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Pishva E, van den Hove DLA, Laroche V, Lvovs A, Roy A, Ortega G, Burrage J, Veidebaum T, Kanarik M, Mill J, Lesch KP, Harro J. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of aggressive behaviour: a longitudinal population-based study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023. [PMID: 36929374 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13782] [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] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human aggression is influenced by an interplay between genetic predisposition and experience across the life span. This interaction is thought to occur through epigenetic mechanisms, inducing differential gene expression, thereby moderating neuronal cell and circuit function, and thus shaping aggressive behaviour. METHODS Genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) levels were measured in peripheral blood obtained from 95 individuals participating in the Estonian Children Personality Behaviours and Health Study (ECPBHS) at 15 and 25 years of age. We examined the association between aggressive behaviour, as measured by Life History of Aggression (LHA) total score and DNAm levels both assessed at age 25. We further examined the pleiotropic effect of genetic variants regulating LHA-associated differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and multiple traits related to aggressive behaviours. Lastly, we tested whether the DNA methylomic loci identified in association with LHA at age 25 were also present at age 15. RESULTS We found one differentially methylated position (DMP) (cg17815886; p = 1.12 × 10-8 ) and five differentially methylated regions (DMRs) associated with LHA after multiple testing adjustments. The DMP annotated to the PDLIM5 gene, and DMRs resided in the vicinity of four protein-encoding genes (TRIM10, GTF2H4, SLC45A4, B3GALT4) and a long intergenic non-coding RNA (LINC02068). We observed evidence for the colocalization of genetic variants associated with top DMPs and general cognitive function, educational attainment and cholesterol levels. Notably, a subset of the DMPs associated with LHA at age 25 also displayed altered DNAm patterns at age 15 with high accuracy in predicting aggression. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the potential role of DNAm in the development of aggressive behaviours. We observed pleiotropic genetic variants associated with identified DMPs, and various traits previously established to be relevant in shaping aggression in humans. The concordance of DNAm signatures in adolescents and young adults may have predictive value for inappropriate and maladaptive aggression later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pishva
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Daniel L A van den Hove
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Valentin Laroche
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Aneth Lvovs
- School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia.,Chair of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Arunima Roy
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gabriela Ortega
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Joe Burrage
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Margus Kanarik
- Chair of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Jonathan Mill
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jaanus Harro
- Chair of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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2
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Smederevac S, Delgado-Cruzata L, Mitrović D, Dinić BM, Bravo TAT, Delgado M, Bugarski Ignjatović V, Sadiković S, Milovanović I, Vučinić N, Branovački B, Prinz M, Budimlija Z, Kušić‐Tišma J, Nikolašević Ž. Differences in MB-COMT DNA methylation in monozygotic twins on phenotypic indicators of impulsivity. Front Genet 2023; 13:1067276. [PMID: 36685886 PMCID: PMC9852709 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1067276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications of the membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase (MB-COMT) gene may affect the enzymatic degradation of dopamine, and consequently, human behavior. This study investigated the association between membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNA methylation (DNAm) differences in 92 monozygotic (MZ) twins with phenotypic manifestations of cognitive, behavioral, and personality indicators associated with reward-related behaviors and lack of control. We used pyrosequencing to determine DNAm of the regulatory region of membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase in saliva DNA. Results of intrapair differences in the percentage of membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNAm at each of five CpG sites show that there are associations between phenotypic indicators of lack of control and membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNAm differences on CpG1, CpG2 and CpG4, suggesting the common epigenetic patterns for personality traits, cognitive functions, and risk behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snežana Smederevac
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia,*Correspondence: Selka Sadiković, ; Snežana Smederevac,
| | | | - Dušanka Mitrović
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Bojana M. Dinić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | - Maria Delgado
- Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, United States
| | | | - Selka Sadiković
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia,*Correspondence: Selka Sadiković, ; Snežana Smederevac,
| | - Ilija Milovanović
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Nataša Vučinić
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Bojan Branovački
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Mechthild Prinz
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY, United States
| | - Zoran Budimlija
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Jelena Kušić‐Tišma
- Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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3
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Odintsova VV, Hagenbeek FA, van der Laan CM, van de Weijer S, Boomsma DI. Genetics and epigenetics of human aggression. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:13-44. [PMID: 37633706 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
There is substantial variation between humans in aggressive behavior, with its biological etiology and molecular genetic basis mostly unknown. This review chapter offers an overview of genomic and omics studies revealing the genetic contribution to aggression and first insights into associations with epigenetic and other omics (e.g., metabolomics) profiles. We allowed for a broad phenotype definition including studies on "aggression," "aggressive behavior," or "aggression-related traits," "antisocial behavior," "conduct disorder," and "oppositional defiant disorder." Heritability estimates based on family and twin studies in children and adults of this broadly defined phenotype of aggression are around 50%, with relatively small fluctuations around this estimate. Next, we review the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) which search for associations with alleles and also allow for gene-based tests and epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) which seek to identify associations with differently methylated regions across the genome. Both GWAS and EWAS allow for construction of Polygenic and DNA methylation scores at an individual level. Currently, these predict a small percentage of variance in aggression. We expect that increases in sample size will lead to additional discoveries in GWAS and EWAS, and that multiomics approaches will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular underpinnings of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika V Odintsova
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Mental Health Division, Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fiona A Hagenbeek
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Mental Health Division, Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Camiel M van der Laan
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steve van de Weijer
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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4
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Freedman AN, Eaves LA, Rager JE, Gavino-Lopez N, Smeester L, Bangma J, Santos HP, Joseph RM, Kuban KC, O'Shea TM, Fry RC. The placenta epigenome-brain axis: placental epigenomic and transcriptomic responses that preprogram cognitive impairment. Epigenomics 2022; 14:897-911. [PMID: 36073148 PMCID: PMC9475498 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2022-0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: The placenta-brain axis reflects a developmental linkage where disrupted placental function is associated with impaired neurodevelopment later in life. Placental gene expression and the expression of epigenetic modifiers such as miRNAs may be tied to these impairments and are understudied. Materials & methods: The expression levels of mRNAs (n = 37,268) and their targeting miRNAs (n = 2083) were assessed within placentas collected from the ELGAN study cohort (n = 386). The ELGAN adolescents were assessed for neurocognitive function at age 10 and the association with placental mRNA/miRNAs was determined. Results: Placental mRNAs related to inflammatory and apoptotic processes are under miRNA control and associated with cognitive impairment at age 10. Conclusion: Findings highlight key placenta epigenome-brain relationships that support the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia N Freedman
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lauren A Eaves
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Julia E Rager
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Curriculum in Toxicology & Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Noemi Gavino-Lopez
