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Xiong HY, Wyns A, Campenhout JV, Hendrix J, De Bruyne E, Godderis L, Schabrun S, Nijs J, Polli A. Epigenetic Landscapes of Pain: DNA Methylation Dynamics in Chronic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8324. [PMID: 39125894 PMCID: PMC11312850 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is a prevalent condition with a multifaceted pathogenesis, where epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation, might play an important role. This review delves into the intricate mechanisms by which DNA methylation and demethylation regulate genes associated with nociception and pain perception in nociceptive pathways. We explore the dynamic nature of these epigenetic processes, mediated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes, which modulate the expression of pro- and anti-nociceptive genes. Aberrant DNA methylation profiles have been observed in patients with various chronic pain syndromes, correlating with hypersensitivity to painful stimuli, neuronal hyperexcitability, and inflammatory responses. Genome-wide analyses shed light on differentially methylated regions and genes that could serve as potential biomarkers for chronic pain in the epigenetic landscape. The transition from acute to chronic pain is marked by rapid DNA methylation reprogramming, suggesting its potential role in pain chronicity. This review highlights the importance of understanding the temporal dynamics of DNA methylation during this transition to develop targeted therapeutic interventions. Reversing pathological DNA methylation patterns through epigenetic therapies emerges as a promising strategy for pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan-Yu Xiong
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
| | - Arne Wyns
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
| | - Jente Van Campenhout
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
| | - Jolien Hendrix
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment & Health, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elke De Bruyne
- Translational Oncology Research Center (TORC), Team Hematology and Immunology (HEIM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Lode Godderis
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment & Health, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Siobhan Schabrun
- The School of Physical Therapy, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
- The Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity, Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - Jo Nijs
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
- Chronic Pain Rehabilitation, Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Unit of Physiotherapy, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41390 Göterbog, Sweden
| | - Andrea Polli
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment & Health, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
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2
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Mallick R, Duttaroy AK. Epigenetic modification impacting brain functions: Effects of physical activity, micronutrients, caffeine, toxins, and addictive substances. Neurochem Int 2023; 171:105627. [PMID: 37827244 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2023.105627] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene expression are involved in many brain functions. Epigenetic processes modulate gene expression by histone modification and DNA methylation or RNA-mediated processes, which is important for brain function. Consequently, epigenetic changes are also a part of brain diseases such as mental illness and addiction. Understanding the role of different factors on the brain epigenome may help us understand the function of the brain. This review discussed the effects of caffeine, lipids, addictive substances, physical activity, and pollutants on the epigenetic changes in the brain and their modulatory effects on brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Mallick
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
| | - Asim K Duttaroy
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, POB 1046 Blindern, Oslo, Norway.
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3
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Quaioto BR, Borçoi AR, Mendes SO, Doblas PC, Dos Santos Vieira T, Arantes Moreno IA, Dos Santos JG, Hollais AW, Olinda AS, de Souza MLM, Freitas FV, Pinheiro JA, Cunha ER, Sorroche BP, Arantes LMRB, Álvares-da-Silva AM. Tobacco use modify exon IV BDNF gene methylation levels in depression. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 159:240-248. [PMID: 36753898 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate BDNF gene methylation in individuals with depression based on tobacco use. Therefore, 384 adults from southeastern Brazil were recruited to assess depression, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and methylation by pyrosequencing exon IV promoter region of the BDNF gene. The Generalized Linear Model (GzLM) was used to check the effect of depression, tobacco, and the interaction between depression and tobacco use in methylation levels. In addition, the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Dunn's post hoc test, was used to compare methylation levels. Interaction between depression and tobacco use was significant at levels of BDNF methylation in the CpG 5 (p = 0.045), 8 (p = 0.016), 9 (p = 0.042), 10 (p = 0.026) and mean 5-11 (p < 0.001). Dunn's post hoc test showed that individuals with depression and tobacco use compared to those with or without depression who did not use tobacco had lower levels of BDNF methylation in CpG 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and mean 5-11. Therefore, we suggest that tobacco use appears to interfere with BDNF gene methylation in depressed individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Risse Quaioto
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
| | - Aline Ribeiro Borçoi
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Suzanny Oliveira Mendes
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Paola Cerbino Doblas
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Tamires Dos Santos Vieira
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Ivana Alece Arantes Moreno
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Joaquim Gasparini Dos Santos
- ICESP, Center for Translational Research in Oncology, Instituto Do Câncer Do Estado de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Multiprofessional Residency Program in Adult Oncology Care, Comissão de Residência Multiprofissional/Hospital Das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André Willian Hollais
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Amanda Sgrancio Olinda
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | | | - Flávia Vitorino Freitas
- Department of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Alegre, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Júlia Assis Pinheiro
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Ester Ribeiro Cunha
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Bruna Pereira Sorroche
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Hospital Do Câncer de Barretos, Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Adriana Madeira Álvares-da-Silva
- Biotechnology Postgraduate Program/RENORBIO, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil; Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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Lintas C, Cassano I, Azzarà A, Stigliano MG, Gregorj C, Sacco R, Stoccoro A, Coppedè F, Gurrieri F. Maternal Epigenetic Dysregulation as a Possible Risk Factor for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030585. [PMID: 36980856 PMCID: PMC10048308 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders and are considered multifactorial diseases with both genetic and environmental components. Epigenetic dysregulation driven by adverse environmental factors has recently been documented in neurodevelopmental disorders as the possible etiological agent for their onset. However, most studies have focused on the epigenomes of the probands rather than on a possible epigenetic dysregulation arising in their mothers and influencing neurodevelopment during pregnancy. The aim of this research was to analyze the methylation profile of four well-known genes involved in neurodevelopment (BDNF, RELN, MTHFR and HTR1A) in the mothers of forty-five age-matched AS (Asperger Syndrome), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and typically developing children. We found a significant increase of methylation at the promoter of the RELN and HTR1A genes in AS mothers compared to ADHD and healthy control mothers. For the MTHFR gene, promoter methylation was significantly higher in AS mothers compared to healthy control mothers only. The observed dysregulation in AS mothers could potentially contribute to the affected condition in their children deserving further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lintas
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
- Operative Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-225419174
| | - Ilaria Cassano
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Alessia Azzarà
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Stigliano
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Chiara Gregorj
- Operative Research Unit of Hematology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapy, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Roberto Sacco
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
- Operative Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Andrea Stoccoro
- Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Coppedè
- Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Fiorella Gurrieri
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
- Operative Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy
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Lesicka M, Dmitrzak-Weglarz M, Jablonska E, Wieczorek E, Kapelski P, Szczepankiewicz A, Pawlak J, Reszka E. Methylation of melatonin receptors in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 211:111776. [PMID: 36706965 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111776] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Disturbances of melatonin secretion alter the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle, which is observed among patients with depression. Melatonin acts via melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2, which are present in many tissues, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We assume that disturbances of the melatonin pathway in the brain may be reflected by molecular changes in peripheral organs. The study objective was to evaluate the methylation profile of CpG island in the promoter region of melatonin receptor genes MTNR1A and MTNR1B in PBMC of patients with depression and compare it with healthy volunteers. The study group comprised 85 patients with unipolar (UP) and bipolar disorders (BP) and 83 controls. The methylation pattern of CpG island in the promoter region was analyzed using the quantitative methylation-specific real-time PCR (qMSP-PCR) method. We found that the methylation profile of the patients with depression varied in comparison to the control group. The methylation level of MTNR1A was significantly lower among depressed patients compared to controls. Additionally, melatonin concentration was negatively correlated with MTNR1B methylation level among the UP patients. The study may suggest that the methylation profile of melatonin receptors in PBMC may be used as a complementary molecular marker in depression diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Lesicka
- Department of Translational Research, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Monika Dmitrzak-Weglarz
- Department of Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Ewa Jablonska
- Department of Translational Research, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland
| | - Edyta Wieczorek
- Department of Translational Research, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland
| | - Pawel Kapelski
- Department of Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Szczepankiewicz
- Department of Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Joanna Pawlak
- Department of Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Edyta Reszka
- Department of Translational Research, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland
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6
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Goodin BR, Overstreet DS, Penn TM, Bakshi R, Quinn TL, Sims A, Ptacek T, Jackson P, Long DL, Aroke EN. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiling of conditioned pain modulation in individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:45. [PMID: 35346352 PMCID: PMC8962463 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01265-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pathoanatomic cause of chronic low back pain (cLBP) cannot be identified for up to 90% of individuals. However, dysfunctional processing of endogenous nociceptive input, measured as conditioned pain modulation (CPM), has been associated with cLBP and may involve changes in neuronal gene expression. Epigenetic-induced changes such as DNA methylation (DNAm) have been associated with cLBP. METHODS In the present study, the relationship between CPM and DNAm changes in a sample of community-dwelling adults with nonspecific cLBP (n = 48) and pain-free controls (PFC; n = 50) was examined using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. Gene ontology (GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were applied to identify key pathways involved in efficient versus deficient CPM. RESULTS Based on CPM efficiency, we identified 6006 and 18,305 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) with q values < 0.01 among individuals with cLBP and PFCs, respectively. Most of the DMCs were hypomethylated and annotated to genes of relevance to pain, including OPRM1, ADRB2, CACNA2D3, GNA12, LPL, NAXD, and ASPHD1. In both cLBP and PFC groups, the DMCs annotated genes enriched many GO terms relevant to pain processing, including transcription regulation by RNA polymerase II, nervous system development, generation of neurons, neuron differentiation, and neurogenesis. Both groups also enriched the pathways involved in Rap1-signaling, cancer, and dopaminergic neurogenesis. However, MAPK-Ras signaling pathways were enriched in the cLBP, not the PFC group. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to investigate the genome-scale DNA methylation profiles of CPM phenotype in adults with cLBP and PFCs. Based on CPM efficiency, fewer DMC enrichment pathways were unique to the cLBP than the PFCs group. Our results suggest that epigenetically induced modification of neuronal development/differentiation pathways may affect CPM efficiency, suggesting novel potential therapeutic targets for central sensitization. However, CPM efficiency and the experience of nonspecific cLBP may be independent. Further mechanistic studies are required to confirm the relationship between CPM, central sensitization, and nonspecific cLBP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burel R Goodin
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention and Intervention (CAPPI), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Demario S Overstreet
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Terence M Penn
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Rahm Bakshi
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Tammie L Quinn
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Andrew Sims
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Travis Ptacek
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Pamela Jackson
- Department of Acute, Chronic and Continuing Care, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1701 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - D Leann Long
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Edwin N Aroke
- Department of Acute, Chronic and Continuing Care, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1701 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
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Infantino R, Schiano C, Luongo L, Paino S, Mansueto G, Boccella S, Guida F, Ricciardi F, Iannotta M, Belardo C, Marabese I, Pieretti G, Serra N, Napoli C, Maione S. MED1/BDNF/TrkB pathway is involved in thalamic hemorrhage-induced pain and depression by regulating microglia. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 164:105611. [PMID: 34995755 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) and associated depression remain poorly understood and pharmacological treatments are unsatisfactory. Recently, microglia activation was suggested to be involved in CPSP pathophysiology. The goal of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a co-ultramicronized combination of N-palmitoylethanolamide and luteolin (PEALut) in a mouse model of thalamic hemorrhage (TH)-induced CPSP. TH was established through the collagenase-IV injection in thalamic ventral-posterolateral-nucleus. PEALut effects in CPSP-associated behaviors were evaluated during a 28-days observation period. We found that repeated administrations of co-ultra PEALut significantly reduced mechanical hypersensitivity after TH, as compared to vehicle, by reducing the early microglial activation in the perilesional site. Moreover, PEALut prevented the development of depressive-like behavior (21 days post-TH). These effects were associated with the restoration of synaptic plasticity in LEC-DG pathway and monoamines levels found impaired in TH mice. Hippocampal MED1 and TrkB expressions were significantly increased in TH compared to sham mice 21 days post-TH, whereas BDNF levels were decreased. PEALut restored MED1/TrkB/BDNF expression in mice. Remarkably, we found significant overexpression of MED1 in the human autoptic brain specimens after stroke, indicating a translational potential of our findings. These results pave the way for better-investigating depression in TH- induced CPSP, together with the involvement of MED1/TrkB/BDNF pathway, proposing PEALut as an adjuvant treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosmara Infantino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Concetta Schiano
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences (DAMSS), University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Livio Luongo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy; IRCSS, Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Salvatore Paino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Gelsomina Mansueto
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences (DAMSS), University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy; Legal Medicine Unit, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Serena Boccella
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Guida
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Flavia Ricciardi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Monica Iannotta
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Carmela Belardo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Ida Marabese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Gorizio Pieretti
- Multidisciplinary Department of Surgical and Dental Specialities, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Serra
- Department of Public Health, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudio Napoli
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences (DAMSS), University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Sabatino Maione
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy; IRCSS, Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.
