples can be a useful tool in forensics. In this study, we built two multi-tissue models for age estimation, combining blood, bones and tooth samples and using two different methodologies. Through the Sanger sequencing methodology, we built a model with seven age-correlated markers and a mean absolute deviation between predicted and chronological ages of 6.06 years. Using the SNaPshot assay, a model with three markers has been developed revealing a mean absolute deviation between predicted and chronological ages of 6.49 years. Our results showed the usefulness of DNA methylation age estimation in forensic contexts and brought new insights into the development of multi-tissue models applied to blood, bones and teeth. In the future, we expected that these procedures can be applied to the Medico-Legal facilities to use DNA methylation in routine practice for age estimation. Abstract The development of age prediction models (APMs) focusing on DNA methylation (DNAm) levels has revolutionized the forensic age estimation field. Meanwhile, the predictive ability of multi-tissue models with similar high accuracy needs to be explored. This study aimed to build multi-tissue APMs combining blood, bones and tooth samples, herein named blood–bone–tooth-APM (BBT-APM), using two different methodologies. A total of 185 and 168 bisulfite-converted DNA samples previously addressed by Sanger sequencing and SNaPshot methodologies, respectively, were considered for this study. The relationship between DNAm and age was assessed using simple and multiple linear regression models. Through the Sanger sequencing methodology, we built a BBT-APM with seven CpGs in genes ELOVL2, EDARADD, PDE4C, FHL2 and C1orf132, allowing us to obtain a Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) between chronological and predicted ages of 6.06 years, explaining 87.8% of the variation in age. Using the SNaPshot assay, we developed a BBT-APM with three CpGs at ELOVL2, KLF14 and C1orf132 genes with a MAD of 6.49 years, explaining 84.7% of the variation in age. Our results showed the usefulness of DNAm age in forensic contexts and brought new insights into the development of multi-tissue APMs applied to blood, bone and teeth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Correia Dias
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal;
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CEF), Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal;
- National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-239240700; Fax: +351-239855211
| | - Licínio Manco
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Francisco Corte Real
- National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-370 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Eugénia Cunha
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CEF), Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal;
- National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal;
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Kraan CM, Baker EK, Arpone M, Bui M, Ling L, Gamage D, Bretherton L, Rogers C, Field MJ, Wotton TL, Francis D, Hunter MF, Cohen J, Amor DJ, Godler DE. DNA Methylation at Birth Predicts Intellectual Functioning and Autism Features in Children with Fragile X Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207735. [PMID: 33086711 PMCID: PMC7589848 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a leading single-gene cause of intellectual disability (ID) with autism features. This study analysed diagnostic and prognostic utility of the Fragile X-Related Epigenetic Element 2 DNA methylation (FREE2m) assessed by Methylation Specific-Quantitative Melt Analysis and the EpiTYPER system, in retrospectively retrieved newborn blood spots (NBS) and newly created dried blood spots (DBS) from 65 children with FXS (~2–17 years). A further 168 NBS from infants from the general population were used to establish control reference ranges, in both sexes. FREE2m analysis showed sensitivity and specificity approaching 100%. In FXS males, NBS FREE2m strongly correlated with intellectual functioning and autism features, however associations were not as strong for FXS females. Fragile X mental retardation 1 gene (FMR1) mRNA levels in blood were correlated with FREE2m in both NBS and DBS, for both sexes. In females, DNAm was significantly increased at birth with a decrease in childhood. The findings support the use of FREE2m analysis in newborns for screening, diagnostic and prognostic testing in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudine M Kraan
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia; (C.M.K.); (E.K.B.); (M.A.); (L.L.); (D.G.); (L.B.); (D.J.A.)
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Emma K Baker
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia; (C.M.K.); (E.K.B.); (M.A.); (L.L.); (D.G.); (L.B.); (D.J.A.)
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Marta Arpone
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia; (C.M.K.); (E.K.B.); (M.A.); (L.L.); (D.G.); (L.B.); (D.J.A.)