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lisa Smeester
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jacqueline Bangma
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Hudson P Santos
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
| | - Robert M Joseph
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Karl Ck Kuban
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Thomas Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Curriculum in Toxicology & Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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5
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Chiocchetti AG, Yousaf A, Waltes R, Bernhard A, Martinelli A, Ackermann K, Haslinger D, Rotter B, Krezdorn N, Konrad K, Kohls G, Vetro A, Hervas A, Fernández-Rivas A, Freitag CM. The methylome in females with adolescent Conduct Disorder: Neural pathomechanisms and environmental risk factors. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261691. [PMID: 35089926 PMCID: PMC8797262 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Conduct Disorder (CD) is an impairing psychiatric disorder of childhood and adolescence characterized by aggressive and dissocial behavior. Environmental factors such as maternal smoking during pregnancy, socio-economic status, trauma, or early life stress are associated with CD. Although the number of females with CD is rising in Western societies, CD is under-researched in female cohorts. We aimed at exploring the epigenetic signature of females with CD and its relation to psychosocial and environmental risk factors. We performed HpaII sensitive genome-wide methylation sequencing of 49 CD girls and 50 matched typically developing controls and linear regression models to identify differentially methylated CpG loci (tags) and regions. Significant tags and regions were mapped to the respective genes and tested for enrichment in pathways and brain developmental processes. Finally, epigenetic signatures were tested as mediators for CD-associated risk factors. We identified a 12% increased methylation 5’ of the neurite modulator SLITRK5 (FDR = 0.0046) in cases within a glucocorticoid receptor binding site. Functionally, methylation positively correlated with gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines. At systems-level, genes (uncorr. P < 0.01) were associated with development of neurons, neurite outgrowth or neuronal developmental processes. At gene expression level, the associated gene-networks are activated perinatally and during early childhood in neocortical regions, thalamus and striatum, and expressed in amygdala and hippocampus. Specifically, the epigenetic signatures of the gene network activated in the thalamus during early childhood correlated with the effect of parental education on CD status possibly mediating its protective effect. The differential methylation patterns identified in females with CD are likely to affect genes that are expressed in brain regions previously indicated in CD. We provide suggestive evidence that protective effects are likely mediated by epigenetic mechanisms impairing specific brain developmental networks and therefore exerting a long-term effect on neural functions in CD. Our results are exploratory and thus, further replication is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas G. Chiocchetti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- * E-mail: ;
| | - Afsheen Yousaf
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Regina Waltes
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anka Bernhard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- * E-mail: ;
| | - Anne Martinelli
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Katharina Ackermann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Denise Haslinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | | | - Kerstin Konrad
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Child Neuropsychology Section, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-11) JARA BRAIN Institute II, Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany
| | - Gregor Kohls
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Child Neuropsychology Section, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Agnes Vetro
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrics Health Center, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Szeged, Szeged University, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Amaia Hervas
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Hospital Universitario Mutua de Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Christine M. Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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6
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Duclot F, Kabbaj M. Epigenetics of Aggression. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:283-310. [PMID: 34595741 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is a complex behavioral trait modulated by both genetic and environmental influences on gene expression. By controlling gene expression in a reversible yet potentially lasting manner in response to environmental stimulation, epigenetic mechanisms represent prime candidates in explaining both individual differences in aggression and the development of elevated aggressive behaviors following life adversity. In this manuscript, we review the evidence for an epigenetic basis in the development and expression of aggression in both humans and related preclinical animal models. In particular, we discuss reports linking DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, as well as non-coding RNA, to the regulation of a variety of genes implicated in the neurobiology of aggression including neuropeptides, the serotoninergic and dopaminergic systems, and stress response related systems. While clinical reports do reveal interesting patterns of DNA methylation underlying individual differences and experience-induced aggressive behaviors, they do, in general, face the challenge of linking peripheral observations to central nervous system regulations. Preclinical studies, on the other hand, provide detailed mechanistic insights into the epigenetic reprogramming of gene expression following life adversities. Although the functional link to aggression remains unclear in most, these studies together do highlight the involvement of epigenetic events driven by DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA in the neuroadaptations underlying the development and expression of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Duclot
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
| | - Mohamed Kabbaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
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7
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Baxter A, Capitanio JP, Bales K, Kinnally EL. Biobehavioral organization shapes the immune epigenome in infant rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta). Brain Behav Immun 2021; 96:256-270. [PMID: 34144148 PMCID: PMC8901048 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
How individuals respond to and cope with stress is linked with their health and well-being. It is presumed that early stress responsiveness helps shape the health of the developing organism, but the relationship between stress responsiveness and early immune function during development is not well-known. We hypothesized that stress responsiveness may shape epigenetic regulation of immune genes in infancy. We investigated whether aspects of behavioral responsiveness and hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal stress-response were associated with epigenome-wide immune cell DNA methylation patterns in 154 infant rhesus monkeys (3-4 months old). Infants' behavioral and physiological responses were collected during a standardized biobehavioral assessment, which included temporary relocation and separation from their mother and social group. Genome-wide DNA methylation was quantified using restricted representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) from blood DNA collected 2-hours post-separation. Epigenome-wide analyses were conducted using simple regression, multiple regression controlling for immune cell counts, and permutation regression, all corrected for false discovery rate. Across the variables analyzed, there were 20,368 unique sites (in 9,040 genes) at which methylation was significantly associated with at least one behavioral responsiveness or cortisol measure across the three analyses. There were significant associations in 442 genes in the Immune System Process ontology category, and 94 genes in the Inflammation mediated by chemokine and cytokine signaling gene pathway. Out of 35 candidate genes that were selected for further investigation, there were 13 genes with at least one site at which methylation was significantly associated with behavioral responsiveness or cortisol, including two intron sites in the glucocorticoid receptor gene, at which methylation was negatively correlated with emotional behavior the day following the social separation (Day 2 Emotionality; β = -0.39, q < 0.001) and cortisol response following a relocation stressor (Sample 1; β = -0.33, q < 0.001). We conclude that biobehavioral stress responsiveness may correlate with the developing epigenome, and that DNA methylation of immune cells may be a mechanism by which patterns of stress response affect health and immune functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Baxter
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Drive, Davis CA 95616 USA,California National Primate Research Center, Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - J. P. Capitanio
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Drive, Davis CA 95616 USA,California National Primate Research Center, Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - K.L. Bales
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Drive, Davis CA 95616 USA,California National Primate Research Center, Davis CA 95616 USA,University of California, Davis, Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, One Shields Drive, Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - E. L. Kinnally