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8
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Stenz L, Carré JL, Luthi F, Vuistiner P, Burrus C, Paoloni-Giacobino A, Léger B. Genome-Wide Epigenomic Analyses in Patients With Nociceptive and Neuropathic Chronic Pain Subtypes Reveals Alterations in Methylation of Genes Involved in the Neuro-Musculoskeletal System. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2022; 23:326-336. [PMID: 34547430 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nociceptive pain involves the activation of nociceptors without damage to the nervous system, whereas neuropathic pain is related to an alteration in the central or peripheral nervous system. Chronic pain itself and the transition from acute to chronic pain may be epigenetically controlled. In this cross-sectional study, a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed using the blood DNA reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) technique. Three prospective cohorts including 20 healthy controls (CTL), 18 patients with chronic nociceptive pain (NOCI), and 19 patients with chronic neuropathic pain (NEURO) were compared at both the single CpG and differentially methylated region (DMR) levels. Genes with DMRs were seen in the NOCI and NEURO groups belonged to the neuro-musculoskeletal system and differed between NOCI and NEURO patients. Our results demonstrate that the epigenetic disturbances accompanying nociceptive pain are very different from those accompanying neuropathic pain. In the former, among others, the epigenetic disturbance observed would affect the function of the opioid analgesic system, whereas in the latter it would affect that of the GABAergic reward system. This study presents biological findings that help to characterize NOCI- and NEURO-affected pathways and opens the possibility of developing epigenetic diagnostic assays. PERSPECTIVE: Our results help to explain the various biological pathways modifications underlying the different clinical manifestations of nociceptive and neuropathic pains. Furthermore, the new targets identified in our study might help to discover more specific treatments for nociceptive or neuropathic pains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig Stenz
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Geneva University, Medicine Faculty, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joane Le Carré
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland; Department of Medical Research, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - François Luthi
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland; Department of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Orthopaedic Hospital, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Vuistiner
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland; Department of Medical Research, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Cyrille Burrus
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland; Department of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Ariane Paoloni-Giacobino
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Geneva University, Medicine Faculty, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bertrand Léger
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland; Department of Medical Research, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland.
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9
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Gallo R, Stoccoro A, Cagiano R, Nicolì V, Ricciardi R, Tancredi R, Trovato R, Santorelli FM, Calderoni S, Muratori F, Migliore L, Coppedè F. Correlation among maternal risk factors, gene methylation and disease severity in females with autism spectrum disorder. Epigenomics 2022; 14:175-185. [PMID: 35081728 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2021-0494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: To detect early-life environmental factors leading to DNA methylation changes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related genes in young ASD females and reveal epigenetic biomarkers of disease severity. Materials & methods: We investigated blood methylation levels of MECP2, OXTR, BDNF, RELN, BCL2, EN2 and HTR1A genes in 42 ASD females. Results: Maternal gestational weight gain correlated with BDNF methylation levels (Bonferroni-corrected p = 0.034), and lack of folic acid supplementation at periconception resulted in higher disease severity in the ASD children (Bonferroni-corrected p = 0.048). RELN methylation levels were inversely correlated with disease severity (Bonferroni corrected p = 0.042). Conclusion: The present study revealed gene-environment interactions and potential epigenetic biomarkers of disease severity in ASD females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Gallo
- Department of Translational Research & of New Surgical & Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Andrea Stoccoro
- Department of Translational Research & of New Surgical & Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Romina Cagiano
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, 56128, Italy
| | - Vanessa Nicolì
- Department of Translational Research & of New Surgical & Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Rosanna Ricciardi
- Department of Translational Research & of New Surgical & Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | | | - Rosanna Trovato
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, 56128, Italy
| | | | - Sara Calderoni
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, 56128, Italy.,Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, 56128, Italy.,Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Lucia Migliore
- Department of Translational Research & of New Surgical & Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Fabio Coppedè
- Department of Translational Research & of New Surgical & Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy
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Mustieles V, Rodríguez-Carrillo A, Vela-Soria F, D'Cruz SC, David A, Smagulova F, Mundo-López A, Olivas-Martínez A, Reina-Pérez I, Olea N, Freire C, Arrebola JP, Fernández MF. BDNF as a potential mediator between childhood BPA exposure and behavioral function in adolescent boys from the INMA-Granada cohort. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:150014. [PMID: 34788942 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure has been linked to altered behavior in children. Within the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU), an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) network was constructed supporting the mechanistic link between BPA exposure and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). OBJECTIVE To test this toxicologically-based hypothesis in the prospective INMA-Granada birth cohort (Spain). METHODS BPA concentrations were quantified by LC-MS/MS in spot urine samples from boys aged 9-11 years, normalized by creatinine and log-2 transformed. At adolescence (15-17 years), blood and urine specimens were collected, and serum and urinary BDNF protein levels were measured using immunoassays. DNA methylation levels at 6 CpGs in Exon IV of the BDNF gene were also assessed in peripheral blood using bisulfite-pyrosequencing. Adolescent's behavior was parent-rated using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6-18) in 148 boys. Adjusted linear regression and mediation models were fit. RESULTS Childhood urinary BPA concentrations were longitudinally and positively associated with thought problems (β = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.02, 1.49) and somatic complaints (β = 0.80; 95% CI: -0.16, 1.75) at adolescence. BPA concentrations were positively associated with BDNF DNA methylation at CpG6 (β = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.36) and mean CpG methylation (β = 0.10; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.18), but not with total serum or urinary BDNF protein levels. When independent variables were categorized in tertiles, positive dose-response associations were observed between BPA-thought problems (p-trend = 0.08), BPA-CpG6 (p-trend ≤ 0.01), and CpG6-thought problems (p-trend ≤ 0.01). A significant mediated effect by CpG6 DNA methylation was observed (β = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.57), accounting for up to 34% of the BPA-thought problems association. CONCLUSIONS In line with toxicological studies, BPA exposure was longitudinally associated with increased BDNF DNA methylation, supporting the biological plausibility of BPA-behavior relationships previously described in the epidemiological literature. Given its novelty and preliminary nature, this effect biomarker approach should be replicated in larger birth cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Mustieles
- University of Granada, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
| | | | | | - Shereen Cynthia D'Cruz
- Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Arthur David
- Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Fatima Smagulova
- Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | | | | | | | - Nicolás Olea
- University of Granada, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Carmen Freire
- University of Granada, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Juan P Arrebola
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Universidad de Granada, Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Granada, Spain
| | - Mariana F Fernández
- University of Granada, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs. GRANADA), Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
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11
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Oztenekecioglu B, Mavis M, Osum M, Kalkan R. Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Glob Med Genet 2021; 8:144-148. [PMID: 34877571 PMCID: PMC8635813 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is extremely important to understand the causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which is a neurodevelopmental disease. Treatment and lifelong support of autism are also important to improve the patient's life quality. In this article, several findings were explained to understand the possible causes of ASD. We draw, outline, and describe ASD and its relation with the epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we discuss, several different factors leading to ASD such as environmental, epigenetic, and genetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bugsem Oztenekecioglu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Merdiye Mavis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Meryem Osum
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Rasime Kalkan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
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12
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Li L, Wang T, Chen S, Yue Y, Xu Z, Yuan Y. DNA methylations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor exon VI are associated with major depressive disorder and antidepressant-induced remission in females. J Affect Disord 2021; 295:101-107. [PMID: 34418778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been suggested to play important roles in major depressive disorder (MDD) and antidepressant treatment. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of DNA methylation changes in the BDNF gene with MDD and antidepressant treatment. METHODS A total of 291 MDD patients and 100 healthy controls were included and followed up for 6 weeks. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HDRS-17) was used to measure treatment improvement. The life events scales (LES) and childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) were used to rate recent and early life stress. DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in the BDNF gene were measured. RESULTS Two CpG sites in BDNF exon VI (BDNF133 and BDNF134) were demonstrated to have significantly higher methylation in MDD patients than in controls (both FDR-adjusted P = 0.001). A logistics regression model indicated that the interaction between the hypermethylation of BDNF133 and negative subscore of LES was associated to MDD (OR=0.0075, P<0.001). Methylation of BDNF140 at baseline was significantly elevated in remitters (FDR-adjusted P = 0.046) at week 6. In subgroup analyses, these findings could be replicated in females, but not in males. LIMITATIONS The methylation status of BDNF after 6 weeks of antidepressant treatment was not measured and the DNA methylation were detected in peripheral blood cells. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight gender-specific alteration of methylation at several CpG sites in BDNF exon VI as a promising candidate indicator of MDD and antidepressant-induced remission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Department of Sleep Medicine, The Fourth People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, 222000, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Suzhen Chen
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yingying Yue
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Zhi Xu
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Yonggui Yuan
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, Southeast university, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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13
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Lead (Pb) and neurodevelopment: A review on exposure and biomarkers of effect (BDNF, HDL) and susceptibility. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2021; 238:113855. [PMID: 34655857 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant and a potent toxic compound. Humans are exposed to Pb through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact via food, water, tobacco smoke, air, dust, and soil. Pb accumulates in bones, brain, liver and kidney. Fetal exposure occurs via transplacental transmission. The most critical health effects are developmental neurotoxicity in infants and cardiovascular effects and nephrotoxicity in adults. Pb exposure has been steadily decreasing over the past decades, but there are few recent exposure data from the general European population; moreover, no safe Pb limit has been set. Sensitive biomarkers of exposure, effect and susceptibility, that reliably and timely indicate Pb-associated toxicity are required to assess human exposure-health relationships in a situation of low to moderate exposure. Therefore, a systematic literature review based on PubMed entries published before July 2019 that addressed Pb exposure and biomarkers of effect and susceptibility, neurodevelopmental toxicity, epigenetic modifications, and transcriptomics was conducted. Finally included were 58 original papers on Pb exposure and 17 studies on biomarkers. The biomarkers that are linked to Pb exposure and neurodevelopment were grouped into effect biomarkers (serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and serum/saliva cortisol), susceptibility markers (epigenetic markers and gene sequence variants) and other biomarkers (serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL), maternal iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) status). Serum BDNF and plasma HDL are potential candidates to be further validated as effect markers for routine use in HBM studies of Pb, complemented by markers of Fe and Ca status to also address nutritional interactions related to neurodevelopmental disorders. For several markers, a causal relationship with Pb-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity is likely. Results on BDNF are discussed in relation to Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) 13 ("Chronic binding of antagonist to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) during brain development induces impairment of learning and memory abilities") of the AOP-Wiki. Further studies are needed to validate sensitive, reliable, and timely effect biomarkers, especially for low to moderate Pb exposure scenarios.
