1
|
Raitoharju E, Rajić S, Marttila S. Non-coding 886 ( nc886/ vtRNA2-1), the epigenetic odd duck - implications for future studies. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2332819. [PMID: 38525792 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2332819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-coding 886 (nc886, vtRNA2-1) is the only human polymorphically imprinted gene, in which the methylation status is not determined by genetics. Existing literature regarding the establishment, stability and consequences of the methylation pattern, as well as the nature and function of the nc886 RNAs transcribed from the locus, are contradictory. For example, the methylation status of the locus has been reported to be stable through life and across somatic tissues, but also susceptible to environmental effects. The nature of the produced nc886 RNA(s) has been redefined multiple times, and in carcinogenesis, these RNAs have been reported to have conflicting roles. In addition, due to the bimodal methylation pattern of the nc886 locus, traditional genome-wide methylation analyses can lead to false-positive results, especially in smaller datasets. Herein, we aim to summarize the existing literature regarding nc886, discuss how the characteristics of nc886 give rise to contradictory results, as well as to reinterpret, reanalyse and, where possible, replicate the results presented in the current literature. We also introduce novel findings on how the distribution of the nc886 methylation pattern is associated with the geographical origins of the population and describe the methylation changes in a large variety of human tumours. Through the example of this one peculiar genetic locus and RNA, we aim to highlight issues in the analysis of DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs in general and offer our suggestions for what should be taken into consideration in future analyses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Raitoharju
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Tays Research Services, Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sonja Rajić
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Saara Marttila
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Tays Research Services, Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
- Gerontology Research Center, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Çokoğlu SS, Koptekin D, Fidan FR, Somel M. Investigating food production-associated DNA methylation changes in paleogenomes: Lack of consistent signals beyond technical noise. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13743. [PMID: 38957308 PMCID: PMC11217591 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The Neolithic transition introduced major diet and lifestyle changes to human populations across continents. Beyond well-documented bioarcheological and genetic effects, whether these changes also had molecular-level epigenetic repercussions in past human populations has been an open question. In fact, methylation signatures can be inferred from UDG-treated ancient DNA through postmortem damage patterns, but with low signal-to-noise ratios; it is thus unclear whether published paleogenomes would provide the necessary resolution to discover systematic effects of lifestyle and diet shifts. To address this we compiled UDG-treated shotgun genomes of 13 pre-Neolithic hunter-gatherers (HGs) and 21 Neolithic farmers (NFs) individuals from West and North Eurasia, published by six different laboratories and with coverage c.1×-58× (median = 9×). We used epiPALEOMIX and a Monte Carlo normalization scheme to estimate methylation levels per genome. Our paleomethylome dataset showed expected genome-wide methylation patterns such as CpG island hypomethylation. However, analyzing the data using various approaches did not yield any systematic signals for subsistence type, genetic sex, or tissue effects. Comparing the HG-NF methylation differences in our dataset with methylation differences between hunter-gatherers versus farmers in modern-day Central Africa also did not yield consistent results. Meanwhile, paleomethylome profiles did cluster strongly by their laboratories of origin. Using larger data volumes, minimizing technical noise and/or using alternative protocols may be necessary for capturing subtle environment-related biological signals from paleomethylomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dilek Koptekin
- Department of BiologyMiddle East Technical UniversityAnkaraTurkey
| | | | - Mehmet Somel
- Department of BiologyMiddle East Technical UniversityAnkaraTurkey
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang J, Gazal S. Ancestry-specific regulatory and disease architectures are likely due to cell-type-specific gene-by-environment interactions. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.10.20.23297214. [PMID: 37905038 PMCID: PMC10615008 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.23297214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Multi-ancestry genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have highlighted the existence of variants with ancestry-specific effect sizes. Understanding where and why these ancestry-specific effects occur is fundamental to understanding the genetic basis of human diseases and complex traits. Here, we characterized genes differentially expressed across ancestries (ancDE genes) at the cell-type level by leveraging single-cell RNA-seq data in peripheral blood mononuclear cells for 21 individuals with East Asian (EAS) ancestry and 23 individuals with European (EUR) ancestry (172K cells); then, we tested if variants surrounding those genes were enriched in disease variants with ancestry-specific effect sizes by leveraging ancestry-matched GWAS of 31 diseases and complex traits (average N = 90K and 267K in EAS and EUR, respectively). We observed that ancDE genes tend to be cell-type-specific, to be enriched in genes interacting with the environment, and in variants with ancestry-specific disease effect sizes, suggesting the impact of shared cell-type-specific gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions between regulatory and disease architectures. Finally, we illustrated how GxE interactions might have led to ancestry-specific MCL1 expression in B cells, and ancestry-specific allele effect sizes in lymphocyte count GWAS for variants surrounding MCL1. Our results imply that large single-cell and GWAS datasets in diverse populations are required to improve our understanding on the effect of genetic variants on human diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juehan Wang
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven Gazal
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Iannuzzi V, Sarno S, Sazzini M, Abondio P, Sala C, Bacalini MG, Gentilini D, Calzari L, Masciotta F, Garagnani P, Castellani G, Moretti E, Dasso MC, Sevini F, Franceschi ZA, Franceschi C, Pettener D, Luiselli D, Giuliani C. Epigenetic aging differences between Wichí and Criollos from Argentina: Insights from genomic history and ecology. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:397-414. [PMID: 37954982 PMCID: PMC10632719 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad034] [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: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Epigenetic estimators based on DNA methylation levels have emerged as promising biomarkers of human aging. These estimators exhibit natural variations across human groups, but data about indigenous populations remain underrepresented in research. This study aims to investigate differences in epigenetic estimators between two distinct human populations, both residing in the Gran Chaco region of Argentina, the Native-American Wichí, and admixed Criollos who are descendants of intermarriages between Native Americans and the first European colonizers, using a population genetic approach. Methodology We analyzed 24 Wichí (mean age: 39.2 ± 12.9 yo) and 24 Criollos (mean age: 41.1 ± 14.0 yo) for DNA methylation levels using the Infinium MethylationEPIC (Illumina) to calculate 16 epigenetic estimators. Additionally, we examined genome-wide genetic variation using the HumanOmniExpress BeadChip (Illumina) to gain insights into the genetic history of these populations. Results Our results indicate that Native-American Wichí are epigenetically older compared to Criollos according to five epigenetic estimators. Analyses within the Criollos population reveal that global ancestry does not influence the differences observed, while local (chromosomal) ancestry shows positive associations between specific SNPs located in genomic regions over-represented by Native-American ancestry and measures of epigenetic age acceleration (AgeAccelHannum). Furthermore, we demonstrate that differences in population ecologies also contribute to observed epigenetic differences. Conclusions and implications Overall, our study suggests that while the genomic history may partially account for the observed epigenetic differences, non-genetic factors, such as lifestyle and ecological factors, play a substantial role in the variability of epigenetic estimators, thereby contributing to variations in human epigenetic aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Iannuzzi
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology & Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefania Sarno
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology & Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Sazzini
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology & Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate), Interdepartmental Centre, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Abondio
- Department of Cultural Heritage (DBC), University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Claudia Sala
- Department of Medical and Surgical Science (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Davide Gentilini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genomics Unit, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy
| | - Luciano Calzari
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genomics Unit, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Masciotta
- Department of Statistical Sciences ‘Paolo Fortunati’, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Science (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gastone Castellani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Science (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Edgardo Moretti
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental de Cuyo, CCT CONICET, Argentina
| | - Maria Cristina Dasso
- Centro de Investigaciones en Antropología Filosófica y Cultural (CIAFIC), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Federica Sevini
- Department of Medical and Surgical Science (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Franceschi