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Drive, Davis CA 95616 USA,California National Primate Research Center, Davis CA 95616 USA,indicates corresponding author: Kinnally, E. L.:
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8
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van Dongen J, Hagenbeek FA, Suderman M, Roetman PJ, Sugden K, Chiocchetti AG, Ismail K, Mulder RH, Hafferty JD, Adams MJ, Walker RM, Morris SW, Lahti J, Küpers LK, Escaramis G, Alemany S, Jan Bonder M, Meijer M, Ip HF, Jansen R, Baselmans BML, Parmar P, Lowry E, Streit F, Sirignano L, Send TS, Frank J, Jylhävä J, Wang Y, Mishra PP, Colins OF, Corcoran DL, Poulton R, Mill J, Hannon E, Arseneault L, Korhonen T, Vuoksimaa E, Felix JF, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Campbell A, Czamara D, Binder E, Corpeleijn E, Gonzalez JR, Grazuleviciene R, Gutzkow KB, Evandt J, Vafeiadi M, Klein M, van der Meer D, Ligthart L, Kluft C, Davies GE, Hakulinen C, Keltikangas-Järvinen L, Franke B, Freitag CM, Konrad K, Hervas A, Fernández-Rivas A, Vetro A, Raitakari O, Lehtimäki T, Vermeiren R, Strandberg T, Räikkönen K, Snieder H, Witt SH, Deuschle M, Pedersen NL, Hägg S, Sunyer J, Franke L, Kaprio J, Ollikainen M, Moffitt TE, Tiemeier H, van IJzendoorn MH, Relton C, Vrijheid M, Sebert S, Jarvelin MR, Caspi A, Evans KL, McIntosh AM, Bartels M, Boomsma DI. DNA methylation signatures of aggression and closely related constructs: A meta-analysis of epigenome-wide studies across the lifespan. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:2148-2162. [PMID: 33420481 PMCID: PMC8263810 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00987-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation profiles of aggressive behavior may capture lifetime cumulative effects of genetic, stochastic, and environmental influences associated with aggression. Here, we report the first large meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of aggressive behavior (N = 15,324 participants). In peripheral blood samples of 14,434 participants from 18 cohorts with mean ages ranging from 7 to 68 years, 13 methylation sites were significantly associated with aggression (alpha = 1.2 × 10-7; Bonferroni correction). In cord blood samples of 2425 children from five cohorts with aggression assessed at mean ages ranging from 4 to 7 years, 83% of these sites showed the same direction of association with childhood aggression (r = 0.74, p = 0.006) but no epigenome-wide significant sites were found. Top-sites (48 at a false discovery rate of 5% in the peripheral blood meta-analysis or in a combined meta-analysis of peripheral blood and cord blood) have been associated with chemical exposures, smoking, cognition, metabolic traits, and genetic variation (mQTLs). Three genes whose expression levels were associated with top-sites were previously linked to schizophrenia and general risk tolerance. At six CpGs, DNA methylation variation in blood mirrors variation in the brain. On average 44% (range = 3-82%) of the aggression-methylation association was explained by current and former smoking and BMI. These findings point at loci that are sensitive to chemical exposures with potential implications for neuronal functions. We hope these results to be a starting point for studies leading to applications as peripheral biomarkers and to reveal causal relationships with aggression and related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny van Dongen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Fiona A Hagenbeek
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew Suderman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Peter J Roetman
- Curium-LUMC, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
| | - Karen Sugden
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andreas G Chiocchetti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Khadeeja Ismail
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rosa H Mulder
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mark J Adams
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rosie M Walker
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stewart W Morris
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jari Lahti
- Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leanne K Küpers
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Georgia Escaramis
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), UdG, Girona, Spain
| | - Silvia Alemany
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Jan Bonder
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mandy Meijer
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hill F Ip
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rick Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart M L Baselmans
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Priyanka Parmar
- Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Estelle Lowry
- Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lea Sirignano
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tabea S Send
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Josef Frank
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juulia Jylhävä
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yunzhang Wang
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pashupati Prasad Mishra
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center-Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
| | - Olivier F Colins
- Curium-LUMC, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
- Department of Special Needs Education, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - David L Corcoran
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Richie Poulton
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan Mill
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Eilis Hannon
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Louise Arseneault
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tellervo Korhonen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eero Vuoksimaa
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janine F Felix
- Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Eva Corpeleijn
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Juan R Gonzalez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Regina Grazuleviciene
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio str. 58, 44248, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Kristine B Gutzkow
- Department of Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jorunn Evandt
- Department of Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marina Vafeiadi
- Department of Social Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Marieke Klein
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- University Medical Center Utrecht, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Department of Psychiatry, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lannie Ligthart
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Gareth E Davies
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, 3720 W. 69th Street, Sioux Falls, SD, 57108, USA
| | - Christian Hakulinen
- Department of Psychology and logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kerstin Konrad
- University Hospital, RWTH Aachen, Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Aachen, Germany
- JARA-Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), RWTH Aachen & Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
| | - Amaia Hervas
- Hospital Universitario Mutua de Terrassa, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Agnes Vetro
- Szeged University, Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrics health center, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Olli Raitakari
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Terho Lehtimäki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center-Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
| | - Robert Vermeiren
- Curium-LUMC, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
- Youz, Parnassia Group, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Timo Strandberg
- Helsinki University Central Hospital, Geriatrics, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- Department of Psychology and logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Harold Snieder
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael Deuschle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nancy L Pedersen
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Hägg
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lude Franke
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Miina Ollikainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Terrie E Moffitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL, University of London, London, UK
| | - Caroline Relton
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sylvain Sebert
- Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Section of Genomics of Common Disease, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Burlington Danes Building, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin
- Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Burlington Danes Building, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Meike Bartels
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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9