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14
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Xing Y, Sun T, Li G, Xu G, Cheng J, Gao S. The role of BDNF exon I region methylation in the treatment of depression with sertraline and its clinical diagnostic value. J Clin Lab Anal 2021; 35:e23993. [PMID: 34528295 PMCID: PMC8605126 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is considered to be one of the best candidate genes for depression. However, whether sertraline treatment affects the methylation level of this gene remains unknown. Methods Fifty‐three patients with depression and 51 healthy controls were included in the study. The methylation level of BDNF exon I was determined in blood samples from these subjects. The Hamilton Depression Scale was used to evaluate the depression status of patients. Single nucleotide polymorphism detection was used for genotyping, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of the methylation level of this locus in patients with depression. Results There was a significant difference in the methylation level of BDNF exon I between the control and depression groups. No effect of sertraline monotherapy on BDNF methylation was found in subjects with depression. Moreover, no interaction was found between BDNF genotype and the per cent methylation of BDNF exon I. However, methylation at this site was positively correlated with diurnal variation and retardation scores. Blood homocysteine concentrations were significantly reduced by sertraline treatment. No influence of genotype on serum BDNF concentration was found in subjects with depression. The ROC curve showed that methylation of BDNF exon I may be used to distinguish patients from healthy people, to a certain extent. Conclusion Methylation of BDNF exon I may be used as a biomarker of depression and may be a therapeutic target for previously untreated depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Xing
- Department of Affective Disorder, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ting Sun
- School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guangxue Li
- Department of Affective Disorder, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guoan Xu
- Department of Affective Disorder, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jia Cheng
- Department of Affective Disorder, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.,Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Shugui Gao
- Department of Affective Disorder, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
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15
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Shirvani-Farsani Z, Maloum Z, Bagheri-Hosseinabadi Z, Vilor-Tejedor N, Sadeghi I. DNA methylation signature as a biomarker of major neuropsychiatric disorders. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 141:34-49. [PMID: 34171761 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a broadly-investigated epigenetic modification that has been considered as a heritable and reversible change. Previous findings have indicated that DNA methylation regulates gene expression in the central nervous system (CNS). Also, disturbance of DNA methylation patterns has been associated with destructive consequences that lead to human brain diseases such as neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs). In this review, we comprehensively discuss the mechanism and function of DNA methylation and its most recent associations with the pathology of NPDs-including major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia (SZ), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), and attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We also discuss how heterogeneous findings demand further investigations. Finally, based on the recent studies we conclude that DNA methylation status may have implications in clinical diagnostics and therapeutics as a potential epigenetic biomarker of NPDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Shirvani-Farsani
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University G.C., Tehran, IR, Iran.
| | - Zahra Maloum
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University G.C., Tehran, IR, Iran.
| | - Zahra Bagheri-Hosseinabadi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
| | - Natalia Vilor-Tejedor
- BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Carrer Wellington 30, 08005, Barcelona, Spain; Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; Erasmus University Medical Center, Department of Clinical Genetics, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Iman Sadeghi
- BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Carrer Wellington 30, 08005, Barcelona, Spain; Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
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16
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Treble-Barna A, Heinsberg LW, Puccio AM, Shaffer JR, Okonkwo DO, Beers SR, Weeks DE, Conley YP. Acute Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor DNA Methylation Trajectories in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Associations With Outcomes Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Adults. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2021; 35:790-800. [PMID: 34167372 DOI: 10.1177/15459683211028245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Background. Epigenetic biomarkers have the potential to explain outcome heterogeneity following traumatic brain injury (TBI) but are largely unexplored. Objective. This exploratory pilot study characterized brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) DNA methylation trajectories following severe TBI. Methods. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor DNA methylation trajectories in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) over the first 5 days following severe TBI in 112 adults were examined in association with 3- and 12-month outcomes. Results. Group-based trajectory analysis revealed low and high DNA methylation groups at two BDNF cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) targets that showed suggestive associations (P < .05) with outcomes. Membership in the high DNA methylation groups was associated with better outcomes after controlling for age, sex, and injury severity. Associations of age × trajectory group interactions with outcomes at a third CpG site revealed a pattern of the same or better outcomes with higher ages in the high DNA methylation group and worse outcomes with higher ages in the low DNA methylation group. Conclusions. Although no observed associations met the empirical significance threshold after correcting for multiple comparisons, suggestive associations of the main effect models were consistent in their direction of effect and were observed across two CpG sites and two outcome time points. Results suggest that higher acute CSF BDNF DNA methylation may promote recovery following severe TBI in adults, and this effect may be more robust with higher age. While the results require replication in larger and racially diverse independent samples, BDNF DNA methylation may serve as an early postinjury biomarker helping to explain outcome heterogeneity following TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amery Treble-Barna
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 12317University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lacey W Heinsberg
- Department of Human Genetics, 51303University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Division of Internal Medicine, 12317University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ava M Puccio
- Department of Neurological Surgery, 12317University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - John R Shaffer
- Department of Human Genetics, 51303University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David O Okonkwo
- Department of Neurological Surgery, 12317University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sue R Beers
- Department of Psychiatry, 12317University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniel E Weeks
- Department of Human Genetics, 51303University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, 12317University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yvette P Conley
- Department of Human Genetics, 51303University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Health Promotion and Development, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Objective and Measurable Biomarkers in Chronic Subjective Tinnitus. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126619. [PMID: 34205595 PMCID: PMC8235100 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is associated with increased social costs and reduced quality of life through sleep disorders or psychological distress. The pathophysiology of chronic subjective tinnitus, which accounts for most tinnitus, has not been clearly elucidated. This is because chronic subjective tinnitus is difficult to evaluate objectively, and there are no objective markers that represent the diagnosis or therapeutic effect of tinnitus. Based on the results of studies on patients with chronic subjective tinnitus, objective and measurable biomarkers that help to identify the pathophysiology of tinnitus have been summarized. A total of 271 studies in PubMed, 303 in EMBASE, and 45 in Cochrane Library were found on biomarkers related to chronic subjective tinnitus published until April 2021. Duplicate articles, articles not written in English, review articles, case reports, and articles that did not match our topic were excluded. A total of 49 studies were included. Three specimens, including blood, saliva, and urine, and a total of 58 biomarkers were used as indicators for diagnosis, evaluation, prognosis, and therapeutic effectiveness of tinnitus. Biomarkers were classified into eight categories comprising metabolic, hemostatic, inflammatory, endocrine, immunological, neurologic, and oxidative parameters. Biomarkers can help in the diagnosis, measure the severity, predict prognosis, and treatment outcome of tinnitus.
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Hossack MR, Reid MW, Aden JK, Gibbons T, Noe JC, Willis AM. Adverse Childhood Experience, Genes, and PTSD Risk in Soldiers: A Methylation Study. Mil Med 2021; 185:377-384. [PMID: 32976583 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usz292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epigenetics can serve as a marker of susceptibility to many known psychiatric diseases. DNA methylation patterns of multiple genes have been studied in both civilian populations and military personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many of these genes serve various functions that span the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, immune system, and central nervous system (CNS) growth factors and neurotransmission. It is thought that the methylation levels of such genes may be able to identify individuals who are at higher risk of developing PTSD. Our study seeks to establish whether previously reported PTSD genes possess a particular methylation pattern that is predictive of PTSD in active duty military members with combat exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is an institutional review board (IRB)-approved, cross-sectional, case control, gene-environment interaction study. About 170 active military members with and without PTSD were recruited. Patients with a history of structural brain damage, traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting in loss of consciousness, predeployment diagnosis of PTSD or anxiety disorder, and predeployment prescription of an antidepressant or psychoactive medication were excluded. Validated measures of childhood trauma and adversity (adverse childhood experience [ACE] score), PTSD symptoms (PTSD check-list military version [PCL-M]), and combat exposure scales (CES) were measured via validated questionnaires for all subjects. After extracting DNA from peripheral blood provided by the 170 subjects, we determined methylation percentages, via pyrosequencing assays, for nine target areas within the following seven genes: BDNF, NR3C1, MAN2C1, TLR8, SLC6A4, IL-18, and SKA2. These genes are commonly reported in the literature as being highly correlated with PTSD and early-life traumatic experiences.Methylation levels were measured as a percentage at specific sites within the previously mentioned genes. Data were examined with SPSS v 22.0 Statistics and JMP v13.1 software using a general linear model for methylation × trauma (CES scores) split by diagnosis of PTSD or not, methylation versus childhood trauma (ACE scores), and methylation versus PTSD severity (PCL-M score). Two-way ANOVA was performed to control for antidepressant use. A two-tailed Student t-test was performed for PTSD analyses and was correlated with PTSD diagnosis, demographic information as well as ACE score, PCL-M score, and CES scores. RESULTS Differentially methylated sites that were highly associated with PTSD diagnosis were found in three of seven candidate genes: BDNF, NR3C1, and MAN2C1. When compared to controls, patients with PTSD diagnosis had significantly lower levels of methylation, even after controlling for antidepressant use. PCL-M, ACE, and CES scores were significantly associated with PTSD diagnosis. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that methylation of key genes involved in synaptic plasticity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is associated with lower levels of methylation in military PTSD subjects exposed to combat when compared to their non-PTSD counterparts. Strengths of this study include controlling for antidepressant use and excluding TBI patients. Similar studies in an active duty population of this size are scarce. What is not clear is whether methylation changes are driving PTSD symptomology or whether they are merely a marker of disease. Future areas of research include prospective studies that measure methylation pre- and postcombat exposure in the same individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Hossack
- Department of Neurology, San Antonio Military Medical Center, 3551 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234
| | - Matthew W Reid
- Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, San Antonio Military Medical Center, 3551 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234
| | - James K Aden
- Graduate Medical Education, Brooke Army Medical Center, 3698 Chambers Pass, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234
| | - Thomas Gibbons
- Laboratory Services Branch, Clinical Investigations & Research Support, 1255 Wilford Hall Loop, BLDG 4430, Lackland AFB, TX 78236
| | - Jody C Noe