- Laboratory of Systems Medicine of Healthy Aging and Department of Applied Mathematics, Lobachevsky University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Davide Pettener
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology & Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Donata Luiselli
- Department of Cultural Heritage (DBC), University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Cristina Giuliani
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology & Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lin Z, Lu Y, Yu G, Teng H, Wang B, Yang Y, Li Q, Sun Z, Xu S, Wang W, Tian P. Genome-wide DNA methylation landscape of four Chinese populations and epigenetic variation linked to Tibetan high-altitude adaptation. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:2354-2369. [PMID: 37115492 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2284-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAm) is one of the major epigenetic mechanisms in humans and is important in diverse cellular processes. The variation of DNAm in the human population is related to both genetic and environmental factors. However, the DNAm profiles have not been investigated in the Chinese population of diverse ethnicities. Here, we performed double-strand bisulfite sequencing (DSBS) for 32 Chinese individuals representing four major ethnic groups including Han Chinese, Tibetan, Zhuang, and Mongolian. We identified a total of 604,649 SNPs and quantified DNAm at more than 14 million CpGs in the population. We found global DNAm-based epigenetic structure is different from the genetic structure of the population, and ethnic difference only partially explains the variation of DNAm. Surprisingly, non-ethnic-specific DNAm variations showed stronger correlation with the global genetic divergence than these ethnic-specific DNAm. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) among these ethnic groups were found around genes in diverse biological processes. Especially, these DMR-genes between Tibetan and non-Tibetans were enriched around high-altitude genes including EPAS1 and EGLN1, suggesting DNAm alteration plays an important role in high-altitude adaptation. Our results provide the first batch of epigenetic maps for Chinese populations and the first evidence of the association of epigenetic changes with Tibetans' high-altitude adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zeshan Lin
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Yan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Guoliang Yu
- GrandOmics Biosciences, Beijing, 102200, China
| | - Huajing Teng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Bao Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Yajun Yang
- Human Phenome Institute, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qinglan Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhongsheng Sun
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shuhua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Human Phenome Institute, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.
| | - Wen Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China.
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.
| | - Peng Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Allen PC, Smith S, Wilson RC, Wirth JR, Wilson NH, Baker Frost D, Flume J, Gilkeson GS, Cunningham MA, Langefeld CD, Absher DM, Ramos PS. Distinct genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression signatures in classical monocytes from African American patients with systemic sclerosis. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:25. [PMID: 36803404 PMCID: PMC9938585 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01445-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder that has an unclear etiology and disproportionately affects women and African Americans. Despite this, African Americans are dramatically underrepresented in SSc research. Additionally, monocytes show heightened activation in SSc and in African Americans relative to European Americans. In this study, we sought to investigate DNA methylation and gene expression patterns in classical monocytes in a health disparity population. METHODS Classical monocytes (CD14+ + CD16-) were FACS-isolated from 34 self-reported African American women. Samples from 12 SSc patients and 12 healthy controls were hybridized on MethylationEPIC BeadChip array, while RNA-seq was performed on 16 SSc patients and 18 healthy controls. Analyses were computed to identify differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs), differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and CpGs associated with changes in gene expression (eQTM analysis). RESULTS We observed modest DNA methylation and gene expression differences between cases and controls. The genes harboring the top DMCs, the top DEGs, as well as the top eQTM loci were enriched for metabolic processes. Genes involved in immune processes and pathways showed a weak upregulation in the transcriptomic analysis. While many genes were newly identified, several other have been previously reported as differentially methylated or expressed in different blood cells from patients with SSc, supporting for their potential dysregulation in SSc. CONCLUSIONS While contrasting with results found in other blood cell types in largely European-descent groups, the results of this study support that variation in DNA methylation and gene expression exists among different cell types and individuals of different genetic, clinical, social, and environmental backgrounds. This finding supports the importance of including diverse, well-characterized patients to understand the different roles of DNA methylation and gene expression variability in the dysregulation of classical monocytes in diverse populations, which might help explaining the health disparities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter C Allen
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Sarah Smith
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Robert C Wilson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jena R Wirth
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Nathan H Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - DeAnna Baker Frost
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jonathan Flume
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Gary S Gilkeson
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Melissa A Cunningham
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Carl D Langefeld
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Precision Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Devin M Absher
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Paula S Ramos
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chan MHM, Merrill SM, Konwar C, Kobor MS. An integrative framework and recommendations for the study of DNA methylation in the context of race and ethnicity. DISCOVER SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH 2023; 3:9. [PMID: 37122633 PMCID: PMC10118232 DOI: 10.1007/s44155-023-00039-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Human social epigenomics research is critical to elucidate the intersection of social and genetic influences underlying racial and ethnic differences in health and development. However, this field faces major challenges in both methodology and interpretation with regard to disentangling confounded social and biological aspects of race and ethnicity. To address these challenges, we discuss how these constructs have been approached in the past and how to move forward in studying DNA methylation (DNAm), one of the best-characterized epigenetic marks in humans, in a responsible and appropriately nuanced manner. We highlight self-reported racial and ethnic identity as the primary measure in this field, and discuss its implications in DNAm research. Racial and ethnic identity reflects the biological embedding of an individual's sociocultural experience and environmental exposures in combination with the underlying genetic architecture of the human population (i.e., genetic ancestry). Our integrative framework demonstrates how to examine DNAm in the context of race and ethnicity, while considering both intrinsic factors-including genetic ancestry-and extrinsic factors-including structural and sociocultural environment and developmental niches-when focusing on early-life experience. We reviewed DNAm research in relation to health disparities given its relevance to race and ethnicity as social constructs. Here, we provide recommendations for the study of DNAm addressing racial and ethnic differences, such as explicitly acknowledging the self-reported nature of racial and ethnic identity, empirically examining the effects of genetic variants and accounting for genetic ancestry, and investigating race-related and culturally regulated environmental exposures and experiences. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44155-023-00039-z.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meingold Hiu-ming Chan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Sarah M. Merrill
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Chaini Konwar
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- Edwin S. H. Leong Healthy Aging Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Childhood Trauma and Epigenetics: State of the Science and Future. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:661-672. [PMID: 36242743 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00381-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is a great deal of interest regarding the biological embedding of childhood trauma and social exposures through epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation (DNAm), but a comprehensive understanding has been hindered by issues of limited reproducibility between studies. This review presents a summary of the literature on childhood trauma and DNAm, highlights issues in the field, and proposes some potential solutions. RECENT FINDINGS Investigations of the associations between DNAm and childhood trauma are commonly performed using candidate gene approaches, specifically involving genes related to neurological and stress pathways. Childhood trauma is defined in a wide range of ways in several societal contexts. However, although variations in DNAm are frequently found in stress-related genes, unsupervised epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have shown limited reproducibility both between studies and in relating these changes to exposures. The reproducibility of childhood trauma DNAm studies, and the field of social epigenetics in general, may be improved by increasing sample sizes, standardizing variables, making use of effect size thresholds, collecting longitudinal and intervention samples, appropriately accounting for known confounding factors, and applying causal analysis wherever possible, such as "two-step epigenetic Mendelian randomization."