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Whipp AM, Vuoksimaa E, Korhonen T, Pool R, But A, Ligthart L, Hagenbeek FA, Bartels M, Bogl LH, Pulkkinen L, Rose RJ, Boomsma DI, Kaprio J. Ketone body 3-hydroxybutyrate as a biomarker of aggression. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5813. [PMID: 33712630 PMCID: PMC7955062 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84635-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human aggression is a complex behaviour, the biological underpinnings of which remain poorly known. To gain insights into aggression biology, we studied relationships with aggression of 11 low-molecular-weight metabolites (amino acids, ketone bodies), processed using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We used a discovery sample of young adults and an independent adult replication sample. We studied 725 young adults from a population-based Finnish twin cohort born 1983-1987, with aggression levels rated in adolescence (ages 12, 14, 17) by multiple raters and blood plasma samples at age 22. Linear regression models specified metabolites as the response variable and aggression ratings as predictor variables, and included several potential confounders. All metabolites showed low correlations with aggression, with only one-3-hydroxybutyrate, a ketone body produced during fasting-showing significant (negative) associations with aggression. Effect sizes for different raters were generally similar in magnitude, while teacher-rated (age 12) and self-rated (age 14) aggression were both significant predictors of 3-hydroxybutyrate in multi-rater models. In an independent replication sample of 960 adults from the Netherlands Twin Register, higher aggression (self-rated) was also related to lower levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate. These exploratory epidemiologic results warrant further studies on the role of ketone metabolism in aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Whipp
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - E Vuoksimaa
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Korhonen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Pool
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A But
- Clinicum, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - L Ligthart
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - F A Hagenbeek
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Bartels
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L H Bogl
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Epidemiology, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - L Pulkkinen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - R J Rose
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - D I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Clinicum, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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10
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Odintsova VV, Rebattu V, Hagenbeek FA, Pool R, Beck JJ, Ehli EA, van Beijsterveldt CEM, Ligthart L, Willemsen G, de Geus EJC, Hottenga JJ, Boomsma DI, van Dongen J. Predicting Complex Traits and Exposures From Polygenic Scores and Blood and Buccal DNA Methylation Profiles. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:688464. [PMID: 34393852 PMCID: PMC8357987 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.688464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the performance of methylation scores (MS) and polygenic scores (PGS) for birth weight, BMI, prenatal maternal smoking exposure, and smoking status to assess the extent to which MS could predict these traits and exposures over and above the PGS in a multi-omics prediction model. MS may be seen as the epigenetic equivalent of PGS, but because of their dynamic nature and sensitivity of non-genetic exposures may add to complex trait prediction independently of PGS. MS and PGS were calculated based on genotype data and DNA-methylation data in blood samples from adults (Illumina 450 K; N = 2,431; mean age 35.6) and in buccal samples from children (Illumina EPIC; N = 1,128; mean age 9.6) from the Netherlands Twin Register. Weights to construct the scores were obtained from results of large epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) based on whole blood or cord blood methylation data and genome-wide association studies (GWASs). In adults, MSs in blood predicted independently from PGSs, and outperformed PGSs for BMI, prenatal maternal smoking, and smoking status, but not for birth weight. The largest amount of variance explained by the multi-omics prediction model was for current vs. never smoking (54.6%) of which 54.4% was captured by the MS. The two predictors captured 16% of former vs. never smoking initiation variance (MS:15.5%, PGS: 0.5%), 17.7% of prenatal maternal smoking variance (MS:16.9%, PGS: 0.8%), 11.9% of BMI variance (MS: 6.4%, PGS 5.5%), and 1.9% of birth weight variance (MS: 0.4%, PGS: 1.5%). In children, MSs in buccal samples did not show independent predictive value. The largest amount of variance explained by the two predictors was for prenatal maternal smoking (2.6%), where the MSs contributed 1.5%. These results demonstrate that blood DNA MS in adults explain substantial variance in current smoking, large variance in former smoking, prenatal smoking, and BMI, but not in birth weight. Buccal cell DNA methylation scores have lower predictive value, which could be due to different tissues in the EWAS discovery studies and target sample, as well as to different ages. This study illustrates the value of combining polygenic scores with information from methylation data for complex traits and exposure prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika V Odintsova
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Valerie Rebattu
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Fiona A Hagenbeek
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - René Pool
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey J Beck
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Sioux Falls, SD, United States
| | - Erik A Ehli
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Sioux Falls, SD, United States
| | - Catharina E M van Beijsterveldt
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lannie Ligthart
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eco J C de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jouke-Jan Hottenga
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jenny van Dongen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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11
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Qing L, Gao C, Ji A, Lü X, Zhou L, Nie S. Association of mineralocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C2) hypermethylation in adult males with aggressive behavior. Behav Brain Res 2020; 398:112980. [PMID: 33250445 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior may have adaptive value under some environmental conditions. However, when it is extreme or improper, it may also lead to maladaptive results, seriously threatening human and social well-being. Aggressive behavior is a multifactorial disease, and the etiology is largely unknown. The stress-related hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a crucial system in the stress response that has emerged as a potential mechanism of aggressive behavior. The NR3C2 gene is an important regulator of the HPA axis: it is involved in regulating HPA axis activity and behavioral adaptation to stressors. Moreover, the epigenetic mechanism of DNA methylation has been suggested to mediate the development of aggressive behavior. However, the association between NR3C2 methylation and aggressive behavior has not been studied. In the present study, we assessed NR3C2 methylation (including three regions: promoter P1, exon 1α, and the sequence downstream of exon 1α) in peripheral blood DNA of adult males with aggressive behavior (n = 106) and healthy controls (n = 104). We found the NR3C2 gene to be associated with aggressive behavior, with hypermethylation detected in the entire aggressive behavior group as well as in the robbery subgroup compared to controls. In addition, analysis of methylation at 75 CpG sites revealed that some important CpG sites are associated with aggressive behavior. Our results suggest that HPA axis-related gene NR3C2 methylation is associated with aggressive behavior. These results lend support for using NR3C2 DNA methylation as a potential biomarker of aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Qing
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Changqing Gao
- Mental Health Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Aicen Ji
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Lü
- Mental Health Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Zhou
- Mental Health Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shengjie Nie
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Martorell-Marugán J, González-Rumayor V, Carmona-Sáez P. mCSEA: detecting subtle differentially methylated regions. Bioinformatics 2020; 35:3257-3262. [PMID: 30753302 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btz096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION The identification of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) among phenotypes is one of the main goals of epigenetic analysis. Although there are several methods developed to detect DMRs, most of them are focused on detecting relatively large differences in methylation levels and fail to detect moderate, but consistent, methylation changes that might be associated to complex disorders. RESULTS We present mCSEA, an R package that implements a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis method to identify DMRs from Illumina450K and EPIC array data. It is especially useful for detecting subtle, but consistent, methylation differences in complex phenotypes. mCSEA also implements functions to integrate gene expression data and to detect genes with significant correlations among methylation and gene expression patterns. Using simulated datasets we show that mCSEA outperforms other tools in detecting DMRs. In addition, we applied mCSEA to a previously published dataset of sibling pairs discordant for intrauterine hyperglycemia exposure. We found several differentially methylated promoters in genes related to metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes, demonstrating the potential of mCSEA to identify DMRs not detected by other methods. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION mCSEA is freely available from the Bioconductor repository. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Martorell-Marugán
- Bioinformatics Unit. GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain.,Atrys Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Pedro Carmona-Sáez