- 59 MDW/SGVUL, Clinical Research Division, 2200 Bergquist Dr, BLDG 4430, Lackland AFB, TX 78236
| | - Adam M Willis
- Department of Neurology, San Antonio Military Medical Center, 3551 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234.,Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern, 5303 Harry Hinds Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, 428 S. Shaw Lane, Room 2555, Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1226
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19
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Cholewinski T, Pereira D, Moerland M, Jacobs GE. MTORC1 signaling as a biomarker in major depressive disorder and its pharmacological modulation by novel rapid-acting antidepressants. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol 2021; 11:20451253211036814. [PMID: 34733478 PMCID: PMC8558816 DOI: 10.1177/20451253211036814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multifactorial psychiatric disorder with obscure pathophysiology. A biomarker-based approach in combination with standardized interview-based instruments is needed to identify MDD subtypes and novel therapeutic targets. Recent findings support the impairment of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) in MDD. No well-established biomarkers of mTORC1 disease- and treatment-modulated activity are currently available for use in early phase antidepressant drug (AD) development. This review aims to summarize biomarkers of mTORC1 activity in MDD and to suggest how these could be implemented in future early clinical trials on mTORC1 modulating ADs. Therefore, a PubMed-based narrative literature review of the mTORC1 involvement in MDD was performed. We have summarized recent pre-clinical and clinical findings linking the MDD to the impaired activity of several key biomarkers related to mTORC1. Also, cases of restoration of these impairments by classical ADs and novel fast-acting investigational ADs are summarized. The presented biomarkers may be used to monitor pharmacological effects by novel rapid-acting mTORC1-targeting ADs. Based on findings in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we argue that those may serve as an ex vivo model for evaluation of mTORC1 activity and propose the use of the summarized biomarkers for this purpose. This could both facilitate the selection of a pharmacodynamically active dose and guide future early clinical efficacy studies in MDD. In conclusion, this review provides a blueprint for the rational development of rapid-acting mTORC1-targeting ADs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Pereira
- Centre for Human Drug Research, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Gabriel E Jacobs
- Centre for Human Drug Research, Zernikedreef 8, 2333 CL Leiden, The Netherlands
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20
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Treble-Barna A, Patronick J, Uchani S, Marousis NC, Zigler CK, Fink EL, Kochanek PM, Conley YP, Yeates KO. Epigenetic Effects on Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery (EETR): An Observational, Prospective, Longitudinal Concurrent Cohort Study Protocol. Front Neurol 2020; 11:460. [PMID: 32595586 PMCID: PMC7303323 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Unexplained heterogeneity in outcomes following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most critical barriers to the development of effective prognostic tools and therapeutics. The addition of personal biological factors to our prediction models may account for a significant portion of unexplained variance and advance the field toward precision rehabilitation medicine. The overarching goal of the Epigenetic Effects on Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery (EETR) study is to investigate an epigenetic biomarker involved in both childhood adversity and postinjury neuroplasticity to better understand heterogeneity in neurobehavioral outcomes following pediatric TBI. Our primary hypothesis is that childhood adversity will be associated with worse neurobehavioral recovery in part through an epigenetically mediated reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in response to TBI. Methods and analysis: EETR is an observational, prospective, longitudinal concurrent cohort study of children aged 3-18 years with either TBI (n = 200) or orthopedic injury (n = 100), recruited from the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Participants complete study visits acutely and at 6 and 12 months postinjury. Blood and saliva biosamples are collected at all time points-and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) when available acutely-for epigenetic and proteomic analysis of BDNF. Additional measures assess injury characteristics, pre- and postinjury child neurobehavioral functioning, childhood adversity, and potential covariates/confounders. Recruitment began in July 2017 and will occur for ~6 years, with data collection complete by mid-2023. Analyses will characterize BDNF DNA methylation and protein levels over the recovery period and investigate this novel biomarker as a potential biological mechanism underlying the known association between childhood adversity and worse neurobehavioral outcomes following pediatric TBI. Ethics and dissemination: The study received ethics approval from the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board. Participants and their parents provide informed consent/assent. Research findings will be disseminated via local and international conference presentations and manuscripts submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Trial Registration: The study is registered with clinicaltrials.org (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04186429).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amery Treble-Barna
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jamie Patronick
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Srivatsan Uchani
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Noelle C. Marousis
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Christina K. Zigler
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ericka L. Fink
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Department of Critical Care and Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Patrick M. Kochanek
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Department of Critical Care and Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Yvette P. Conley
- Department of Health Promotion and Development, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Keith Owen Yeates
- Department of Psychology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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21
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Paoloni-Giacobino A, Luthi F, Stenz L, Le Carré J, Vuistiner P, Léger B. Altered BDNF Methylation in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and High Biopsychosocial Complexity. J Pain Res 2020; 13:1289-1296. [PMID: 32581570 PMCID: PMC7276326 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s251782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The INTERMED instrument, which was developed to measure patient's biopsychosocial (BPS) complexity, represents a powerful diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Epigenetic changes are the interface between signals from the environment and genetic modifications, affecting gene expression, in particular, by DNA methylation of CpG dinucleotides in promotor regions of the corresponding genes. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene plays a crucial role in the central sensitization (CS) of pain. In this study, we hypothesized that chronic pain modifies the methylation levels of the BDNF gene in a manner that is interconnected with the BPS status. Patients and Methods Fifty-eight chronic musculoskeletal pain patients (CMSP) were enrolled in the study. DNA was extracted from blood samples, the methylation levels of 13 CpG sites in the BDNF promoter were measured by pyrosequencing, and association studies with various patient parameters and the INTERMED scores were performed. Results Interestingly, a negative correlation (-0.40) was found between the total INTERMED scores and the average CpG methylation values of the BDNF gene, but no correlation was observed with the severity of pain, degree of anxiety, depression, or kinesiophobia and catastrophism. Moreover, the association was independent of age, sex and level of comorbidities. Conclusion This result shows that CMSP, in association with its biopsychosocial context, epigenetically decreases the degree of methylation of the BDNF promoter and should therefore increase the level of BDNF transcription. It also suggests a role of the INTERMED tool to detect a relationship between the BPS complexity and the epigenetic control of a target gene. The possible upregulation of BDNF expression might be, at least in part, the signal for chronic pain-induced central sensitization (CS). This could partly explain why patients with a higher level of complexity feel more pain than those with lower complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Paoloni-Giacobino
- Medicine Faculty, Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - François Luthi
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland.,Department of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Orthopaedic Hospital, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ludwig Stenz
- Medicine Faculty, Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joane Le Carré
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland.,Department of Medical Research, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Vuistiner
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland.,Department of Medical Research, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Bertrand Léger
- Institute for Research in Rehabilitation, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland.,Department of Medical Research, Clinique romande de réadaptation, Sion, Switzerland
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22
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Schröter K, Brum M, Brunkhorst-Kanaan N, Tole F, Ziegler C, Domschke K, Reif A, Kittel-Schneider S. Longitudinal multi-level biomarker analysis of BDNF in major depression and bipolar disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 270:169-181. [PMID: 30929061 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-019-01007-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Preliminary evidence suggests that BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) rs6265 genetic polymorphism, BDNF gene promotor methylation and BDNF serum levels might play an important role in the pathogenesis of affective disorders. As studies testing the BDNF system across molecular levels are sparse, this study aimed at investigating the BDNF val66met genotype, BDNF DNA methylation changes and peripheral BDNF serum levels in acute and remitted phases of MDD (major depressive disorder) and BD (bipolar disorder) and healthy controls. We found a significant difference of methylation levels at CpG site 1-1-1 and 3-1-1 between MDD and healthy controls (p < 0.003) with MDD patients showing significantly higher methylation levels. CpG 5-2-1 revealed a statistically significant difference between MDD and healthy controls and MDD and BD (p = 0.00003). Similar to the results of the methylation analysis a significant difference between MDD and healthy controls was found in BDNF serum levels (p = 0.002) with significantly lower BDNF serum levels in MDD compared to healthy controls. A difference between the samples from admission and discharge from hospital of both BDNF gene methylation and serum levels could not be detected in the present study and no influence of the BDNF val66met genotype on neither methylation nor BDNF serum level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Schröter
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Murielle Brum
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nathalie Brunkhorst-Kanaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Franziska Tole
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christiane Ziegler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sarah Kittel-Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany.
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23
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Methylation of glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), BDNF and oxytocin receptor genes in association with childhood maltreatment in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Schizophr Res 2020; 216:529-531. [PMID: 31813807 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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24
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BDNF genetic variants and methylation: effects on cognition in major depressive disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:265. [PMID: 31636250 PMCID: PMC6803763 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0601-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene regulation has been linked to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). MDD patients show cognitive deficits, and altered BDNF regulation has a relevant role in neurocognitive functions. Our goal was to explore the association between BDNF genetic and epigenetic variations with neurocognitive performance in a group of MDD patients and healthy controls considering possible modulating factors. The sample included 134 subjects, 64 MDD patients, and 70 healthy controls. Clinical data, childhood maltreatment, and neurocognitive performance were assessed in all participants. Eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and two promoter regions in the BDNF gene were selected for genotype and methylation analysis. The role of interactions between BDNF genetic and epigenetic variations with MDD diagnosis, sex, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) scores was also explored. We observed significant associations between neurocognitive performance and two BDNF SNPs (rs908867 and rs925946), an effect that was significantly mediated by methylation values at specific promoter I sites. We identified significant associations between neurocognitive results and methylation status as well as its interactions with MDD diagnosis, sex, and CTQ scores. Our results support the hypothesis that BDNF gene SNPs and methylation status, as well as their interactions with modulating factors, can influence cognition. Further studies are required to confirm the effect of BDNF variations and cognitive function in larger samples.