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang Y, Jia Z, Zhou Q, Zhang Y, Li D, Qi Y, Xu F. A bibliometric analysis of DNA methylation in cardiovascular diseases from 2001 to 2021. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e30029. [PMID: 35984203 PMCID: PMC9388003 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000030029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation is a dynamically reversible form of epigenetics. Dynamic regulation plays an important role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, there have been few bibliometric studies in this field. We aimed to visualize the research results and hotspots of DNA methylation in CVDs using a bibliometric analysis to provide a scientific direction for future research. METHODS Publications related to DNA methylation in CVDs from January 1, 2001, to September 15, 2021, were searched and confirmed from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace 5.7 and VOSviewer 1.6.15 were used for bibliometric and knowledge-map analyses. RESULTS A total of 2617 publications were included in 912 academic journals by 15,584 authors from 963 institutions from 85 countries/regions. Among them, the United States of America, China, and England were the top 3 countries contributing to the field of DNA methylation. Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of Cambridge were the top 3 contributing institutions in terms of publications and were closely linked. PLoS One was the most published and co-cited journal. Baccarelli Andrea A published the most content, while Barker DJP had the highest frequency of co-citations. The keyword cluster focused on the mechanism, methyl-containing substance, exposure/risk factor, and biomarker. In terms of research hotspots, references with strong bursts, which are still ongoing, recently included "epigenetic clock" (2017-2021), "obesity, smoking, aging, and DNA methylation" (2017-2021), and "biomarker and epigenome-wide association study" (2019-2021). CONCLUSIONS We used bibliometric and visual methods to identify research hotspots and trends in DNA methylation in CVDs. Epigenetic clocks, biomarkers, environmental exposure, and lifestyle may become the focus and frontier of future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zijun Jia
- Department of Cardiovascular, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Qingbing Zhou
- Department of Cardiovascular, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dandan Li
- Department of Cardiovascular, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yifei Qi
- Department of Cardiovascular, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fengqin Xu
- Department of Cardiovascular, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Fengqin Xu, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China (e-mail: )
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Vara EL, Langefeld CD, Wolf BJ, Howard TD, Hawkins GA, Quet Q, Moultrie LH, Quinnette King L, Molano ID, Bray SL, Ueberroth LA, Lim SS, Williams EM, Kamen DL, Ramos PS. Social Factors, Epigenomics and Lupus in African American Women (SELA) Study: protocol for an observational mechanistic study examining the interplay of multiple individual and social factors on lupus outcomes in a health disparity population. Lupus Sci Med 2022; 9:9/1/e000698. [PMID: 35768168 PMCID: PMC9244713 DOI: 10.1136/lupus-2022-000698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Despite the disproportional impact of SLE on historically marginalised communities, the individual and sociocultural factors underlying these health disparities remain elusive. We report the design and methods for a study aimed at identifying epigenetic biomarkers associated with racism and resiliency that affect gene function and thereby influence SLE in a health disparity population. Methods and analysis The Social Factors, Epigenomics and Lupus in African American Women (SELA) Study is a cross-sectional, case–control study. A total of 600 self-reported African American women will be invited to participate. All participants will respond to questionnaires that capture detailed sociodemographic and medical history, validated measures of racial discrimination, social support, as well as disease activity and damage for cases. Participants who wish will receive their genetic ancestry estimates and be involved in research. Blood samples are required to provide peripheral blood mononuclear cell counts, DNA and RNA. The primary goals of SELA are to identify variation in DNA methylation (DNAm) associated with self-reported exposure to racial discrimination and social support, to evaluate whether social DNAm sites affect gene expression, to identify the synergistic effects of social factors on DNAm changes on SLE and to develop a social factors-DNAm predictive model for disease outcomes. This study is conducted in cooperation with the Sea Island Families Project Citizen Advisory Committee. Discussion and dissemination SELA will respond to the pressing need to clarify the interplay and regulatory mechanism by which various positive and negative social exposures influence SLE. Results will be published and shared with patients and the community. Knowledge of the biological impact of social exposures on SLE, as informed by the results of this study, can be leveraged by advocacy efforts to develop psychosocial interventions that prevent or mitigate risk exposures, and services or interventions that promote positive exposures. Implementation of such interventions is paramount to the closure of the health disparities gap.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Vara
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Carl D Langefeld
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.,Center for Precision Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bethany J Wolf
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Timothy D Howard
- Center for Precision Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gregory A Hawkins
- Center for Precision Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Queen Quet
- Gullah/Geechee Nation, St Helena Island, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lee H Moultrie
- Lee H Moultrie & Associates, North Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - L Quinnette King
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ivan D Molano
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Stephanie L Bray
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lori Ann Ueberroth
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - S Sam Lim
- Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Edith M Williams
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.,Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Diane L Kamen
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Paula S Ramos
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA .,Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Population interconnectivity over the past 120,000 years explains distribution and diversity of Central African hunter-gatherers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2113936119. [PMID: 35580185 PMCID: PMC9173804 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113936119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We combined ethnographic, archaeological, genetic, and paleoclimatic data to model the dynamics of Central African hunter-gatherer populations over the past 120,000 years. We show, against common assumptions, that their distribution and density are explained by changing environments rather than by a displacement following recent farming expansions, and that they have maintained large population sizes and genetic diversity, despite fluctuations in niche availability. Our results provide insights into the evolution of genetic and cultural diversity in Homo sapiens. The evolutionary history of African hunter-gatherers holds key insights into modern human diversity. Here, we combine ethnographic and genetic data on Central African hunter-gatherers (CAHG) to show that their current distribution and density are explained by ecology rather than by a displacement to marginal habitats due to recent farming expansions, as commonly assumed. We also estimate the range of hunter-gatherer presence across Central Africa over the past 120,000 years using paleoclimatic reconstructions, which were statistically validated by our newly compiled dataset of dated archaeological sites. Finally, we show that genomic estimates of divergence times between CAHG groups match our ecological estimates of periods favoring population splits, and that recoveries of connectivity would have facilitated subsequent gene flow. Our results reveal that CAHG stem from a deep history of partially connected populations. This form of sociality allowed the coexistence of relatively large effective population sizes and local differentiation, with important implications for the evolution of genetic and cultural diversity in Homo sapiens.