- Bioinformatics Unit. GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
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13
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Meijer M, Klein M, Hannon E, van der Meer D, Hartman C, Oosterlaan J, Heslenfeld D, Hoekstra PJ, Buitelaar J, Mill J, Franke B. Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Patterns in Persistent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and in Association With Impulsive and Callous Traits. Front Genet 2020; 11:16. [PMID: 32082368 PMCID: PMC7005250 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that often persists into adulthood. ADHD and related personality traits, such as impulsivity and callousness, are caused by genetic and environmental factors and their interplay. Epigenetic modifications of DNA, including methylation, are thought to mediate between such factors and behavior and may behave as biomarkers for disorders. Here, we set out to study DNA methylation in persistent ADHD and related traits. We performed epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) on peripheral whole blood from participants in the NeuroIMAGE study (age range 12-23 years). We compared participants with persistent ADHD (n = 35) with healthy controls (n = 19) and with participants with remittent ADHD (n = 19). Additionally, we performed EWASs of impulsive and callous traits derived from the Conners Parent Rating Scale and the Callous-Unemotional Inventory, respectively, across all participants. For every EWAS, the linear regression model analyzed included covariates for age, sex, smoking scores, and surrogate variables reflecting blood cell type composition and genetic background. We observed no epigenome-wide significant differences in single CpG site methylation between participants with persistent ADHD and healthy controls or participants with remittent ADHD. However, epigenome-wide analysis of differentially methylated regions provided significant findings showing that hypermethylated regions in the APOB and LPAR5 genes were associated with ADHD persistence compared to ADHD remittance (p = 1.68 * 10-24 and p = 9.06 * 10-7, respectively); both genes are involved in cholesterol signaling. Both findings appeared to be linked to genetic variation in cis. We found neither significant epigenome-wide single CpG sites nor regions associated with impulsive and callous traits; the top-hits from these analyses were annotated to genes involved in neurotransmitter release and the regulation of the biological clock. No link to genetic variation was observed for these findings, which thus might reflect environmental influences. In conclusion, in this pilot study with a small sample size, we observed several DNA-methylation-disorder/trait associations of potential significance for ADHD and the related behavioral traits. Although we do not wish to draw conclusions before replication in larger, independent samples, cholesterol signaling and metabolism may be of relevance for the onset and/or persistence of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Meijer
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marieke Klein
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Eilis Hannon
- Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Catharina Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jaap Oosterlaan
- Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Emma Neuroscience Group, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dirk Heslenfeld
- Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pieter J. Hoekstra
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jan Buitelaar
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatric University Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Mill
- Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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14
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Fernàndez-Castillo N, Gan G, van Donkelaar MMJ, Vaht M, Weber H, Retz W, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Franke B, Harro J, Reif A, Faraone SV, Cormand B. RBFOX1, encoding a splicing regulator, is a candidate gene for aggressive behavior. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 30:44-55. [PMID: 29174947 PMCID: PMC10975801 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The RBFOX1 gene (or A2BP1) encodes a splicing factor important for neuronal development that has been related to autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Evidence from complementary sources suggests that this gene contributes to aggressive behavior. Suggestive associations with RBFOX1 have been identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of anger, conduct disorder, and aggressive behavior. Nominal association signals in RBFOX1 were also found in an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of aggressive behavior. Also, variants in this gene affect temporal lobe volume, a brain area that is altered in several aggression-related phenotypes. In animals, this gene has been shown to modulate aggressive behavior in Drosophila. RBFOX1 has also been associated with canine aggression and is upregulated in mice that show increased aggression after frustration of an expected reward. Associated common genetic variants as well as rare duplications and deletions affecting RBFOX1 have been identified in several psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders that are often comorbid with aggressive behaviors. In this paper, we comprehensively review the cumulative evidence linking RBFOX1 to aggression behavior and provide new results implicating RBFOX1 in this phenotype. Most of these studies (genetic and epigenetic analyses in humans, neuroimaging genetics, gene expression and animal models) are hypothesis-free, which strengthens the validity of the findings, although all the evidence is nominal and should therefore be taken with caution. Further studies are required to clarify in detail the role of this gene in this complex phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noèlia Fernàndez-Castillo
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Gabriela Gan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marjolein M J van Donkelaar
- Radboud university medical center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mariliis Vaht
- Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Heike Weber
- Deptartment of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt - Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Retz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Barbara Franke
- Radboud university medical center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud university medical center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jaanus Harro
- Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andreas Reif
- Deptartment of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt - Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- Departments of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA; K.G. Jebsen Centre for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Bru Cormand
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain.
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15
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Mustafin RN, Kazantseva AV, Enikeeva RF, Davydova YD, Karunas AS, Malykh SB, Khusnutdinova EK. Epigenetics of Aggressive Behavior. RUSS J GENET+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795419090096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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16
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The epigenome of twins as a perfect laboratory for studying behavioural traits. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:192-195. [PMID: 31536737 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The debate upon the relative importance of nature vs nurture in the development of human behaviour can be traced back to ancient times. Traditional epidemiology and genetic epidemiology have confirmed the association of environmental and genetic factors with behavioural traits. Current genomic studies are identifying genetic variants associated with various behavioural traits. However, exploring the relationship of abundant environmental factors with the complex epigenome that mediates human behaviour is just at its beginning. Identical twins can serve as perfect experiments for studying the environmental impact on behavioural epigenetics advantaged by enriched power in association analysis due to controlling of their genetic make-ups. Recent development in causal inference using twin-based models adds more values in twins. This review briefly introduces the various approaches in making use of twins in studying behavioural epigenetics from experiment design to practical applications. Exploring the epigenome of twins using the powerful twin-based study designs and analytical approaches will help identifying causal epigenetic markers mediating environmental exposures and behavioural traits enabling both pharmaceutical intervention and effective prevention.
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Abstract
Twin registries have developed as a valuable resource for the study of many aspects of disease and society over the years in many different countries. A number of these registries include large numbers of twins with data collected at varying information levels for twin cohorts over the past several decades. More recent expansion of twin datasets has allowed for the collection of genetic data, together with many other levels of 'omic' information along with multiple demographic, physiological, health outcomes and other measures typically used in epidemiologic research. Other twin data sources outside these registries reflect research interests in particular aspects of disease or specific phenotypic assessment. Twin registries have the potential to play a key role in many aspects of the artificial intelligence/machine learning-driven projects of the future and will continue to keep adapting to the changing research landscape.