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25
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Serpeloni F, Nätt D, Assis SGD, Wieling E, Elbert T. Experiencing community and domestic violence is associated with epigenetic changes in DNA methylation of BDNF and CLPX in adolescents. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13382. [PMID: 31059136 PMCID: PMC7003421 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing violence changes behavior, shapes personalities, and poses a risk factor for mental disorders. This association might be mediated through epigenetic modifications that affect gene expression, such as DNA methylation. The present study investigated the impact of community and domestic violence on DNA methylation measured in saliva collected from 375 individuals including three generations: grandmothers (n = 126), mothers (n = 125), and adolescents (n = 124, 53% female). Using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array, in adolescents, we detected two CpG sites that showed an association of DNA methylation and lifetime exposure to community and domestic violence even after FDR correction: BDNF_cg06260077 (logFC −0.454, p = 3.71E‐07), and CLPX_cg01908660 (logFC = −0.372, p = 1.38E‐07). Differential DNA methylation of the CpG BDNF_cg06260077 associated with exposure to violence was also observed in the maternal but not the grandmaternal generation. BDNF (brain‐derived neurotrophic factor) and CLPX (caseinolytic mitochondrial matrix peptidase chaperone subunit) genes are involved in neural development. Our results thus reveal altered molecular mechanisms of developmental and intergenerational trajectories in survivors of repeated violent experiences. Violent attacks leave lasting imprints in memory. This has been shown in neural connectivity and also in gene expression. Here, we determined DNA methylation, as it controls gene expression, in grandmothers, mothers, and children exposed to high levels of community and domestic violence (N = 375). Especially in adolescents this epigenetic mark was associated with exposures to violence in at least two protein‐coding genes (BDNF, CLPX). Both genes are well known for their role in stress regulation, affecting intergenerational vulnerability or resilience to mental illness. We conclude that developmental and molecular trajectories may be modified in young survivors of repeated violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Serpeloni
- Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,National School of Public Health of Rio de Janeiro and National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents' Health Fernandes Figueira, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Nätt
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Simone Gonçalves de Assis
- National School of Public Health of Rio de Janeiro and National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents' Health Fernandes Figueira, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Wieling
- Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota
| | - Thomas Elbert
- Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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26
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Ryan AS, Xu H, Ivey FM, Macko RF, Hafer-Macko CE. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, epigenetics in stroke skeletal muscle, and exercise training. NEUROLOGY-GENETICS 2019; 5:e331. [PMID: 31192302 PMCID: PMC6515940 DOI: 10.1212/nxg.0000000000000331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Objective (1) To compare paretic (P) vs nonparetic (NP) skeletal muscle brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the effects of resistive training (RT) on systemic and skeletal muscle BDNF mRNA expression in stroke; and (2) to compare the DNA methylation profile for BDNF and BDNFAS (BDNF antisense RNA) between P and NP muscle and the effects of aerobic exercise training (AEX) on DNA methylation in stroke. Methods In this longitudinal investigation, participants (50-76 years) with chronic stroke underwent a fasting blood draw, a 12-week (3×/week) RT intervention (n = 16), and repeated bilateral vastus lateralis muscle tissue biopsies (n = 10) with BDNF expression determined by RT-PCR. Five stroke survivors completed 6 months of AEX (3×/week) and had bilateral muscle biopsies. DNA methylation status in gene BDNF and BDNFAS was assessed by Illumina 450k methylation array. Results P muscle had ∼45% lower BDNF mRNA expression than NP muscle (6.79 ± 1.30 vs 10.52 ± 2.06 arbitrary units [AU], p < 0.05), and P muscle exhibited differential methylation status in the DNA sequences of BDNF (3 CpG [5'-C-phosphate-G-3'] sites, p = 0.016-0.044) and BDNFAS (1 CpG site, p = 0.016) compared to NP. Plasma BDNF and muscle BDNF messenger RNA (mRNA) expression did not significantly change after RT. BDNFAS DNA methylation increased after AEX in P relative to NP muscle (p = 0.017). Conclusions This is the first evidence that stroke hemiparesis reduces BDNF skeletal muscle expression, with our findings identifying methylation alterations on the DNA sequence of BDNF and BDNFAS gene. Preliminary results further indicate that AEX increases methylation in BDNFAS gene, which presumably could regulate the expression of BDNF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice S Ryan
- VA Maryland Health Care System, Research Service, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Neurology, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), MD
| | - Huichun Xu
- VA Maryland Health Care System, Research Service, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Neurology, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), MD
| | - Frederick M Ivey
- VA Maryland Health Care System, Research Service, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Neurology, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), MD
| | - Richard F Macko
- VA Maryland Health Care System, Research Service, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Neurology, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), MD
| | - Charlene E Hafer-Macko
- VA Maryland Health Care System, Research Service, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Neurology, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), MD
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27
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Orenay-Boyacioglu S, Caliskan M, Boyacioglu O, Coskunoglu A, Bozkurt G, Cam FS. Chronic tinnitus and BDNF/GDNF CpG promoter methylations: a case-control study. Mol Biol Rep 2019; 46:3929-3936. [PMID: 31041673 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-04837-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are neurotrophic factors that play key roles in the auditory pathway. While the relationship between serum levels and polymorphisms of BDNF/GDNF and chronic tinnitus is emphasized in the literature, there is no study showing the link between the promoter methylations of these genes and tinnitus. For this purpose, the relationship between chronic tinnitus and peripheral blood derived BDNF/GDNF promoter methylations was investigated to identify their role in the pathophysiology of tinnitus. In this case-control study, we examined the possible effects of BDNF/GDNF methylations in the blood samples of patients with tinnitus complaints for more than 3 months. Sixty tinnitus subjects between the ages of 18-55 and 50 healthy control subjects in the same age group who were free of any otorhinolaryngology and systemic disease were selected for examination. Methylation of total 12 CpG sites in BDNF and GDNF promoter regions were determined by the bisulfite-pyrosequencing method. Statistically significant differences were detected between BDNF CpG6 and GDNF CpG3-5-6 methylation ratios in the comparison of control group and the chronic tinnitus patients (P = 0.002, 0.0005, 0.00003, and 0.0029, respectively). To our knowledge, this is the first study in the literature investigating the relationship between chronic tinnitus and peripheral blood derived BDNF/GDNF promoter methylations. It is believed that the current results might be supported by investigating the relationships between BDNF/GDNF methylations and genotypes in future research using higher sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seda Orenay-Boyacioglu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey.
| | - Metin Caliskan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey
| | - Olcay Boyacioglu
- Faculty of Engineering, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey
| | - Aysun Coskunoglu
- Department of Medical Genetics, State Hospital of Sivas, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Gokay Bozkurt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey
| | - F Sirri Cam
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
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28
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Wrigglesworth J, Ryan J, Vijayakumar N, Whittle S. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor DNA methylation mediates the association between neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent brain structure. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 285:51-57. [PMID: 30771753 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prior research indicates that socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with prefrontal cortical (PFC) development in childhood and adolescence, however the mechanisms of this link are unclear. This study investigated whether DNA methylation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, which plays a key role in synaptic plasticity), mediated the association between neighborhood disadvantage and thickness of the PFC in adolescents. Neighborhood disadvantage was measured in 33 adolescents aged 12-13 years using the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas. Buccal swabs, collected during mid-adolescence (aged 16-18 years), enabled BDNF DNA methylation of the widely studied exon IV promoter region to be measured. Cortical thickness was assessed during late-adolescence (aged 18-20 years) via T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A significant negative association between disadvantage and BDNF DNA methylation at a specific site of the exon IV promoter was identified. Lower levels of methylation were also significantly associated with greater thickness of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC), and right medial OFC. Lower levels of DNA methylation at this site also mediated associations between higher disadvantage and thinner bilateral lOFC thickness. These novel findings give insight into a potential biological mechanism that could further our understanding as to why brain development is affected by varying environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Wrigglesworth
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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29
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Voisey J, Lawford B, Bruenig D, Harvey W, Morris CP, Young RM, Mehta D. Differential BDNF methylation in combat exposed veterans and the association with exercise. Gene 2019; 698:107-112. [PMID: 30831210 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.02.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is associated with increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and plays a role in neuroplasticity, cognition and memory. BDNF has strong potential as a therapeutic target as studies have shown that antidepressants, electroconvulsive treatment and exercise modulate BDNF expression and methylation. In this study we examined the role of BDNF methylation and expression in PTSD and the implications of exercise in mediating these effects. BDNF DNA methylation and gene expression analysis was performed in a sample of 96 male Vietnam veterans. Cases were combat-exposed veterans with current PTSD (n = 48) and controls were combat exposed veterans with no past or current PTSD diagnosis (n = 48). No association between BDNF mRNA and PTSD was identified. PTSD was associated with decreased methylation at three BDNF CpG sites (cg01546433 P = 0.004835; cg24650785 P = 0.000259 and cg002298481 P = 0.000672). Differential BDNF methylation was associated with exercise, with active exercise associated with lower methylation levels at three CpG sites (cg04481212 P = 0.005; cg01546433 P = 0.025 and cg00298481 P = 0.035). Given that exercise mediates BDNF action on cognitive plasticity, exercise may be a non-invasive, drug free option in the treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Voisey
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), School of Biomedical Sciences, 60 Musk Avenue, Queensland University of Technology Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia.
| | - Bruce Lawford
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), School of Biomedical Sciences, 60 Musk Avenue, Queensland University of Technology Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Dagmar Bruenig
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), School of Psychological and Counselling, 60 Musk Avenue, Queensland University of Technology Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Newdegate Street Greenslopes, Queensland 4120, Australia
| | - Wendy Harvey
- Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Newdegate Street Greenslopes, Queensland 4120, Australia
| | - Charles P Morris
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), School of Biomedical Sciences, 60 Musk Avenue, Queensland University of Technology Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Ross McD Young
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), School of Psychological and Counselling, 60 Musk Avenue, Queensland University of Technology Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Divya Mehta
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), School of Psychological and Counselling, 60 Musk Avenue, Queensland University of Technology Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
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30
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Stenz L, Schechter DS, Serpa SR, Paoloni-Giacobino A. Intergenerational Transmission of DNA Methylation Signatures Associated with Early Life Stress. Curr Genomics 2018; 19:665-675. [PMID: 30532646 PMCID: PMC6225454 DOI: 10.2174/1389202919666171229145656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress in humans (i.e. maltreatment, violence exposure, loss of a loved one) and in rodents (i.e. disrupted attachment or nesting, electric shock, restraint, predator odor) occurs during critical steps of neural circuit formation. ELS in humans is associated with increased risk for developmental psychopathology, including anxious and depressive phenotypes. The biological mechanisms underlying these potentially persistent maladaptive changes involve long-term epigenetic modifications, which have been suggested to be potentially transmissible to subsequent generations. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that modifies gene expression patterns in response to environmental challenges and influences mutation rates. It remains to be seen whether a functionally relevant fraction of DNA methylation marks can escape genome-wide erasures that occur in primordial germ cells and after fertilization within the zygote. Early life-stress-triggered changes in epigenetic mediated transmission of acquired behavioral traits among humans have been assessed mainly by targeting genes involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, such as NR3C1 and FKBP5. Recently, researchers examining epigenetic transmission have begun to apply genome-wide approaches. In humans, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) was performed on peripheral samples that were obtained from individuals who were prenatally exposed to the "Dutch Hunger Winter", resulting in two Differentially Methylated Regions (DMRs) in INSR and CPTIA genes that were functionally, biologically and technically validated, and significantly associated with birth weights and LDL cholesterol levels in offspring. In rodents, non-genomic intergenerational transmission of anxiety which was associated with differentially methylated enhancers that were putatively involved in lipid signaling and synaptic/neurotransmission in hippocampal granule cells, was discovered also using RRBS. Finally, transgenerational transmission of altered behaviors was associated with sperm-derived microRNAs produced by ELS male mice. The field of epigenetic transmission is just beginning to enter the epigenomic era by using genome-wide analyses. Such approaches remain of strong interest to human studies, first in order to help to assess the relevance of the previous targeted studies, and second to discover new important epigenetic modifications of potential clinical importance. New discoveries may help to assess how transmittable the negative impact of stress may be to offspring. The latter may open doors for future treatments and resilience-promoting interventions, as well as new approaches to treat the effects of childhood trauma before the onset of psychiatric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel S. Schechter
- Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Tel: +41 (022) 372 5067; Fax: +91 (022) 372 5077; E-mail:
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31
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Maretina M, Egorova A, Baranov V, Kiselev A. DYNC1H1 gene methylation correlates with severity of spinal muscular atrophy. Ann Hum Genet 2018; 83:73-81. [PMID: 30246859 DOI: 10.1111/ahg.12288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Methylation profiles of CpG islands within the SLC23A2, CDK2AP1, and DYNC1H1 genes and their association with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) severity were studied. High clinical heterogeneity of SMA suggests the existence of different factors modifying SMA phenotype with gene methylation as a plausible one. The genes picked up in our earlier genome-wide methylation studies of SMA patients demonstrated obvious differences in their methylation patterns, thus suggesting the likely involvement of their protein products in SMA development. Significantly decreased methylation of CpG islands within exon 37 of the DYNC1H1 gene was observed in patients with a severe SMA manifestation (type I) compared to mildly affected SMA patients (types III-IV). This finding provides new information on peculiarities of methylation in clinically different types of SMA patients and gives a clue for identification of new SMA modifiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Maretina