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhang C, Hansen MEB, Tishkoff SA. Advances in integrative African genomics. Trends Genet 2022; 38:152-168. [PMID: 34740451 PMCID: PMC8752515 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
There has been a rapid increase in human genome sequencing in the past two decades, resulting in the identification of millions of previously unknown genetic variants. However, African populations are under-represented in sequencing efforts. Additional sequencing from diverse African populations and the construction of African-specific reference genomes is needed to better characterize the full spectrum of variation in humans. However, sequencing alone is insufficient to address the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying variable phenotypes and disease risks. Determining functional consequences of genetic variation using multi-omics approaches is a fundamental post-genomic challenge. We discuss approaches to close the knowledge gaps about African genomic diversity and review advances in African integrative genomic studies and their implications for precision medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthew E B Hansen
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sarah A Tishkoff
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Epigenomic Modifications in Modern and Ancient Genomes. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020178. [PMID: 35205223 PMCID: PMC8872240 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic changes have been identified as a major driver of fundamental metabolic pathways. More specifically, the importance of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms for biological processes like speciation and embryogenesis has been well documented and revealed the direct link between epigenetic modifications and various diseases. In this review, we focus on epigenetic changes in animals with special attention on human DNA methylation utilizing ancient and modern genomes. Acknowledging the latest developments in ancient DNA research, we further discuss paleoepigenomic approaches as the only means to infer epigenetic changes in the past. Investigating genome-wide methylation patterns of ancient humans may ultimately yield in a more comprehensive understanding of how our ancestors have adapted to the changing environment, and modified their lifestyles accordingly. We discuss the difficulties of working with ancient DNA in particular utilizing paleoepigenomic approaches, and assess new paleoepigenomic data, which might be helpful in future studies.
Collapse
|
14
|
Ivey Henry P, Morelli GA. Niche Construction in Hunter-Gatherer Infancy: Growth and Health Trade-Offs Inform Social Agency. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76000-7_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
|
15
|
Methylmercury and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Mediterranean Seafood: A Molecular Anthropological Perspective. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app112311179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Eating seafood has numerous health benefits; however, it constitutes one of the main sources of exposure to several harmful environmental pollutants, both of anthropogenic and natural origin. Among these, methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons give rise to concerns related to their possible effects on human biology. In the present review, we summarize the results of epidemiological investigations on the genetic component of individual susceptibility to methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure in humans, and on the effects that these two pollutants have on human epigenetic profiles (DNA methylation). Then, we provide evidence that Mediterranean coastal communities represent an informative case study to investigate the potential impact of methylmercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the human genome and epigenome, since they are characterized by a traditionally high local seafood consumption, and given the characteristics that render the Mediterranean Sea particularly polluted. Finally, we discuss the challenges of a molecular anthropological approach to this topic.
Collapse
|
16
|
Becker J, Böhme P, Reckert A, Eickhoff SB, Koop BE, Blum J, Gündüz T, Takayama M, Wagner W, Ritz-Timme S. Evidence for differences in DNA methylation between Germans and Japanese. Int J Legal Med 2021; 136:405-413. [PMID: 34739581 PMCID: PMC8847189 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02736-3] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
As a contribution to the discussion about the possible effects of ethnicity/ancestry on age estimation based on DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns, we directly compared age-associated DNAm in German and Japanese donors in one laboratory under identical conditions. DNAm was analyzed by pyrosequencing for 22 CpG sites (CpGs) in the genes PDE4C, RPA2, ELOVL2, DDO, and EDARADD in buccal mucosa samples from German and Japanese donors (N = 368 and N = 89, respectively). Twenty of these CpGs revealed a very high correlation with age and were subsequently tested for differences between German and Japanese donors aged between 10 and 65 years (N = 287 and N = 83, respectively). ANCOVA was performed by testing the Japanese samples against age- and sex-matched German subsamples (N = 83 each; extracted 500 times from the German total sample). The median p values suggest a strong evidence for significant differences (p < 0.05) at least for two CpGs (EDARADD, CpG 2, and PDE4C, CpG 2) and no differences for 11 CpGs (p > 0.3). Age prediction models based on DNAm data from all 20 CpGs from German training data did not reveal relevant differences between the Japanese test samples and German subsamples. Obviously, the high number of included “robust CpGs” prevented relevant effects of differences in DNAm at two CpGs. Nevertheless, the presented data demonstrates the need for further research regarding the impact of confounding factors on DNAm in the context of ethnicity/ancestry to ensure a high quality of age estimation. One approach may be the search for “robust” CpG markers—which requires the targeted investigation of different populations, at best by collaborative research with coordinated research strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Becker
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - P Böhme
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - A Reckert
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - S B Eickhoff
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour, (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - B E Koop
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - J Blum
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - T Gündüz
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M Takayama
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Tokyo Medical Examiner's Office, Tokyo, Japan
| | - W Wagner
- Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Stem Cell Biology and Cellular Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - S Ritz-Timme
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Both social and genetic factors are associated with health outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), thus playing a role in its health disparities. Despite the growing list of social and genetic factors associated with SLE outcomes, studies integrating sociocultural and individual determinants of health to understand health disparities in SLE are lacking. We review the contributions of different social and genetic factors to the disparities in SLE, and propose a socioecological model to integrate and examine the complex interactions between individual and social factors in SLE outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS Multiple studies collecting comprehensive social data and biospecimens from diverse populations are underway, which will contribute to the elucidation of the interplay and underlying mechanisms by which positive and negative social determinants of health influence epigenomic variation, and how the resulting biological changes may contribute to the lupus health disparities. SUMMARY There is growing awareness of the need to integrate genomic and health disparities research to understand how social exposures affect disease outcomes. Understanding the contributions of these factors to the SLE health disparity will inform the development of interventions to eliminate risk exposures and close the health disparity gap.