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
- Brain and Mind, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Minh Bui
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia;
| | - Ling Ling
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia; (C.M.K.); (E.K.B.); (M.A.); (L.L.); (D.G.); (L.B.); (D.J.A.)
| | - Dinusha Gamage
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia; (C.M.K.); (E.K.B.); (M.A.); (L.L.); (D.G.); (L.B.); (D.J.A.)
| | - Lesley Bretherton
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia; (C.M.K.); (E.K.B.); (M.A.); (L.L.); (D.G.); (L.B.); (D.J.A.)
| | - Carolyn Rogers
- Genetics of Learning Disability Service (GOLD service), Hunter Genetics, Newcastle NSW 2298, Australia; (C.R.); (M.J.F.)
| | - Michael J Field
- Genetics of Learning Disability Service (GOLD service), Hunter Genetics, Newcastle NSW 2298, Australia; (C.R.); (M.J.F.)
| | - Tiffany L Wotton
- New South Wales Newborn Screening Program, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney NSW 2145, Australia;
| | - David Francis
- Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia;
| | - Matt F Hunter
- Monash Genetics, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia;
| | - Jonathan Cohen
- Centre for Developmental Disability Health Victoria, Monash University, Doveton VIC 3177, Australia;
- Fragile X Alliance Inc., North Caulfield VIC 3161, Australia
| | - David J Amor
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia; (C.M.K.); (E.K.B.); (M.A.); (L.L.); (D.G.); (L.B.); (D.J.A.)
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
| | - David E Godler
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne VIC 3052, Australia; (C.M.K.); (E.K.B.); (M.A.); (L.L.); (D.G.); (L.B.); (D.J.A.)
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +613-8341-6496
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Li H, Ryu MH, Rider CF, Tse W, Clifford RL, Aristizabal MJ, Wen W, Carlsten C. Predominant DNMT and TET mediate effects of allergen on the human bronchial epithelium in a controlled air pollution exposure study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2020; 147:1671-1682. [PMID: 33069714 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.08.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological data show that traffic-related air pollution contributes to the increasing prevalence and severity of asthma. DNA methylation (DNAm) changes may elucidate adverse health effects of environmental exposures. OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the effects of allergen and diesel exhaust (DE) exposures on global DNAm and its regulation enzymes in human airway epithelium. METHODS A total of 11 participants, including 7 with and 4 without airway hyperresponsiveness, were recruited for a randomized, double-blind crossover study. Each participant had 3 exposures: filtered air + saline, filtered air + allergen, and DE + allergen. Forty-eight hours postexposure, endobronchial biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavages were collected. Levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes, 5-methylcytosine, and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine were determined by immunohistochemistry. Cytokines and chemokines in bronchoalveolar lavages were measured by electrochemiluminescence multiplex assays. RESULTS Predominant DNMT (the most abundant among DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) and predominant TET (the most abundant among TET1, TET2, and TET3) were participant-dependent. 5-Methylcytosine and its regulation enzymes differed between participants with and without airway hyperresponsiveness at baseline (filtered air + saline) and in response to allergen challenge (regardless of DE exposure). Predominant DNMT and predominant TET correlated with lung function. Allergen challenge effect on IL-8 in bronchoalveolar lavages was modified by TET2 baseline levels in the epithelium. CONCLUSIONS Response to allergen challenge is associated with key DNAm regulation enzymes. This relationship is generally unaltered by DE coexposure but is rather dependent on airway hyperresponsiveness status. These enzymes therefore warranted further inquiry regarding their potential in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Min Hyung Ryu
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher F Rider
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wayne Tse
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rachel L Clifford
- Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham MRC Molecular Pathology Node, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Maria J Aristizabal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Weiping Wen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Chris Carlsten
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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Liu P, Tian W. Identification of DNA methylation patterns and biomarkers for clear-cell renal cell carcinoma by multi-omics data analysis. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9654. [PMID: 32832275 PMCID: PMC7409785 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tumorigenesis is highly heterogeneous, and using clinicopathological signatures only is not enough to effectively distinguish clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and improve risk stratification of patients. DNA methylation (DNAm) with the stability and reversibility often occurs in the early stage of tumorigenesis. Disorders of transcription and metabolism are also an important molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis. Therefore, it is necessary to identify effective biomarkers involved in tumorigenesis through multi-omics analysis, and these biomarkers also provide new potential therapeutic targets. Method The discovery stage involved 160 pairs of ccRCC and matched normal tissues for investigation of DNAm and biomarkers as well as 318 cases of ccRCC including clinical signatures. Correlation analysis of epigenetic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data