- Laboratory of Prenatal Diagnostics of Inherited Diseases, D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.,Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Egorova
- Laboratory of Prenatal Diagnostics of Inherited Diseases, D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vladislav Baranov
- Laboratory of Prenatal Diagnostics of Inherited Diseases, D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.,Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anton Kiselev
- Laboratory of Prenatal Diagnostics of Inherited Diseases, D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
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32
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Thomas M, Knoblich N, Wallisch A, Glowacz K, Becker-Sadzio J, Gundel F, Brückmann C, Nieratschker V. Increased BDNF methylation in saliva, but not blood, of patients with borderline personality disorder. Clin Epigenetics 2018; 10:109. [PMID: 30134995 PMCID: PMC6106893 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-018-0544-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The importance of epigenetic alterations in psychiatric disorders is increasingly acknowledged and the use of DNA methylation patterns as markers of disease is a topic of ongoing investigation. Recent studies suggest that patients suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) display differential DNA methylation of various genes relevant for neuropsychiatric conditions. For example, several studies report differential methylation in the promoter region of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF) in blood. However, little is known about BDNF methylation in other tissues. Results In the present study, we analyzed DNA methylation of the BDNF IV promoter in saliva and blood of 41 BPD patients and 41 matched healthy controls and found significant hypermethylation in the BPD patient’s saliva, but not blood. Further, we report that BDNF methylation in saliva of BPD patients significantly decreased after a 12-week psychotherapeutic intervention. Conclusions Providing a direct comparison of BDNF methylation in blood and saliva of the same individuals, our results demonstrate the importance of choice of tissue for the study of DNA methylation. In addition, they indicate a better suitability of saliva for the study of differential BDNF methylation in BPD patients. Further, our data appear to indicate a reversal of disease-specific alterations in BDNF methylation in response to psychotherapy, though further experiments are necessary to validate these results and determine the specificity of the effect. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13148-018-0544-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstr. 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.,Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nora Knoblich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstr. 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annalena Wallisch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstr. 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katarzyna Glowacz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstr. 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Becker-Sadzio
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstr. 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Friederike Gundel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstr. 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christof Brückmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstr. 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Nieratschker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstr. 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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33
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Jiménez JP, Botto A, Herrera L, Leighton C, Rossi JL, Quevedo Y, Silva JR, Martínez F, Assar R, Salazar LA, Ortiz M, Ríos U, Barros P, Jaramillo K, Luyten P. Psychotherapy and Genetic Neuroscience: An Emerging Dialog. Front Genet 2018; 9:257. [PMID: 30065751 PMCID: PMC6056612 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research in psychiatric genetics has led to a move away from simple diathesis-stress models to more complex models of psychopathology incorporating a focus on gene–environment interactions and epigenetics. Our increased understanding of the way biology encodes the impact of life events on organisms has also generated more sophisticated theoretical models concerning the molecular processes at the interface between “nature” and “nurture.” There is also increasing consensus that psychotherapy entails a specific type of learning in the context of an emotional relationship (i.e., the therapeutic relationship) that may also lead to epigenetic modifications across different therapeutic treatment modalities. This paper provides a systematic review of this emerging body of research. It is concluded that, although the evidence is still limited at this stage, extant research does indeed suggest that psychotherapy may be associated with epigenetic changes. Furthermore, it is argued that epigenetic studies may play a key role in the identification of biomarkers implicated in vulnerability for psychopathology, and thus may improve diagnosis and open up future research opportunities regarding the mechanism of action of psychotropic drugs as well as psychotherapy. We review evidence suggesting there may be important individual differences in susceptibility to environmental input, including psychotherapy. In addition, given that there is increasing evidence for the transgenerational transmission of epigenetic modifications in animals and humans exposed to trauma and adversity, epigenetic changes produced by psychotherapy may also potentially be passed on to the next generation, which opens up new perspective for prevention science. We conclude this paper stressing the limitations of current research and by proposing a set of recommendations for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Jiménez
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health - East, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alberto Botto
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health - East, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luisa Herrera
- Human Genetics Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Caroline Leighton
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health - East, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - José L Rossi
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Yamil Quevedo
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health - East, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jaime R Silva
- Center for Attachment and Emotional Regulation (CARE), Faculty of Psychology, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe Martínez
- Center for Intercultural and Indigenous Research, Anthropology Program, Institute of Sociology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Assar
- ICBM Human Genetics Program, Centre for Medical Informatics and Telemedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis A Salazar
- Center of Molecular Biology and Pharmacogenetics, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | - Manuel Ortiz
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | - Ulises Ríos
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Paulina Barros
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health - East, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Karina Jaramillo
- Ph.D. Program in Public Health, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Patrick Luyten
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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34
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Kular L, Kular S. Epigenetics applied to psychiatry: Clinical opportunities and future challenges. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2018; 72:195-211. [PMID: 29292553 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders are clinically heterogeneous and debilitating chronic diseases resulting from a complex interplay between gene variants and environmental factors. Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation and histone posttranslational modifications, instruct the cell/tissue to correctly interpret external signals and adjust its functions accordingly. Given that epigenetic modifications are sensitive to environment, stable, and reversible, epigenetic studies in psychiatry could represent a promising approach to better understanding and treating disease. In the present review, we aim to discuss the clinical opportunities and challenges arising from the epigenetic research in psychiatry. Using selected examples, we first recapitulate key findings supporting the role of adverse life events, alone or in combination with genetic risk, in epigenetic programming of neuropsychiatric systems. Epigenetic studies further report encouraging findings about the use of methylation changes as diagnostic markers of disease phenotype and predictive tools of progression and response to treatment. Then we discuss the potential of using targeted epigenetic pharmacotherapy, combined with psychosocial interventions, for future personalized medicine for patients. Finally, we review the methodological limitations that could hinder interpretation of epigenetic data in psychiatry. They mainly arise from heterogeneity at the individual and tissue level and require future strategies in order to reinforce the biological relevance of epigenetic data and its translational use in psychiatry. Overall, we suggest that epigenetics could provide new insights into a more comprehensive interpretation of mental illness and might eventually improve the nosology, treatment, and prevention of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Kular
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sonia Kular
- Adult Psychiatry Unit of Laval Secteur Est, Laval, France
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35
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Hing B, Sathyaputri L, Potash JB. A comprehensive review of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that regulate BDNF expression and function with relevance to major depressive disorder. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018; 177:143-167. [PMID: 29243873 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mood disorder that affects behavior and impairs cognition. A gene potentially important to this disorder is the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as it is involved in processes controlling neuroplasticity. Various mechanisms exist to regulate BDNF's expression level, subcellular localization, and sorting to appropriate secretory pathways. Alterations to these processes by genetic factors and negative stressors can dysregulate its expression, with possible implications for MDD. Here, we review the mechanisms governing the regulation of BDNF expression, and discuss how disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can alter these mechanisms, and influence MDD. As negative stressors increase the likelihood of MDD, we will also discuss the impact of these stressors on BDNF expression, the cellular effect of such a change, and its impact on behavior in animal models of stress. We will also describe epigenetic processes that mediate this change in BDNF expression. Similarities in BDNF expression between animal models of stress and those in MDD will be highlighted. We will also contrast epigenetic patterns at the BDNF locus between animal models of stress, and MDD patients, and address limitations to current clinical studies. Future work should focus on validating current genetic and epigenetic findings in tightly controlled clinical studies. Regions outside of BDNF promoters should also be explored, as should other epigenetic marks, to improve identification of biomarkers for MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Hing
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Leela Sathyaputri
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - James B Potash
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
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36
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Doherty TS, Roth TL. Epigenetic Landscapes of the Adversity-Exposed Brain. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2018; 157:1-19. [PMID: 29933946 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It is understood that adversity during development has the power to alter behavioral trajectories, and the role of the epigenome in that relationship is currently under intense investigation. Several studies in both nonhuman animals and humans have established a link between early adversity and epigenetic regulation of genes heavily implicated in the stress response, plasticity and cognition, and psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. Thus the relatively recent surge of studies centering on the epigenetic outcomes of stress has great potential to inform treatments and interventions for psychiatric disorder precipitated by early adversity. Here we review what we know and what we do not know, and suggest approaches to help further elucidate the relationship between early adversity, epigenetics, and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tania L Roth
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.
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37
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Jiang H, Zhang X, Lu J, Meng H, Sun Y, Yang X, Zhao B, Bao T. Antidepressant-Like Effects of Acupuncture-Insights From DNA Methylation and Histone Modifications of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:102. [PMID: 29636708 PMCID: PMC5880910 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive and stable biomarkers that facilitate depression detection and monitor the antidepressant efficiency are currently unavailable. Thus, the objective is to investigate the potential of DNA methylation and histone modifications of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in monitoring severity and antidepressive effects of acupuncture. The depression rat model was imitated by social isolation and chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS). The expression of serum BDNF was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the hippocampal BDNF, acetylation levels in histone H3 lysine 9 (acH3K9), and HDAC2 by Western blot, the hippocampal mRNA of BDNF by RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The DNA methylation patterns of the promoter I of BDNF was detected by MS-PCR. We investigated that the expression of BDNF in serum and hippocampus were significantly downregulated compared with controls. The same trend was found in mRNA of BDNF. Notably, acupuncture reversed the downregulation of BDNF in serum and hippocampus and mRNA of BDNF compared with model group. Acupuncture reversed the CUMS-induced downregulation of hippocampal acH3K9. On the contrary, the CUMS-induced upregulation of hippocampal HDAC2 in model group was significantly reversed by acupuncture. Collectively, the antidepressant effect of acupuncture might be mediated by regulating the DNA methylation and histone modifications of BDNF, which may represent novel biomaker for detection of depression and monitoring severity and antidepressive effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Jiang
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Research Center of Mental and Neurological Disorders, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xuhui Zhang
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Research Center of Mental and Neurological Disorders, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Lu
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Meng
- School of Science, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Sun
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Research Center of Mental and Neurological Disorders, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xinjing Yang
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Research Center of Mental and Neurological Disorders, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bingcong Zhao
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Research Center of Mental and Neurological Disorders, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Tuya Bao
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Research Center of Mental and Neurological Disorders, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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38
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Kader F, Ghai M, Maharaj L. The effects of DNA methylation on human psychology. Behav Brain Res 2017; 346:47-65. [PMID: 29237550 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a fundamental epigenetic modification in the human genome; pivotal in development, genomic imprinting, X inactivation, chromosome stability, gene expression and methylation aberrations are involved in an array of human diseases. Methylation at promoters is associated with transcriptional repression, whereas gene body methylation is generally associated with gene expression. Extrinsic factors such as age, diets and lifestyle affect DNA methylation which consequently alters gene expression. Stress, anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, emotion among numerous other psychological factors also modify DNA methylation patterns. This correlation is frequently investigated in four candidate genes; NR3C1, SLC6A4, BDNF and OXTR, since regulation of these genes directly impact responses to social situations, stress, threats, behaviour and neural functions. Such studies underpin the hypothesis that DNA methylation is involved in deviant human behaviour, psychological and psychiatric conditions. These candidate genes may be targeted in future to assess the correlation between methylation, social experiences and long-term behavioural phenotypes in humans; and may potentially serve as biomarkers for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzeen Kader
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4000 South Africa.
| | - Meenu Ghai
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4000 South Africa.
| | - Leah Maharaj
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4000 South Africa.