Collapse
|
18
|
The Impact of Stress Within and Across Generations: Neuroscientific and Epigenetic Considerations. Harv Rev Psychiatry 2021; 29:303-317. [PMID: 34049337 DOI: 10.1097/hrp.0000000000000300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The impact of stress and trauma on biological systems in humans can be substantial. They can result in epigenetic changes, accelerated brain development and sexual maturation, and predisposition to psychopathology. Such modifications may be accompanied by behavioral, emotional, and cognitive overtones during one's lifetime. Exposure during sensitive periods of neural development may lead to long-lasting effects that may not be affected by subsequent environmental interventions. The cumulative effects of life stressors in an individual may affect offspring's methylome makeup and epigenetic clocks, neurohormonal modulation and stress reactivity, and physiological and reproductive development. While offspring may suffer deleterious effects from parental stress and their own early-life adversity, these factors may also confer traits that prove beneficial and enhance fitness to their own environment. This article synthesizes the data on how stress shapes biological and behavioral dimensions, drawing from preclinical and human models. Advances in this field of knowledge should potentially allow for an improved understanding of how interventions may be increasingly tailored according to individual biomarkers and developmental history.
Collapse
|
19
|
African genetic diversity and adaptation inform a precision medicine agenda. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:284-306. [PMID: 33432191 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-00306-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The deep evolutionary history of African populations, since the emergence of modern humans more than 300,000 years ago, has resulted in high genetic diversity and considerable population structure. Selected genetic variants have increased in frequency due to environmental adaptation, but recent exposures to novel pathogens and changes in lifestyle render some of them with properties leading to present health liabilities. The unique discoverability potential from African genomic studies promises invaluable contributions to understanding the genomic and molecular basis of health and disease. Globally, African populations are understudied, and precision medicine approaches are largely based on data from European and Asian-ancestry populations, which limits the transferability of findings to the continent of Africa. Africa needs innovative precision medicine solutions based on African data that use knowledge and implementation strategies aligned to its climatic, cultural, economic and genomic diversity.
Collapse
|
20
|
Baker Frost D, da Silveira W, Hazard ES, Atanelishvili I, Wilson RC, Flume J, Day KL, Oates JC, Bogatkevich GS, Feghali-Bostwick C, Hardiman G, Ramos PS. Differential DNA Methylation Landscape in Skin Fibroblasts from African Americans with Systemic Sclerosis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:129. [PMID: 33498390 PMCID: PMC7909410 DOI: 10.3390/genes12020129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The etiology and reasons underlying the ethnic disparities in systemic sclerosis (SSc) remain unknown. African Americans are disproportionally affected by SSc and yet are underrepresented in research. The aim of this study was to comprehensively investigate the association of DNA methylation levels with SSc in dermal fibroblasts from patients of African ancestry. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) was performed on primary dermal fibroblasts from 15 SSc patients and 15 controls of African ancestry, and over 3.8 million CpG sites were tested for differential methylation patterns between cases and controls. The dermal fibroblasts from African American patients exhibited widespread reduced DNA methylation. Differentially methylated CpG sites were most enriched in introns and intergenic regions while depleted in 5' UTR, promoters, and CpG islands. Seventeen genes and eleven promoters showed significant differential methylation, mostly in non-coding RNA genes and pseudogenes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene ontology (GO) analyses revealed an enrichment of pathways related to interferon signaling and mesenchymal differentiation. The hypomethylation of DLX5 and TMEM140 was accompanied by these genes' overexpression in patients but underexpression for lncRNA MGC12916. These data show that differential methylation occurs in dermal fibroblasts from African American patients with SSc and identifies novel coding and non-coding genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- DeAnna Baker Frost
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.B.F.); (I.A.); (J.F.); (J.C.O.); (G.S.B.); (C.F.-B.)
| | - Willian da Silveira
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK; (W.d.S.); (G.H.)
| | - E. Starr Hazard
- Computational Biology Resource Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
| | - Ilia Atanelishvili
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.B.F.); (I.A.); (J.F.); (J.C.O.); (G.S.B.); (C.F.-B.)
| | - Robert C. Wilson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
| | - Jonathan Flume
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.B.F.); (I.A.); (J.F.); (J.C.O.); (G.S.B.); (C.F.-B.)
| | | | - James C. Oates
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.B.F.); (I.A.); (J.F.); (J.C.O.); (G.S.B.); (C.F.-B.)
- Rheumatology Section, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Galina S. Bogatkevich
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.B.F.); (I.A.); (J.F.); (J.C.O.); (G.S.B.); (C.F.-B.)
| | - Carol Feghali-Bostwick
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.B.F.); (I.A.); (J.F.); (J.C.O.); (G.S.B.); (C.F.-B.)
| | - Gary Hardiman
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK; (W.d.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Paula S. Ramos
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.B.F.); (I.A.); (J.F.); (J.C.O.); (G.S.B.); (C.F.-B.)
