Effect of postnatal photoperiod on DNA methylation dynamics in the mouse brain

The DNA methylation status of the vitamin A signaling associated with testicular degeneration induced by long-day photoperiods in Magang geese

Magang geese are typical short-day breeders whose reproductive behaviors are significantly influenced by photoperiod. Exposure to a long-day photoperiod results in testicular regression and spermatogenesis arrest in Magang geese. To investigate the epigenetic influence of DNA methylation on the seasonal testicular regression in Magang geese, we conducted whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and transcriptome sequencing of testes across 3 reproductive phases during a long-day photoperiod. A total of 250,326 differentially methylated regions (DMR) were identified among the 3 comparison groups, with a significant number showing hypermethylation, especially in intronic regions of the genome. Integrating bisulfite sequencing with transcriptome sequencing data revealed that DMR-associated genes tend to be differentially expressed in the testes, highlighting a potential regulatory role for DNA methylation in gene expression. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between changes in the methylation of CG DMRs and changes in the expression of their associated genes in the testes. A total of 3,359 DMR-associated differentially expressed genes (DEG) were identified; functional enrichment analyses revealed that motor proteins, MAPK signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction, phagosome, TGF-beta signaling pathway, and calcium signaling might contribute to the testicular regression process. GSEA revealed that the significantly enriched activated hallmark gene set was associated with apoptosis and estrogen response during testicular regression, while the repressed hallmark gene set was involved in spermatogenesis. Our study also revealed that methylation changes significantly impacted the expression level of vitamin A metabolism-related genes during testicular degeneration, with hypermethylation of STRA6 and increased calmodulin levels indicating vitamin A efflux during the testicular regression. These findings were corroborated by pyrosequencing and real-time qPCR, which revealed that the vitamin A metabolic pathway plays a pivotal role in testicular degeneration under long-day conditions. Additionally, metabolomics analysis revealed an insufficiency of vitamin A and an abnormally high level of oxysterols accumulated in the testes during testicular regression. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that testicular degeneration in Magang geese induced by a long-day photoperiod is linked to vitamin A homeostasis disruption, which manifests as the hypermethylation status of STRA6, vitamin A efflux, and a high level of oxysterol accumulation. These findings offer new insights into the effects of DNA methylation on the seasonal testicular regression that occurs during long-day photoperiods in Magang geese.

Photoperiod and metabolic health: evidence, mechanism, and implications

Circadian rhythms are evolutionarily programmed biological rhythms that are primarily entrained by the light cycle. Disruption of circadian rhythms is an important risk factor for several metabolic disorders. Photoperiod is defined as total duration of light exposure in a day. With the extended use of indoor/outdoor light, smartphones, television, computers, and social jetlag people are exposed to excessive artificial light at night increasing their photoperiod. Importantly long photoperiod is not limited to any geographical region, season, age, or socioeconomic group, it is pervasive. Long photoperiod is an established disrupter of the circadian rhythm and can induce a range of chronic health conditions including adiposity, altered hormonal signaling and metabolism, premature ageing, and poor psychological health. This review discusses the impact of exposure to long photoperiod on circadian rhythms, metabolic and mental health, hormonal signaling, and ageing and provides a perspective on possible preventive and therapeutic approaches for this pervasive challenge.

Photoperiod Induces DNA Methylation Changes in the Melatonin Receptor 1A Gene in Ewes

Research has shown that MTNR1A plays an essential role in the estrus cycle and seasonal reproduction changes in sheep. However, few people have focused on the DNA methylation of MTNR1A by season or photoperiod. In this study, using qPCR and Western blotting, we measured the MTNR1A expression in the hypothalamus of ovariectomized and estradiol-treated (OVX + E2) sheep under different photoperiod treatment conditions. Subsequently, the core promoter of the MTNR1A gene was identified, and its methylation level in sheep exposed to different photoperiod treatments was measured by pyrosequencing. The results showed that MTNR1A gene expression significantly differed between the short 42-day photoperiod (SP42) and the LP42 or combined SP-LP42 treatment groups (p < 0.05). In addition, we determined that the core MTNR1A promoter region was within 540 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site (TSS) and that the DNA methylation levels at CpG sites in the SP42 vs. LP42 and SP42 vs. SP-LP42 groups significantly differed. Finally, a significant negative correlation (p < 0.001) between gene expression and DNA methylation levels was revealed, suggesting that photoperiod may induce DNA methylation of the MTNR1A gene and thus change its expression. The findings provide valuable bases for the further study of seasonal reproduction in sheep.

The effect of season of birth on brain epigenome-wide DNA methylation of older adults

Perinatal light exposure predisposes towards health and behaviour in adulthood. Season of birth is associated with psychiatric, allergic, cardiovascular and metabolic problems. It has been proposed that early-life environmental light disrupts the development of biological rhythms which, in turn, influence later-life health. However, the mechanisms linking perinatal seasonal light to later-life biological rhythm and health in humans are unknown. In this study, we investigated the association between season of birth and epigenome-wide DNA methylation of two postmortem human brain regions (16 hypothalamus, 14 temporal cortex). We did not find statistically significant differences at the whole epigenome level, either because we lacked statistical power or that no association exists. However, when we examined 24 CpG sites that had the highest significance or differential methylation, we identified regions which may be associated with circadian rhythm entrainment, cholinergic neurotransmission and neural development. Amongst methylation of the core clock genes, we identified that hypothalamus Neuronal PAS Domain Protein 2 (NPAS2) gene has hypermethylated regions in long photoperiod-born individuals. In addition, we found nominal associations between season of birth and genes linked to chronotype and narcolepsy. Season of birth-related brain DNA methylation profile was different than a previously reported blood methylation profile, suggesting a tissue-specific mechanism of perinatal light programming. Overall, we are the first to analyse the relationship between season of birth and human brain DNA methylation. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm an imprinting effect of perinatal light on the circadian clock.