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39
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Grandmaternal stress during pregnancy and DNA methylation of the third generation: an epigenome-wide association study. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1202. [PMID: 28809857 PMCID: PMC5611722 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress during pregnancy may impact subsequent generations, which is demonstrated by an increased susceptibility to childhood and adulthood health problems in the children and grandchildren. Although the importance of the prenatal environment is well reported with regards to future physical and emotional outcomes, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that mediate the long-term consequences of early stress across generations. Recent studies have identified DNA methylation as a possible mediator of the impact of prenatal stress in the offspring. Whether psychosocial stress during pregnancy also affects DNA methylation of the grandchildren is still not known. In the present study we examined the multigenerational hypothesis, that is, grandmaternal exposure to psychosocial stress during pregnancy affecting DNA methylation of the grandchildren. We determined the genome-wide DNA methylation profile in 121 children (65 females and 56 males) and tested for associations with exposure to grandmaternal interpersonal violence during pregnancy. We observed methylation variations of five CpG sites significantly (FDR<0.05) associated with the grandmother's report of exposure to violence while pregnant with the mothers of the children. The results revealed differential methylation of genes previously shown to be involved in circulatory system processes (FDR<0.05). This study provides support for DNA methylation as a biological mechanism involved in the transmission of stress across generations and motivates further investigations to examine prenatal-dependent DNA methylation as a potential biomarker for health problems.
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40
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Schmitt A, Martins-de-Souza D, Akbarian S, Cassoli JS, Ehrenreich H, Fischer A, Fonteh A, Gattaz WF, Gawlik M, Gerlach M, Grünblatt E, Halene T, Hasan A, Hashimoto K, Kim YK, Kirchner SK, Kornhuber J, Kraus TFJ, Malchow B, Nascimento JM, Rossner M, Schwarz M, Steiner J, Talib L, Thibaut F, Riederer P, Falkai P. Consensus paper of the WFSBP Task Force on Biological Markers: Criteria for biomarkers and endophenotypes of schizophrenia, part III: Molecular mechanisms. World J Biol Psychiatry 2017; 18:330-356. [PMID: 27782767 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2016.1224929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite progress in identifying molecular pathophysiological processes in schizophrenia, valid biomarkers are lacking for both the disease and treatment response. METHODS This comprehensive review summarises recent efforts to identify molecular mechanisms on the level of protein and gene expression and epigenetics, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and micro RNA expression. Furthermore, it summarises recent findings of alterations in lipid mediators and highlights inflammatory processes. The potential that this research will identify biomarkers of schizophrenia is discussed. RESULTS Recent studies have not identified clear biomarkers for schizophrenia. Although several molecular pathways have emerged as potential candidates for future research, a complete understanding of these metabolic pathways is required to reveal better treatment modalities for this disabling condition. CONCLUSIONS Large longitudinal cohort studies are essential that pair a thorough phenotypic and clinical evaluation for example with gene expression and proteome analysis in blood at multiple time points. This approach might identify biomarkers that allow patients to be stratified according to treatment response and ideally also allow treatment response to be predicted. Improved knowledge of molecular pathways and epigenetic mechanisms, including their potential association with environmental influences, will facilitate the discovery of biomarkers that could ultimately be effective tools in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schmitt
- a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , LMU Munich , Germany.,b Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27) , Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , Brazil
| | - Daniel Martins-de-Souza
- b Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27) , Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , Brazil.,c Laboratory of Neuroproteomics, Department of Biochemistry , Institute of Biology University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas , SP , Brazil
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- d Division of Psychiatric Epigenomics, Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience , Mount Sinai School of Medicine , New York , USA
| | - Juliana S Cassoli
- c Laboratory of Neuroproteomics, Department of Biochemistry , Institute of Biology University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas , SP , Brazil
| | - Hannelore Ehrenreich
- e Clinical Neuroscience , Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, DFG Centre for Nanoscale Microscopy & Molecular Physiology of the Brain , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Andre Fischer
- f Research Group for Epigenetics in Neurodegenerative Diseases , German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen , Germany.,g Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Medical Centre Göttingen , Germany
| | - Alfred Fonteh
- h Neurosciences , Huntington Medical Research Institutes , Pasadena , CA , USA
| | - Wagner F Gattaz
- b Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27) , Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , Brazil
| | - Michael Gawlik
- i Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University of Würzburg , Germany
| | - Manfred Gerlach
- j Centre for Mental Health, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy , University of Würzburg , Germany
| | - Edna Grünblatt
- i Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University of Würzburg , Germany.,k Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich , Switzerland.,l Neuroscience Centre Zurich , University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich , Switzerland.,m Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology , University of Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Tobias Halene
- d Division of Psychiatric Epigenomics, Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience , Mount Sinai School of Medicine , New York , USA
| | - Alkomiet Hasan
- a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , LMU Munich , Germany
| | - Kenij Hashimoto
- n Division of Clinical Neuroscience , Chiba University Centre for Forensic Mental Health , Chiba , Japan
| | - Yong-Ku Kim
- o Department of Psychiatry , Korea University, College of Medicine , Republic of Korea
| | | | - Johannes Kornhuber
- p Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg , Erlangen , Germany
| | | | - Berend Malchow
- a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , LMU Munich , Germany
| | - Juliana M Nascimento
- c Laboratory of Neuroproteomics, Department of Biochemistry , Institute of Biology University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas , SP , Brazil
| | - Moritz Rossner
- r Department of Psychiatry, Molecular and Behavioural Neurobiology , LMU Munich , Germany.,s Research Group Gene Expression , Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Markus Schwarz
- t Institute for Laboratory Medicine, LMU Munich , Germany
| | - Johann Steiner
- u Department of Psychiatry , University of Magdeburg , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Leda Talib
- b Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27) , Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo , Brazil
| | - Florence Thibaut
- v Department of Psychiatry , University Hospital Cochin (site Tarnier), University of Paris-Descartes, INSERM U 894 Centre Psychiatry and Neurosciences , Paris , France
| | - Peter Riederer
- w Center of Psychic Health; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy , University Hospital of Würzburg , Germany
| | - Peter Falkai
- a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , LMU Munich , Germany
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Caregiver maltreatment causes altered neuronal DNA methylation in female rodents. Dev Psychopathol 2017; 29:477-489. [PMID: 28401839 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417000128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Negative experiences with a caregiver during infancy can result in long-term changes in brain function and behavior, but underlying mechanisms are not well understood. It is our central hypothesis that brain and behavior changes are conferred by early childhood adversity through epigenetic changes involving DNA methylation. Using a rodent model of early-life caregiver maltreatment (involving exposure to an adverse caregiving environment for postnatal days 1-7), we have previously demonstrated abnormal methylation of DNA associated with the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of adult rats. The aim of the current study was to characterize Bdnf DNA methylation in specific cell populations within the mPFC. In the prefrontal cortex, there is approximately twice as many neurons as glia, and studies have recently shown differential and distinctive DNA methylation patterns in neurons versus nonneurons. Here, we extracted nuclei from the mPFC of adult animals that had experienced maltreatment and used fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate cell types before performing bisulfite sequencing to estimate methylation of cytosine-guanine sites. Our data indicate that early-life stress induced methylation of DNA associated with Bdnf IV in a cell-type and sex-specific manner. Specifically, females that experienced early-life maltreatment exhibited greater neuronal cytosine-guanine methylation compared to controls, while no changes were detected in Bdnf methylation in males regardless of cell type. These changes localize the specificity of our previous findings to mPFC neurons and highlight the capacity of maltreatment to cause methylation changes that are likely to have functional consequences for neuronal function.
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Sheldrick A, Camara S, Ilieva M, Riederer P, Michel TM. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin 3 (NT3) levels in post-mortem brain tissue from patients with depression compared to healthy individuals - a proof of concept study. Eur Psychiatry 2017; 46:65-71. [PMID: 29102768 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurotrophic factors (NTF) hypothesis of depression was postulated nearly a decade ago and is nowadays widely acknowledged. Previous reports suggest that cerebral concentrations of NTF may be reduced in suicide victims who received minimal or no antidepressant pharmacotherapy. Recent evidence suggests that antidepressant treatment may improve or normalise cerebral concentrations of neurotrophic factors. Therefore, we examined the concentration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin 3 (NT3) in different brain regions (cortex, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, hippocampus, putamen and nucleus caudatus) of 21 individuals - 7 patients of which 4 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and overall age 86.8±5 years who received antidepressant pharmacotherapy (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors [SSRI]; tricyclic antidepressants [TCA]), 3 patients with MDD without antidepressant treatment and overall age 84.3±5 years versus 14 unaffected subjects at age 70.3±13.8. We detected significant elevation of BDNF (parietal cortex) and NT3 (parietal, temporal and occipital cortex, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, putamen and nucleus caudatus regions) in MDD patients who received antidepressant medication compared to MDD untreated patients and controls. Moreover, we detected a significant decrease of NT3 levels in the parietal cortex of patients suffering from MDD non-treated patients without treatment compared to healthy individuals. Although the limited statistical power due to the small sample size in this proof of concept study corroborates data from previous studies, which show that treatment with antidepressants mediates alterations in neuroplasticity via the action of NTF. However, more research using post-mortem brain tissue with larger samples needs to be carried out as well as longitudinal studies to further verify these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Sheldrick
- Department Psychiatry Odense, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 20, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | - S Camara
- Clinical Neurochemistry, Department Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Fürchsleinstr. 15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - M Ilieva
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 19, 5000 Odense C, Denmark.
| | - P Riederer
- Department Psychiatry Odense, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 20, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Clinical Neurochemistry, Department Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Fürchsleinstr. 15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 19, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Department Neurobiology, Instiute for Molecular Medicine, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Center for applied Neuroscience, BRIDGE, Odense University Hospital, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | - T M Michel
- Department Psychiatry Odense, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 20, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 19, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Department Neurobiology, Instiute for Molecular Medicine, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Center for applied Neuroscience, BRIDGE, Odense University Hospital, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
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43
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Heinrich H, Grunitz J, Stonawski V, Frey S, Wahl S, Albrecht B, Goecke TW, Beckmann MW, Kornhuber J, Fasching PA, Moll GH, Eichler A. Attention, cognitive control and motivation in ADHD: Linking event-related brain potentials and DNA methylation patterns in boys at early school age. Sci Rep 2017. [PMID: 28630479 PMCID: PMC5476641 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03326-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to better understand the underpinnings of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we targeted the relationship of attentional, cognitive control and motivational processes with DNA methylation patterns of 60 candidate genes in boys at early school age. Participants (6 to 8 years; N = 82) were selected from a German longitudinal cohort (FRANCES). ADHD-related behaviour was assessed via maternal ratings. Performance and event-related potential measures (inter alia Cue-P3 and Nogo-P3), which were recorded in a motivational go/nogo task, indicated diminished attentional orienting, reduced inhibitory response control and a larger motivational effect on performance in ADHD already at this relatively young age. Methylation patterns were analysed in buccal cell DNA with the Illumina HumanMethylation 450K array. For CpG sites at genes of the dopaminergic (COMT, ANKK1) and the neurotrophic (BDNF, NGFR) system, associations with the Nogo-P3 as well as ADHD symptom severity were found suggesting that these systems are involved in response control deficits in ADHD. Methylation effects related to both functional aspects and ADHD behaviour were also observed for DPP10 and TPH2. Epigenetic mechanisms may play a role in ADHD-associated deficits but findings need to be replicated in larger samples and are limited by the fact that only peripheral methylation could be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hartmut Heinrich
- Dept. of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. .,kbo-Heckscher-Klinikum, München, Germany.