revealed the connection and discordance among multi-omics and the deregulated functional modules. Diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers were obtained by the correlation analysis, the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and the LASSO-Cox methods. Two classifiers were established based on random forest (RF) and LASSO-Cox algorithms in training datasets. Seven independent datasets were used to evaluate robustness and universality. The molecular biological function of biomarkers were investigated using DAVID and GeneMANIA. Results Based on multi-omics analysis, the epigenetic measurements uniquely identified DNAm dysregulation of cellular mechanisms resulting in transcriptomic alterations, including cell proliferation, immune response and inflammation. Combination of the gene co-expression network and metabolic network identified 134 CpG sites (CpGs) as potential biomarkers. Based on the LASSO and RF algorithms, five CpGs were obtained to build a diagnostic classifierwith better classification performance (AUC > 99%). A eight-CpG-based prognostic classifier was obtained to improve risk stratification (hazard ratio (HR) > 4; log-rank test, p-value < 0.01). Based on independent datasets and seven additional cancers, the diagnostic and prognostic classifiers also had better robustness and stability. The molecular biological function of genes with abnormal methylation were significantly associated with glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and signal transduction. Conclusion The present study provides a comprehensive analysis of ccRCC using multi-omics data. These findings indicated that multi-omics analysis could identify some novel epigenetic factors, which were the most important causes of advanced cancer and poor clinical prognosis. Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers were identified, which provided a promising avenue to develop effective therapies for ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weidong Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Price EM, Peñaherrera MS, Portales-Casamar E, Pavlidis P, Van Allen MI, McFadden DE, Robinson WP. Profiling placental and fetal DNA methylation in human neural tube defects. Epigenetics Chromatin 2016; 9:6. [PMID: 26889207 PMCID: PMC4756451 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-016-0054-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) declined by about 40 % in Canada with the introduction of a national folic acid (FA) fortification program. Despite the fact that few Canadians currently exhibit folate deficiency, NTDs are still the second most common congenital abnormality. FA fortification may have aided in reducing the incidence of NTDs by overcoming abnormal one carbon metabolism cycling, the process which provides one carbon units for methylation of DNA. We considered that NTDs persisting in a folate-replete population may also occur in the context of FA-independent compromised one carbon metabolism, and that this might manifest as abnormal DNA methylation (DNAm). Second trimester human placental chorionic villi, kidney, spinal cord, brain, and muscle were collected from 19 control, 22 spina bifida, and 15 anencephalic fetuses in British Columbia, Canada. DNA was extracted, assessed for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotype and for genome-wide DNAm using repetitive elements, in addition to the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 (450k) array. Results No difference in repetitive element DNAm was noted between NTD status groups. Using a false discovery rate <0.05 and average group difference in DNAm ≥0.05, differentially methylated array sites were identified only in (1) the comparison of anencephaly to controls in chorionic villi (n = 4 sites) and (2) the comparison of spina bifida to controls in kidney (n = 3342 sites). Conclusions We suggest that the distinctive DNAm of spina bifida kidneys may be consequent to the neural tube defect or reflective of a common etiology for abnormal neural tube and renal development. Though there were some small shifts in DNAm in the other tested tissues, our data do not support the long-standing hypothesis of generalized altered genome-wide DNAm in NTDs. This finding may be related to the fact that most Canadians are not folate deficient, but it importantly opens the field to the investigation of other epigenetic and non-epigenetic mechanisms in the etiology of NTDs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13072-016-0054-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Magda Price
- Child and Family Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 UK ; Dept of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, C201-4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1 UK ; Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, C420-4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1 UK
| | - Maria S Peñaherrera
- Child and Family Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 UK ; Dept of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, C201-4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1 UK
| | | | - Paul Pavlidis
- Centre for High-Throughput Biology, University of British Columbia, 2185 East Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4 UK ; Dept of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1 UK
| | - Margot I Van Allen
- Dept of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, C201-4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1 UK
| | - Deborah E McFadden
- Dept of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, C201-4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1 UK ; Dept of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rm G227-2211, Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5 UK
| | - Wendy P Robinson
- Child and Family Research Institute, 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 UK ; Dept of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, C201-4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1 UK
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