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Pedro N, Pinto RJ, Cavadas B, Pereira L. Sub-Saharan African information potential to unveil adaptations to infectious disease. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:R138-R145. [PMID: 33461217 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa is the most promising region of the world to conduct high-throughput studies to unveil adaptations to infectious diseases due to several reasons, namely, the longest evolving time-depth in the Homo sapiens phylogenetic tree (at least two-third older than any other worldwide region); the continuous burden of infectious diseases (still number one in health/life threat); and the coexistence of populations practising diverse subsistence modes (nomadic or seminomadic hunter-gatherers and agropastoralists, and sedentary agriculturalists, small urban and megacity groups). In this review, we will present the most up-to-date results that shed light on three main hypotheses related with this adaptation. One is the hypothesis of coevolution between host and pathogen, given enough time for the establishment of this highly dynamic relationship. The second hypothesis enunciates that the agricultural transition was responsible for the increase of the infectious disease burden, due to the huge expansion of the sedentary human population and the cohabitation with domesticates as main reservoirs of pathogens. The third hypothesis states that the boosting of our immune system against pathogens by past selection may have resulted in maladaptation of the developed hygienic societies, leading to an increase of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Further work will enlighten the biological mechanisms behind these main adaptations, which can be insightful for translation into diagnosis, prognosis and treatment interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Pedro
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo J Pinto
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Bruno Cavadas
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luisa Pereira
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Goncearenco A, LaBarre BA, Petrykowska HM, Jaratlerdsiri W, Bornman MSR, Turner SD, Hayes VM, Elnitski L. DNA methylation profiles unique to Kalahari KhoeSan individuals. Epigenetics 2020; 16:537-553. [PMID: 32892676 PMCID: PMC8078743 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1809852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomes of KhoeSan individuals of the Kalahari Desert provide the greatest understanding of single nucleotide diversity in the human genome. Compared with individuals in industrialized environments, the KhoeSan have a unique foraging and hunting lifestyle. Given these dramatic environmental differences, and the responsiveness of the methylome to environmental exposures of many types, we hypothesized that DNA methylation patterns would differ between KhoeSan and neighbouring agropastoral and/or industrial Bantu. We analysed Illumina HumanMethylation 450 k array data generated from blood samples from 38 KhoeSan and 42 Bantu, and 6 Europeans. After removing CpG positions associated with annotated and novel polymorphisms and controlling for white blood cell composition, sex, age and technical variation we identified 816 differentially methylated CpG loci, out of which 133 had an absolute beta-value difference of at least 0.05. Notably SLC39A4/ZIP4, which plays a role in zinc transport, was one of the most differentially methylated loci. Although the chronological ages of the KhoeSan are not formally recorded, we compared historically estimated ages to methylation-based calculations. This study demonstrates that the epigenetic profile of KhoeSan individuals reveals differences from other populations, and along with extensive genetic diversity, this community brings increased accessibility and understanding to the diversity of the human genome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Goncearenco
- Genomic Functional Analysis Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Brenna A LaBarre
- Genomic Functional Analysis Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Weerachai Jaratlerdsiri
- Laboratory for Human Comparative & Prostate Cancer Genomics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Australia
| | - M S Riana Bornman
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Stephen D Turner
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Vanessa M Hayes
- Laboratory for Human Comparative & Prostate Cancer Genomics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Australia.,School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Laura Elnitski
- Genomic Functional Analysis Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ryan CP. "Epigenetic clocks": Theory and applications in human biology. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23488. [PMID: 32845048 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
All humans age, but how we age-and how fast-differs considerably from person to person. This deviation between apparent age and chronological age is often referred to as "biological age" (BA) and until recently robust tools for studying BA have been scarce. "Epigenetic clocks" are starting to change this. Epigenetic clocks use predictable changes in the epigenome, usually DNA methylation, to estimate chronological age with unprecedented accuracy. More importantly, deviations between epigenetic age and chronological age predict a broad range of health outcomes and mortality risks better than chronological age alone. Thus, epigenetic clocks appear to capture fundamental molecular processes tied to BA and can serve as powerful tools for studying health, development, and aging across the lifespan. In this article, I review epigenetic clocks, especially as they relate to key theoretical and applied issues in human biology. I first provide an overview of how epigenetic clocks are constructed and what we know about them. I then discuss emerging applications of particular relevance to human biologists-those related to reproduction, life-history, stress, and the environment. I conclude with an overview of the methods necessary for implementing epigenetic clocks, including considerations of study design, sample collection, and technical considerations for processing and interpreting epigenetic clocks. The goal of this review is to highlight some of the ways that epigenetic clocks can inform questions in human biology, and vice versa, and to provide human biologists with the foundational knowledge necessary to successfully incorporate epigenetic clocks into their research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Hai L, Liu Z, Chen W, Qiao J, Sun Y. Whole-genome methylome analysis reveals age-related diabetes risk factors. Clin Transl Med 2020; 10:e93. [PMID: 32667725 PMCID: PMC7418808 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
This study provides a new perspective on the relationship between age-related DNA methylation and insulin function. The hexokinase-1 (HK1)'s methylation level in the whole blood can be considered as a potential biomarker for the risk of diabetes in healthy individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luo Hai
- Central Laboratory, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zongzhi Liu
- Central Laboratory, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China.,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Beijing, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Qiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingli Sun
- Central Laboratory, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China.,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Kader F, Ghai M, Zhou M. Ethnicity, age and disease-associated variation in body fluid-specific CpG sites in a diverse South African cohort. Forensic Sci Int 2020; 314:110372. [PMID: 32623090 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tissue-specific differential DNA methylation has been an attractive target for the development of markers for discrimination of body fluids found at crime scenes. Though mostly stable, DNA methylation patterns have been shown to vary between different ethnic groups, in different age groups as well as between healthy and diseased individuals. To the best of our knowledge, none of the markers for body fluid identification have been applied to different ethnic groups to ascertain if variability exists. In the present study, saliva and blood were collected to determine the effects of ethnicity (Blacks, Whites, Coloureds and Indians), age (20-30 years, 40-50years and above 60 years) and diabetes on methylation profiles of potential saliva- and blood-specific DMSs. Both DMSs were previously shown to exhibit hypermethylation in their target body fluids at single CpG sites, however in the present study, additional CpG sites flanking the reported sites were also screened. Bisulfite sequencing revealed that Coloureds showed highest methylation levels for both body fluids, and blacks displayed significant differences between other ethnic groups in the blood-specific CpG sites. A decline in methylation for both potential DMRs was observed with increasing age. Heavily methylated CpG sites in different ethnic groups and previously reported DMSs displayed hypomethylation with increasing age and disease status. Diabetic status did not show any significant difference in methylation when compared to healthy counterparts. Thus, the use of methylation markers for forensics needs thorough investigation of influence of external factors and ideally, several CpG sites should be co-analysed instead of a single DMS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farzeen Kader
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa.
| | - Meenu Ghai
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa.