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18
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Mohandas N, Loke YJ, Hopkins S, Mackenzie L, Bennett C, Berkovic SF, Vadlamudi L, Craig JM. Evidence for type-specific DNA methylation patterns in epilepsy: a discordant monozygotic twin approach. Epigenomics 2019; 11:951-968. [DOI: 10.2217/epi-2018-0136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. We performed epigenetic analyses between and within 15 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs discordant for focal or generalized epilepsy. Methods: DNA methylation analysis was performed using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC arrays, in blood and buccal samples. Results: Differentially methylated regions between epilepsy types associated with PM20D1 and GFPT2 genes in both tissues. Within MZ discordant twin pairs, differentially methylated regions associated with OTX1 and ARID5B genes for generalized epilepsy and TTC39C and DLX5 genes for focal epilepsy. Conclusion: This is the first epigenome-wide association study, utilizing the discordant MZ co-twin model, to deepen our understanding of the neurobiology of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namitha Mohandas
- Environmental & Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yuk Jing Loke
- Environmental & Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephanie Hopkins
- Environmental & Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- School of Medicine & Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lisa Mackenzie
- Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Carmen Bennett
- Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Samuel F Berkovic
- Epilepsy Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lata Vadlamudi
- Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
- Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Environmental & Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Molecular & Medical Research, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
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19
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Cecil CAM, Walton E, Pingault JB, Provençal N, Pappa I, Vitaro F, Côté S, Szyf M, Tremblay RE, Tiemeier H, Viding E, McCrory EJ. DRD4 methylation as a potential biomarker for physical aggression: An epigenome-wide, cross-tissue investigation. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018; 177:746-764. [PMID: 30411855 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic processes that regulate gene expression, such as DNA methylation (DNAm), have been linked to individual differences in physical aggression. Yet, it is currently unclear whether: (a) DNAm patterns in humans associate with physical aggression independently of other co-occurring psychiatric and behavioral symptoms; (b) whether these patterns are observable across multiple tissues; and (c) whether they may function as a causal versus noncausal biomarker of physical aggression. Here, we used a multisample, cross-tissue design to address these questions. First, we examined genome-wide DNAm patterns (buccal swabs; Illumina 450k) associated with engagement in physical fights in a sample of high-risk youth (n = 119; age = 16-24 years; 53% female). We identified one differentially methylated region in DRD4, which survived genome-wide correction, associated with physical aggression above and beyond co-occurring symptomatology (e.g., ADHD, substance use), and showed strong cross-tissue concordance with both blood and brain. Second, we found that DNAm sites within this region were also differentially methylated in an independent sample of young adults, between individuals with a history of chronic-high versus low physical aggression (peripheral T cells; ages 26-28). Finally, we ran a Mendelian randomization analysis using GWAS data from the EAGLE consortium to test for a causal association of DRD4 methylation with physical aggression. Only one genetic instrument was eligible for the analysis, and results provided no evidence for a causal association. Overall, our findings lend support for peripheral DRD4 methylation as a potential biomarker of physically aggressive behavior, with no evidence yet of a causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte A M Cecil
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Esther Walton
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pingault
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nadine Provençal
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Irene Pappa
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frank Vitaro
- Department of Psychoeducation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvana Côté
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Moshe Szyf
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard E Tremblay
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eamon J McCrory
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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20
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Conduct disorder in adolescent females: current state of research and study design of the FemNAT-CD consortium. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 27:1077-1093. [PMID: 29948230 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-018-1172-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Conduct disorder (CD) is a common and highly impairing psychiatric disorder of childhood and adolescence that frequently leads to poor physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. The prevalence of CD is substantially higher in males than females, and partly due to this, most research on this condition has used all-male or predominantly male samples. Although the number of females exhibiting CD has increased in recent decades, the majority of studies on neurobiological measures, neurocognitive phenotypes, and treatments for CD have focused on male subjects only, despite strong evidence for sex differences in the aetiology and neurobiology of CD. Here, we selectively review the existing literature on CD and related phenotypes in females, focusing in particular on sex differences in CD symptoms, patterns of psychiatric comorbidity, and callous-unemotional personality traits. We also consider studies investigating the neurobiology of CD in females, with a focus on studies using genetic, structural and functional neuroimaging, psychophysiological, and neuroendocrinological methods. We end the article by providing an overview of the study design of the FemNAT-CD consortium, an interdisciplinary, multi-level and multi-site study that explicitly focuses on CD in females, but which is also investigating sex differences in the causes, developmental course, and neurobiological correlates of CD.
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21
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de Sá Machado Araújo G, da Silva Francisco Junior R, Dos Santos Ferreira C, Mozer Rodrigues PT, Terra Machado D, Louvain de Souza T, Teixeira de Souza J, Figueiredo Osorio da Silva C, Alves da Silva AF, Andrade CCF, da Silva AT, Ramos V, Garcia AB, Machado FB, Medina-Acosta E. Maternal 5 mCpG Imprints at the PARD6G-AS1 and GCSAML Differentially Methylated Regions Are Decoupled From Parent-of-Origin Expression Effects in Multiple Human Tissues. Front Genet 2018; 9:36. [PMID: 29545821 PMCID: PMC5838017 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A hallmark of imprinted genes in mammals is the occurrence of parent-of-origin-dependent asymmetry of DNA cytosine methylation (5mC) of alleles at CpG islands (CGIs) in their promoter regions. This 5mCpG asymmetry between the parental alleles creates allele-specific imprinted differentially methylated regions (iDMRs). iDMRs are often coupled to the transcriptional repression of the methylated allele and the activation of the unmethylated allele in a tissue-specific, developmental-stage-specific and/or isoform-specific fashion. iDMRs function as regulatory platforms, built through the recruitment of chemical modifications to histones to achieve differential, parent-of-origin-dependent chromatin segmentation states. Here, we used a comparative computational data mining approach to identify 125 novel constitutive candidate iDMRs that integrate the maximal number of allele-specific methylation region records overlapping CGIs in human methylomes. Twenty-nine candidate iDMRs display gametic 5mCpG asymmetry, and another 96 are candidate secondary iDMRs. We established the maternal origin of the 5mCpG imprints of one gametic (PARD6G-AS1) and one secondary (GCSAML) iDMRs. We also found a constitutively hemimethylated, nonimprinted domain at the PWWP2AP1 promoter CGI with oocyte-derived methylation asymmetry. Given that the 5mCpG level at the iDMRs is not a sufficient criterion to predict active or silent locus states and that iDMRs can regulate genes from a distance of more than 1 Mb, we used RNA-Seq experiments from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project and public archives to assess the transcriptional expression profiles of SNPs across 4.6 Mb spans around the novel maternal iDMRs. We showed that PARD6G-AS1 and GCSAML are expressed biallelically in multiple tissues. We found evidence of tissue-specific monoallelic expression of ZNF124 and OR2L13, located 363 kb upstream and 419 kb downstream, respectively, of the GCSAML iDMR. We hypothesize that the GCSAML iDMR regulates the tissue-specific, monoallelic expression of ZNF124 but not of OR2L13. We annotated the non-coding epigenomic marks in the two maternal iDMRs using data from the Roadmap Epigenomics project and showed that the PARD6G-AS1 and GCSAML iDMRs achieve contrasting activation and repression chromatin segmentations. Lastly, we found that the maternal 5mCpG imprints are perturbed in several hematopoietic cancers. We conclude that the maternal 5mCpG imprints at PARD6G-AS1 and GCSAML iDMRs are decoupled from parent-of-origin transcriptional expression effects in multiple tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graziela de Sá Machado Araújo
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo da Silva Francisco Junior
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil.,Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, Brazil
| | - Cristina Dos Santos Ferreira
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Pedro Thyago Mozer Rodrigues
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Douglas Terra Machado
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Thais Louvain de Souza
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil.,Faculdade de Medicina de Campos, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Jozimara Teixeira de Souza
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Cleiton Figueiredo Osorio da Silva
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Antônio Francisco Alves da Silva
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Claudia Caixeta Franco Andrade
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil.,Faculdade Metropolitana São Carlos, Bom Jesus do Itabapoana, Brazil
| | - Alan Tardin da Silva
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Victor Ramos
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ana Beatriz Garcia
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Filipe Brum Machado
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Enrique Medina-Acosta
- Núcleo de Diagnóstico e Investigação Molecular, Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