| | - Juliane Grunitz
- Dept. of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Valeska Stonawski
- Dept. of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stefan Frey
- Dept. of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simone Wahl
- Research Unit of Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Epidemiology II, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Björn Albrecht
- Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tamme W Goecke
- Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Matthias W Beckmann
- Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter A Fasching
- Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gunther H Moll
- Dept. of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anna Eichler
- Dept. of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
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44
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San-Cristobal R, Navas-Carretero S, Milagro FI, Riezu-Boj JI, Guruceaga E, Celis-Morales C, Livingstone KM, Brennan L, Lovegrove JA, Daniel H, Saris WH, Traczyk I, Manios Y, Gibney ER, Gibney MJ, Mathers JC, Martinez JA. Gene methylation parallelisms between peripheral blood cells and oral mucosa samples in relation to overweight. J Physiol Biochem 2017; 73:465-474. [DOI: 10.1007/s13105-017-0560-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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45
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Ji H, Wang Y, Liu G, Chang L, Chen Z, Zhou D, Xu X, Cui W, Hong Q, Jiang L, Li J, Zhou X, Li Y, Guo Z, Zha Q, Niu Y, Weng Q, Duan S, Wang Q. Elevated OPRD1 promoter methylation in Alzheimer's disease patients. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172335. [PMID: 28253273 PMCID: PMC5333823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant DNA methylation has been observed in the patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a common neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. OPRD1 encodes the delta opioid receptor, a member of the opioid family of G-protein-coupled receptors. In the current study, we compare the DNA methylation levels of OPRD1 promoter CpG sites (CpG1, CpG2, and CpG3) between 51 AD cases and 63 controls using the bisulfite pyrosequencing technology. Our results show that significantly higher CpG3 methylation is found in AD cases than controls. Significant associations are found between several biochemical parameters (including HDL-C and ALP) and CpG3 methylation. Subsequent luciferase reporter gene assay shows that DNA fragment containing the three OPRD1 promoter CpGs is able to regulate gene expression. In summary, our results suggest that OPRD1 promoter hypermethylation is associated with the risk of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Ji
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yunliang Wang
- Department of Neurology, the 148 Central Hospital of PLA, Zibo, Shandong, China
| | - Guili Liu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lan Chang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | | | | | - Xuting Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Cui
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qingxiao Hong
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liting Jiang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinfeng Li
- Department of Neurology, the 148 Central Hospital of PLA, Zibo, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhou
- Department of Internal Medicine for Cadres, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumchi, China
| | - Ying Li
- Ningbo No. 1 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhiping Guo
- School of Medicine, Lishui University, Lishui, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qin Zha
- The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- * E-mail: (QW); (SD); (QZ)
| | - Yanfang Niu
- The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiuyan Weng
- The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shiwei Duan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- * E-mail: (QW); (SD); (QZ)
| | - Qinwen Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- * E-mail: (QW); (SD); (QZ)
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46
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Ameer SS, Engström K, Hossain MB, Concha G, Vahter M, Broberg K. Arsenic exposure from drinking water is associated with decreased gene expression and increased DNA methylation in peripheral blood. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2017; 321:57-66. [PMID: 28242323 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2017.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to inorganic arsenic increases the risk of cancer and non-malignant diseases. Inefficient arsenic metabolism is a marker for susceptibility to arsenic toxicity. Arsenic may alter gene expression, possibly by altering DNA methylation. OBJECTIVES To elucidate the associations between arsenic exposure, gene expression, and DNA methylation in peripheral blood, and the modifying effects of arsenic metabolism. METHODS The study participants, women from the Andes, Argentina, were exposed to arsenic via drinking water. Arsenic exposure was assessed as the sum of arsenic metabolites in urine (U-As), using high performance liquid-chromatography hydride-generation inductively-coupled-plasma-mass-spectrometry, and arsenic metabolism efficiency was assessed by the urinary fractions (%) of the individual metabolites. Genome-wide gene expression (N=80 women) and DNA methylation (N=93; 80 overlapping with gene expression) in peripheral blood were measured using Illumina DirectHyb HumanHT-12 v4.0 and Infinium Human-Methylation 450K BeadChip, respectively. RESULTS U-As concentrations, ranging 10-1251μg/L, was associated with decreased gene expression: 64% of the top 1000 differentially expressed genes were down-regulated with increasing U-As. U-As was also associated with hypermethylation: 87% of the top 1000CpGs were hypermethylated with increasing U-As. The expression of six genes and six individual CpG sites were significantly associated with increased U-As concentration. Pathway analyses revealed enrichment of genes related to cell death and cancer. The pathways differed somewhat depending on arsenic metabolism efficiency. We found no overlap between arsenic-related gene expression and DNA methylation for individual genes. CONCLUSIONS Increased arsenic exposure was associated with lower gene expression and hypermethylation in peripheral blood, but with no evident overlap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syeda Shegufta Ameer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Engström
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Metals & Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Bakhtiar Hossain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gabriela Concha
- Science Department, Risk Benefit Assessment Unit, National Food Agency, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marie Vahter
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Metals & Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Broberg
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Metals & Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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47
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Dissecting bipolar disorder complexity through epigenomic approach. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1490-1498. [PMID: 27480490 PMCID: PMC5071130 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, numerous studies of gene regulation mechanisms have emerged in neuroscience. Epigenetic modifications, described as heritable but reversible changes, include DNA methylation, DNA hydroxymethylation, histone modifications and noncoding RNAs. The pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder, may be ascribed to a complex gene-environment interaction (G × E) model, linking the genome, environmental factors and epigenetic marks. Both the high complexity and the high heritability of bipolar disorder make it a compelling candidate for neurobiological analyses beyond DNA sequencing. Questions that are being raised in this review are the precise phenotype of the disorder in question, and also the trait versus state debate and how these concepts are being implemented in a variety of study designs.
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48
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DNA methylation: conducting the orchestra from exposure to phenotype? Clin Epigenetics 2016; 8:92. [PMID: 27602172 PMCID: PMC5012062 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-016-0256-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation, through 5-methyl- and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5mC and 5hmC), is considered to be one of the principal interfaces between the genome and our environment, and it helps explain phenotypic variations in human populations. Initial reports of large differences in methylation level in genomic regulatory regions, coupled with clear gene expression data in both imprinted genes and malignant diseases, provided easily dissected molecular mechanisms for switching genes on or off. However, a more subtle process is becoming evident, where small (<10 %) changes to intermediate methylation levels are associated with complex disease phenotypes. This has resulted in two clear methylation paradigms. The latter “subtle change” paradigm is rapidly becoming the epigenetic hallmark of complex disease phenotypes, although we are currently hampered by a lack of data addressing the true biological significance and meaning of these small differences. Our initial expectation of rapidly identifying mechanisms linking environmental exposure to a disease phenotype led to numerous observational/association studies being performed. Although this expectation remains unmet, there is now a growing body of literature on specific genes, suggesting wide ranging transcriptional and translational consequences of such subtle methylation changes. Data from the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) has shown that a complex interplay between DNA methylation, extensive 5′UTR splicing, and microvariability gives rise to the overall level and relative distribution of total and N-terminal protein isoforms generated. Additionally, the presence of multiple AUG translation initiation codons throughout the complete, processed mRNA enables translation variability, hereby enhancing the translational isoforms and the resulting protein isoform diversity, providing a clear link between small changes in DNA methylation and significant changes in protein isoforms and cellular locations. Methylation changes in the NR3C1 CpG island alters the NR3C1 transcription and eventually protein isoforms in the tissues, resulting in subtle but visible physiological variability. This review addresses the current pathophysiological and clinical associations of such characteristically small DNA methylation changes, the ever-growing roles of DNA methylation and the evidence available, particularly from the glucocorticoid receptor of the cascade of events initiated by such subtle methylation changes, as well as addressing the underlying question as to what represents a genuine biologically significant difference in methylation.
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49
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Lopez-Escamez JA, Bibas T, Cima RFF, Van de Heyning P, Knipper M, Mazurek B, Szczepek AJ, Cederroth CR. Genetics of Tinnitus: An Emerging Area for Molecular Diagnosis and Drug Development. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:377. [PMID: 27594824 PMCID: PMC4990555 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Subjective tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of external or bodily-generated sounds. Chronic tinnitus is a highly prevalent condition affecting over 70 million people in Europe. A wide variety of comorbidities, including hearing loss, psychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, have been suggested to contribute to the onset or progression of tinnitus; however, the precise molecular mechanisms of tinnitus are not well understood and the contribution of genetic and epigenetic factors remains unknown. Human genetic studies could enable the identification of novel molecular therapeutic targets, possibly leading to the development of novel pharmaceutical therapeutics. In this article, we briefly discuss the available evidence for a role of genetics in tinnitus and consider potential hurdles in designing genetic studies for tinnitus. Since multiple diseases have tinnitus as a symptom and the supporting genetic evidence is sparse, we propose various strategies to investigate the genetic underpinnings of tinnitus, first by showing evidence of heritability using concordance studies in twins, and second by improving patient selection according to phenotype and/or etiology in order to control potential biases and optimize genetic data output. The increased knowledge resulting from this endeavor could ultimately improve the drug development process and lead to the preventive or curative treatment of tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Lopez-Escamez
- Otology and Neurotology Group, Department of Genomic Medicine, Pfizer - Universidad de Granada - Junta de Andalucía Centro de Genómica e Investigación Oncológica, PTSGranada, Spain; Department of Otolaryngology, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Complejo Hospital Universitario GranadaGranada, Spain
| | - Thanos Bibas
- 1st Department of Otolaryngology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Hippocrateion HospitalAthens, Greece; Ear Institute, UCLLondon, UK
| | - Rilana F F Cima
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Paul Van de Heyning
- University Department ENT and Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Hearing Research Centre Tübingen, Molecular Physiology of Hearing Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Mazurek
- Tinnitus Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Christopher R Cederroth
- Experimental Audiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
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50
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Saavedra K, Molina-Márquez AM, Saavedra N, Zambrano T, Salazar LA. Epigenetic Modifications of Major Depressive Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17081279. [PMID: 27527165 PMCID: PMC5000676 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17081279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic disease whose neurological basis and pathophysiology remain poorly understood. Initially, it was proposed that genetic variations were responsible for the development of this disease. Nevertheless, several studies within the last decade have provided evidence suggesting that environmental factors play an important role in MDD pathophysiology. Alterations in epigenetics mechanism, such as DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNA expression could favor MDD advance in response to stressful experiences and environmental factors. The aim of this review is to describe genetic alterations, and particularly altered epigenetic mechanisms, that could be determinants for MDD progress, and how these alterations may arise as useful screening, diagnosis and treatment monitoring biomarkers of depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Saavedra
- Center of Molecular Biology and Pharmacogenetics, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile.
| | - Ana María Molina-Márquez
- Center of Molecular Biology and Pharmacogenetics, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile.
| | - Nicolás Saavedra
- Center of Molecular Biology and Pharmacogenetics, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile.
| | - Tomás Zambrano
- Center of Molecular Biology and Pharmacogenetics, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile.
| | - Luis A Salazar
- Center of Molecular Biology and Pharmacogenetics, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile.
- Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality (MIDAP), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile.
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