| | - Marvellous Zhou
- South African Sugarcane Research Institute, Mount Edgecombe, Durban, South Africa; University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Rees JS, Castellano S, Andrés AM. The Genomics of Human Local Adaptation. Trends Genet 2020; 36:415-428. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
|
27
|
Barreiro LB, Quintana-Murci L. Evolutionary and population (epi)genetics of immunity to infection. Hum Genet 2020; 139:723-732. [PMID: 32285198 PMCID: PMC7285878 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02167-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Immune response is one of the functions that have been more strongly targeted by natural selection during human evolution. The evolutionary genetic dissection of the immune system has greatly helped to distinguish genes and functions that are essential, redundant or advantageous for human survival. It is also becoming increasingly clear that admixture between early Eurasians with now-extinct hominins such as Neanderthals or Denisovans, or admixture between modern human populations, can be beneficial for human adaptation to pathogen pressures. In this review, we discuss how the integration of population genetics with functional genomics in diverse human populations can inform about the changes in immune functions related to major lifestyle transitions (e.g., from hunting and gathering to farming), the action of natural selection to the evolution of the immune system, and the history of past epidemics. We also highlight the need of expanding the characterization of the immune system to a larger array of human populations-particularly neglected human groups historically exposed to different pathogen pressures-to fully capture the relative contribution of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors to immune response variation in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis B Barreiro
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Lluis Quintana-Murci
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, CNRS UMR2000, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
- Collège de France, 75005, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Rubel MA, Abbas A, Taylor LJ, Connell A, Tanes C, Bittinger K, Ndze VN, Fonsah JY, Ngwang E, Essiane A, Fokunang C, Njamnshi AK, Bushman FD, Tishkoff SA. Lifestyle and the presence of helminths is associated with gut microbiome composition in Cameroonians. Genome Biol 2020; 21:122. [PMID: 32450885 PMCID: PMC7249393 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02020-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND African populations provide a unique opportunity to interrogate host-microbe co-evolution and its impact on adaptive phenotypes due to their genomic, phenotypic, and cultural diversity. We integrate gut microbiome 16S rRNA amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequence data with quantification of pathogen burden and measures of immune parameters for 575 ethnically diverse Africans from Cameroon. Subjects followed pastoralist, agropastoralist, and hunter-gatherer lifestyles and were compared to an urban US population from Philadelphia. RESULTS We observe significant differences in gut microbiome composition across populations that correlate with subsistence strategy and country. After these, the variable most strongly associated with gut microbiome structure in Cameroonians is the presence of gut parasites. Hunter-gatherers have high frequencies of parasites relative to agropastoralists and pastoralists. Ascaris lumbricoides, Necator americanus, Trichuris trichiura, and Strongyloides stercoralis soil-transmitted helminths ("ANTS" parasites) significantly co-occur, and increased frequency of gut parasites correlates with increased gut microbial diversity. Gut microbiome composition predicts ANTS positivity with 80% accuracy. Colonization with ANTS, in turn, is associated with elevated levels of TH1, TH2, and proinflammatory cytokines, indicating an association with multiple immune mechanisms. The unprecedented size of this dataset allowed interrogation of additional questions-for example, we find that Fulani pastoralists, who consume high levels of milk, possess an enrichment of gut bacteria that catabolize galactose, an end product of lactose metabolism, and of bacteria that metabolize lipids. CONCLUSIONS These data document associations of bacterial microbiota and eukaryotic parasites with each other and with host immune responses; each of these is further correlated with subsistence practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meagan A. Rubel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Present Address: Department of Radiology, Center for Translational Imaging and Precision Medicine, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Arwa Abbas
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Present Address: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Louis J. Taylor
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Andrew Connell
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Ceylan Tanes
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Kyle Bittinger
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Valantine N. Ndze
- Johns Hopkins Cameroon Program, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Department of Microbiology, Hematology, Parasitology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Julius Y. Fonsah
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Eric Ngwang
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, PO Box 755, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | | | - Charles Fokunang
- Department of Pharmacotoxicology and Pharmacokinetics, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Alfred K. Njamnshi
- Department of Neurology, Central Hospital Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Neuroscience Lab, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Frederic D. Bushman
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Sarah A. Tishkoff
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Poullet M, Orlando L. Assessing DNA Sequence Alignment Methods for Characterizing Ancient Genomes and Methylomes. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
|
30
|
Natri HM, Bobowik KS, Kusuma P, Crenna Darusallam C, Jacobs GS, Hudjashov G, Lansing JS, Sudoyo H, Banovich NE, Cox MP, Gallego Romero I. Genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression patterns reflect genetic ancestry and environmental differences across the Indonesian archipelago. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008749. [PMID: 32453742 PMCID: PMC7274483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country, host to striking levels of human diversity, regional patterns of admixture, and varying degrees of introgression from both Neanderthals and Denisovans. However, it has been largely excluded from the human genomics sequencing boom of the last decade. To serve as a benchmark dataset of molecular phenotypes across the region, we generated genome-wide CpG methylation and gene expression measurements in over 100 individuals from three locations that capture the major genomic and geographical axes of diversity across the Indonesian archipelago. Investigating between- and within-island differences, we find up to 10.55% of tested genes are differentially expressed between the islands of Sumba and New Guinea. Variation in gene expression is closely associated with DNA methylation, with expression levels of 9.80% of genes correlating with nearby promoter CpG methylation, and many of these genes being differentially expressed between islands. Genes identified in our differential expression and methylation analyses are enriched in pathways involved in immunity, highlighting Indonesia's tropical role as a source of infectious disease diversity and the strong selective pressures these diseases have exerted on humans. Finally, we identify robust within-island variation in DNA methylation and gene expression, likely driven by fine-scale environmental differences across sampling sites. Together, these results strongly suggest complex relationships between DNA methylation, transcription, archaic hominin introgression and immunity, all jointly shaped by the environment. This has implications for the application of genomic medicine, both in critically understudied Indonesia and globally, and will allow a better understanding of the interacting roles of genomic and environmental factors shaping molecular and complex phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heini M. Natri
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Katalina S. Bobowik
- Melbourne Integrative Genomics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Centre for Stem Cell Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Pradiptajati Kusuma
- Genome Diversity and Diseases Laboratory, Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Complexity Institute, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chelzie Crenna Darusallam
- Genome Diversity and Diseases Laboratory, Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Guy S. Jacobs
- Complexity Institute, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Georgi Hudjashov
- Statistics and Bioinformatics Group, School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - J. Stephen Lansing
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America
- Vienna Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, Austria
- Stockholm Resilience Center, Kräftriket, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Herawati Sudoyo
- Genome Diversity and Diseases Laboratory, Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas E. Banovich
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Murray P. Cox
- Statistics and Bioinformatics Group, School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Irene Gallego Romero