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22
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Mohandas N, Bass-Stringer S, Maksimovic J, Crompton K, Loke YJ, Walstab J, Reid SM, Amor DJ, Reddihough D, Craig JM. Epigenome-wide analysis in newborn blood spots from monozygotic twins discordant for cerebral palsy reveals consistent regional differences in DNA methylation. Clin Epigenetics 2018; 10:25. [PMID: 29484035 PMCID: PMC5824607 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-018-0457-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cerebral palsy (CP) is a clinical description for a group of motor disorders that are heterogeneous with respect to causes, symptoms and severity. A diagnosis of CP cannot usually be made at birth and in some cases may be delayed until 2–3 years of age. This limits opportunities for early intervention that could otherwise improve long-term outcomes. CP has been recorded in monozygotic twins discordant for the disorder, indicating a potential role of non-genetic factors such as intrauterine infection, hypoxia-ischaemia, haemorrhage and thrombosis. The aim of this exploratory study was to utilise the discordant monozygotic twin model to understand and measure epigenetic changes associated with the development of CP. Methods We performed a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation using the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450 BeadChip array with DNA from newborn blood spots of 15 monozygotic twin pairs who later became discordant for CP. Quality control and data preprocessing were undertaken using the minfi R package. Differential methylation analysis was performed using the remove unwanted variation (RUVm) method, taking twin pairing into account in order to identify CP-specific differentially methylated probes (DMPs), and bumphunter was performed to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Results We identified 33 top-ranked DMPs based on a nominal p value cut-off of p < 1 × 10−4 and two DMRs (p < 1 × 10−3) associated with CP. The top-ranked probes related to 25 genes including HNRNPL, RASSF5, CD3D and KALRN involved in immune signalling pathways, in addition to TBC1D24, FBXO9 and VIPR2 previously linked to epileptic encephalopathy. Gene ontology and pathway analysis of top-ranked DMP-associated genes revealed enrichment of inflammatory signalling pathways, regulation of cytokine secretion and regulation of leukocyte-mediated immunity. We also identified two top-ranked DMRs including one on chromosome 6 within the promoter region of LTA gene encoding tumour necrosis factor-beta (TNF-β), an important regulator of inflammation and brain development. The second was within the transcription start site of the LIME1 gene, which plays a key role in inflammatory pathways such as MAPK signalling. CP-specific differential DNA methylation within one of our two top DMRs was validated using an independent platform, MassArray EpiTyper. Conclusions Ours is the first epigenome-wide association study of CP in disease-discordant monozygotic twin pairs and suggests a potential role for immune dysfunction in this condition. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13148-018-0457-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namitha Mohandas
- Environmental and Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,2Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Sebastian Bass-Stringer
- Environmental and Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Jovana Maksimovic
- 2Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,Bioinformatics Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Kylie Crompton
- 2Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,4Developmental Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,5Neurodevelopment and Disability, The Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Yuk J Loke
- Environmental and Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Janet Walstab
- 2Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,4Developmental Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Susan M Reid
- 2Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,4Developmental Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,5Neurodevelopment and Disability, The Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - David J Amor
- 2Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,4Developmental Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,5Neurodevelopment and Disability, The Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Dinah Reddihough
- 2Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,4Developmental Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,5Neurodevelopment and Disability, The Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Environmental and Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,2Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia.,6Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3220 Australia
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23
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Gescher DM, Kahl KG, Hillemacher T, Frieling H, Kuhn J, Frodl T. Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's Insights. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:579. [PMID: 30510522 PMCID: PMC6252387 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Epigenetic mechanisms have been described in several mental disorders, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. However, less is known about the influence of epigenetic mechanisms with regard to personality disorders (PD). Therefore, we conducted a literature review on existing original data with regards to epigenetic peculiarities in connection with personality disorders. Methods: Systematic literature review using PRISMA guidelines. Search was performed via NCBI PubMed by keywords and their combinations. Used search terms included "epigenetic," "methylation," "acetylation" plus designations of specified personality traits and disorders according to DSM-IV. Results: Search yielded in total 345 publications, 257 thereof with psychiatric topic, 72 on personality disorder or traits, 43 of which were in humans and epigenetic, 23 thereof were original studies. Lastly, 23 original publications fulfilled the intended search criteria and were included. Those are 13 studies on gene methylation pattern with aggressive, antisocial and impulsive traits, 9 with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and 2 with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The results of these studies showed significant associations of PD with methylation aberrances in system-wide genes and suggest evidence for epigenetic processes in the development of personality traits and personality disorders. Environmental factors, of which childhood trauma showed a high impact, interfered with many neurofunctional genes. Methylation alterations in ASPD and BPD repeatedly affected HTR2A, HTR3A, NR3C1, and MAOA genes. Summary: Epigenetic studies in PD seem to be a useful approach to elucidate the interaction of co-working risk factors in the pathogenesis of personality traits and disorders. However, the complexity of pathogenesis leads to divergent results and impedes an explicit interpretation. Differing methylation patterns within the selected PD could indicate subgroups which would benefit from patient-oriented therapeutic adjustments. They might play a major role in the future design and observation of early therapeutic intervention and thus could help to prevent severe dysfunctional conduct or full-blown personality disorder in risk subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothee Maria Gescher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kai G Kahl
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Thomas Hillemacher
- Department of Psychiatry, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Helge Frieling
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Jens Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Frodl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, Germany
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Childhood aggression and the co-occurrence of behavioural and emotional problems: results across ages 3-16 years from multiple raters in six cohorts in the EU-ACTION project. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 27:1105-1121. [PMID: 29845340 PMCID: PMC6133086 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-018-1169-1] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Childhood aggression and its resulting consequences inflict a huge burden on affected children, their relatives, teachers, peers and society as a whole. Aggression during childhood rarely occurs in isolation and is correlated with other symptoms of childhood psychopathology. In this paper, we aim to describe and improve the understanding of the co-occurrence of aggression with other forms of childhood psychopathology. We focus on the co-occurrence of aggression and other childhood behavioural and emotional problems, including other externalising problems, attention problems and anxiety-depression. The data were brought together within the EU-ACTION (Aggression in Children: unravelling gene-environment interplay to inform Treatment and InterventiON strategies) project. We analysed the co-occurrence of aggression and other childhood behavioural and emotional problems as a function of the child's age (ages 3 through 16 years), gender, the person rating the behaviour (father, mother or self) and assessment instrument. The data came from six large population-based European cohort studies from the Netherlands (2x), the UK, Finland and Sweden (2x). Multiple assessment instruments, including the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Multidimensional Peer Nomination Inventory (MPNI), were used. There was a good representation of boys and girls in each age category, with data for 30,523 3- to 4-year-olds (49.5% boys), 20,958 5- to 6-year-olds (49.6% boys), 18,291 7- to 8-year-olds (49.0% boys), 27,218 9- to 10-year-olds (49.4% boys), 18,543 12- to 13-year-olds (48.9% boys) and 10,088 15- to 16-year-olds (46.6% boys). We replicated the well-established gender differences in average aggression scores at most ages for parental ratings. The gender differences decreased with age and were not present for self-reports. Aggression co-occurred with the majority of other behavioural and social problems, from both externalising and internalising domains. At each age, the co-occurrence was particularly prevalent for aggression and oppositional and ADHD-related problems, with correlations of around 0.5 in general. Aggression also showed substantial associations with anxiety-depression and other internalizing symptoms (correlations around 0.4). Co-occurrence for self-reported problems was somewhat higher than for parental reports, but we found neither rater differences, nor differences across assessment instruments in co-occurrence patterns. There were large similarities in co-occurrence patterns across the different European countries. Finally, co-occurrence was generally stable across age and sex, and if any change was observed, it indicated stronger correlations when children grew older. We present an online tool to visualise these associations as a function of rater, gender, instrument and cohort. In addition, we present a description of the full EU-ACTION projects, its first results and the future perspectives.
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25
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Boers R, Boers J, de Hoon B, Kockx C, Ozgur Z, Molijn A, van IJcken W, Laven J, Gribnau J. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling using the methylation-dependent restriction enzyme LpnPI. Genome Res 2017; 28:88-99. [PMID: 29222086 PMCID: PMC5749185 DOI: 10.1101/gr.222885.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a well-known epigenetic modification that plays a crucial role in gene regulation, but genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation remains technically challenging and costly. DNA methylation-dependent restriction enzymes can be used to restrict CpG methylation analysis to methylated regions of the genome only, which significantly reduces the required sequencing depth and simplifies subsequent bioinformatics analysis. Unfortunately, this approach has been hampered by complete digestion of DNA in CpG methylation-dense regions, resulting in fragments that are too small for accurate mapping. Here, we show that the activity of DNA methylation-dependent enzyme, LpnPI, is blocked by a fragment size smaller than 32 bp. This unique property prevents complete digestion of methylation-dense DNA and allows accurate genome-wide analysis of CpG methylation at single-nucleotide resolution. Methylated DNA sequencing (MeD-seq) of LpnPI digested fragments revealed highly reproducible genome-wide CpG methylation profiles for >50% of all potentially methylated CpGs, at a sequencing depth less than one-tenth required for whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). MeD-seq identified a high number of patient and tissue-specific differential methylated regions (DMRs) and revealed that patient-specific DMRs observed in both blood and buccal samples predict DNA methylation in other tissues and organs. We also observed highly variable DNA methylation at gene promoters on the inactive X Chromosome, indicating tissue-specific and interpatient-specific escape of X Chromosome inactivation. These findings highlight the potential of MeD-seq for high-throughput epigenetic profiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Boers
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus MC, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, 3015 CE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joachim Boers
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus MC, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Delft Diagnostic Laboratories, 2288 ER, Rijswijk, the Netherlands
| | - Bas de Hoon
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus MC, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, 3015 CE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christel Kockx
- Centre for Biomics, Erasmus MC, 3015 CE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Zeliha Ozgur
- Centre for Biomics, Erasmus MC, 3015 CE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anco Molijn
- Delft Diagnostic Laboratories, 2288 ER, Rijswijk, the Netherlands
| | | | - Joop Laven
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, 3015 CE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joost Gribnau
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus MC, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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26
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Montalvo-Ortiz JL, Zhang H, Chen C, Liu C, Coccaro EF. Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Changes Associated with Intermittent Explosive Disorder: A Gene-Based Functional Enrichment Analysis. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 21:12-20. [PMID: 29106553 PMCID: PMC5789263 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyx087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intermittent explosive disorder is defined as a recurrent, problematic, and impulsive aggression that affects 3% to 4% of the US population. While behavioral genetic studies report a substantial degree of genetic influence on aggression and impulsivity, epigenetic mechanisms underlying aggression and intermittent explosive disorder are not well known. METHODS The sample included 44 subjects (22 with a DSM-5 diagnosis of intermittent explosive disorder and 22 comparable subjects without intermittent explosive disorder). Peripheral blood DNA methylome was profiled using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 Beadchip. Intermittent explosive disorder-associated genome-wide DNA methylation changes were analyzed using the CpGassoc R package, with covariates age, sex, and race being adjusted. A gene-based functional enrichment analysis was performed to identify pathways that were overrepresented by genes harboring highly differentially methylated CpG sites. RESULTS A total of 27 CpG sites were differentially methylated in IED participants (P<5.0×10-5), but none reached genome-wide significant threshold. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that genes mapped by these CpG sites are involved in the inflammatory/immune system, the endocrine system, and neuronal differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with our previous studies showing an association of inflammatory response with aggressive behavior in intermittent explosive disorder subjects, our gene-based pathway analysis using differentially methylated CpG sites supports inflammatory response as an important mechanism involved in intermittent explosive disorder and reveals other novel biological processes possibly associated with intermittent explosive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Huiping Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chunyu Liu
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Emil F Coccaro
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,Correspondence: Emil F. Coccaro, MD, Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 ()
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Manchia M, Fanos V. Targeting aggression in severe mental illness: The predictive role of genetic, epigenetic, and metabolomic markers. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 77:32-41. [PMID: 28372995 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Human aggression is a complex and widespread social behavior that is overrepresented in individuals affected by severe mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A substantial proportion of the liability threshold for aggressive behavior is determined by genetic factors, and environmental moderators might precipitate the manifestation of this behavioral phenotype through modification of gene expression via the epigenetic machinery. These specific alterations in the genetic and epigenetic make-up of aggressive individuals might determine distinct biochemical signatures detectable through metabolomics. An additional pathophysiological component playing a role in aggressive behavior might be determined by alterations of gut microbiota. Here, we present a selective review of human data on genetic, epigenetic, and metabolomic markers of aggressive behavior in SMI, discussing also the available evidence on the role of microbiome alterations. Clinical implication of these evidences, as well as future perspectives, will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Manchia
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Vassilios Fanos
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Cagliari, Italy; Puericulture Institute and Neonatal Section, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Cagliari, Italy.
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28
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Abstract
Wellbeing (WB) is a major topic of research across several scientific disciplines, partly driven by its strong association with psychological and mental health. Twin-family studies have found that both genotype and environment play an important role in explaining the variance in WB. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, regulate gene expression, and may mediate genetic and environmental effects on WB. Here, for the first time, we apply an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) approach to identify differentially methylated sites associated with individual differences in WB. Subjects were part of the longitudinal survey studies of the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) and participated in the NTR biobank project between 2002 and 2011. WB was assessed by a short inventory that measures satisfaction with life (SAT). DNA methylation was measured in whole blood by the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip (HM450k array) and the association between WB and DNA methylation level was tested at 411,169 autosomal sites. Two sites (cg10845147, p = 1.51 * 10−8 and cg01940273, p = 2.34 * 10−8) reached genome-wide significance following Bonferonni correction. Four more sites (cg03329539, p = 2.76* 10−7; cg09716613, p = 3.23 * 10−7; cg04387347, p = 3.95 * 10−7; and cg02290168, p = 5.23 * 10−7) were considered to be genome-wide significant when applying the widely used criterion of a FDR q value < 0.05. Gene ontology (GO) analysis highlighted enrichment of several central nervous system categories among higher-ranking methylation sites. Overall, these results provide a first insight into the epigenetic mechanisms associated with WB and lay the foundations for future work aiming to unravel the biological mechanisms underlying a complex trait like WB.
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