- Melbourne Integrative Genomics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Centre for Stem Cell Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Gettler LT, Lin DTS, Miegakanda V, Lew-Levy S, Eick GN, Snodgrass JJ, MacIsaac JL, Ramadori KE, Kobor MS, Boyette AH. Epigenetic aging in children from a small-scale farming society in The Congo Basin: Associations with child growth and family conflict. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 62:138-153. [PMID: 31724171 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21935] [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: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Developmental environments influence individuals' long-term health trajectories, and there is increasing emphasis on understanding the biological pathways through which this occurs. Epigenetic aging evaluates DNA methylation at a suite of distinct CpG sites in the genome, and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is linked to heightened chronic morbidity and mortality risks in adults. Consequently, EAA provides insights on trajectories of biological aging, which early life experiences may help shape. However, few studies have measured correlates of children's epigenetic aging, especially outside of the U.S. and Europe. In particular, little is known about how children's growth and development relate to EAA in ecologies in which energetic and pathogenic stressors are commonplace. We studied EAA from dried blood spots among Bondongo children (n = 54) residing in a small-scale, fisher-farmer society in a remote region of the Republic of the Congo. Here, infectious disease burdens and their resultant energy demands are high. Children who were heavier for height or taller for age, respectively, exhibited greater EAA, including intrinsic EAA, which is considered to measure EAA internal to cells. Furthermore, we found that children in families with more conflict between parents had greater intrinsic EAA. These results suggest that in contexts in which limited energy must be allocated to competing demands, more investment in growth may coincide with greater EAA, which parallels findings in European children who do not face similar energetic constraints. Our findings also indicate that associations between adverse family environments and greater intrinsic EAA were nonetheless observable but only after adjustment for covariates relevant to the energetically and immunologically demanding nature of the local ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA
| | - David T S Lin
- BC Children's Hospital Research, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Valchy Miegakanda
- Institut National de Santé Publique, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Sheina Lew-Levy
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Geeta N Eick
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - J Josh Snodgrass
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Julia L MacIsaac
- BC Children's Hospital Research, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Katia E Ramadori
- BC Children's Hospital Research, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- BC Children's Hospital Research, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Adam H Boyette
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Ramos PS. Epigenetics of scleroderma: Integrating genetic, ethnic, age, and environmental effects. JOURNAL OF SCLERODERMA AND RELATED DISORDERS 2019; 4:238-250. [PMID: 35382507 PMCID: PMC8922566 DOI: 10.1177/2397198319855872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis is thought to result from the interplay between environmental or non-genetic factors in a genetically susceptible individual. Epigenetic modifications are influenced by genetic variation and environmental exposures, and change with chronological age and between populations. Despite progress in identifying genetic, epigenetic, and environmental risk factors, the underlying mechanism of systemic sclerosis remains unclear. Since epigenetics provides the regulatory mechanism linking genetic and non-genetic factors to gene expression, understanding the role of epigenetic regulation in systemic sclerosis will elucidate how these factors interact to cause systemic sclerosis. Among the cell types under tight epigenetic control and susceptible to epigenetic dysregulation, immune cells are critically involved in early pathogenic events in the progression of fibrosis and systemic sclerosis. This review starts by summarizing the changes in DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs associated with systemic sclerosis. It then discusses the role of genetic, ethnic, age, and environmental effects on epigenetic regulation, with a focus on immune system dysregulation. Given the potential of epigenome editing technologies for cell reprogramming and as a therapeutic approach for durable gene regulation, this review concludes with a prospect on epigenetic editing. Although epigenomics in systemic sclerosis is in its infancy, future studies will help elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underpinning systemic sclerosis and inform the design of targeted epigenetic therapies to control its dysregulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula S Ramos
- Paula S. Ramos, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine and Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Suite 816, MSC 637, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Genomic Evidence for Local Adaptation of Hunter-Gatherers to the African Rainforest. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2926-2935.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
|
34
|
Paredes-Céspedes DM, Herrera-Moreno JF, Bernal-Hernández YY, Medina-Díaz IM, Salazar AM, Ostrosky-Wegman P, Barrón-Vivanco BS, Rojas-García AE. Pesticide Exposure Modifies DNA Methylation of Coding Region of WRAP53α, an Antisense Sequence of p53, in a Mexican Population. Chem Res Toxicol 2019; 32:1441-1448. [PMID: 31243981 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The influence of pesticide exposure in alteration of DNA methylation patterns of specific genes is still limited, specifically in natural antisense transcripts (NAT), such as the WRAP53α gene. The aim of this study was to determine the methylation of the WRAP53α gene in mestizo and indigenous populations as well as its relationship with internal (age, sex, and body mass index) and external factors (pesticide exposure and micronutrient intake). A cross-sectional study was conducted including 91 mestizo individuals without occupational exposure to pesticides, 164 mestizo urban sprayers and 189 indigenous persons without occupational exposure to pesticides. Acute pesticide exposure was evaluated by measurement of urinary dialkylphosphate (DAP) concentration by gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. Anthropometric characteristics, unhealthy habits, and chronic pesticide exposure were assessed using a structured questionnaire. The frequency of macro- and micronutrient intake was determined using SNUT software. DNA methylation of the WRAP53α gene was determined by pyrosequencing of bisulfite-modified DNA. The mestizo sprayers group had the higher values of %5mC. In addition, this group had the most DAP urinary concentration with respect to the indigenous and reference groups. Bivariate analysis showed an association between %5mC of the WRAP53α gene with micronutrient intake and pesticide exposure in mestizo sprayers, whereas changes in %5mC of the WRAP53α gene was associated with body mass index in the indigenous group. These data suggest that the %5mC of the WRAP53α gene can be influenced by pesticide exposure and ethnicity in the study population, and changes in the WRAP53α gene might cause an important cell process disturbance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Paredes-Céspedes
- Laboratorio de Contaminación y Toxicología Ambiental, Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado , Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit , 63155, Ciudad de la Cultura s/n. Col. Centro, C.P. 63000 , Tepic , Nayarit , México.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológico Agropecuarias , Unidad Académica de Agricultura , Km. 9 Carretera Tepic-Compostela, Xalisco , Nayarit , México
| | - José F Herrera-Moreno
- Laboratorio de Contaminación y Toxicología Ambiental, Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado , Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit , 63155, Ciudad de la Cultura s/n. Col. Centro, C.P. 63000 , Tepic , Nayarit , México.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológico Agropecuarias , Unidad Académica de Agricultura , Km. 9 Carretera Tepic-Compostela, Xalisco , Nayarit , México
| | - Yael Y Bernal-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Contaminación y Toxicología Ambiental, Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado , Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit , 63155, Ciudad de la Cultura s/n. Col. Centro, C.P. 63000 , Tepic , Nayarit , México
| | - Irma M Medina-Díaz
- Laboratorio de Contaminación y Toxicología Ambiental, Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado , Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit , 63155, Ciudad de la Cultura s/n. Col. Centro, C.P. 63000 , Tepic , Nayarit , México
| | - Ana M Salazar
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , P.O. Box 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510 , México
| | - Patricia Ostrosky-Wegman
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , P.O. Box 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México DF 04510 , México
| | - Briscia S Barrón-Vivanco
- Laboratorio de Contaminación y Toxicología Ambiental, Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado , Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit , 63155, Ciudad de la Cultura s/n. Col. Centro, C.P. 63000 , Tepic , Nayarit , México
| | - Aurora E Rojas-García
- Laboratorio de Contaminación y Toxicología Ambiental, Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado , Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit , 63155, Ciudad de la Cultura s/n. Col. Centro, C.P. 63000 , Tepic , Nayarit , México
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ferrari L, Pavanello S, Bollati V. Molecular and epigenetic markers as promising tools to quantify the effect of occupational exposures and the risk of developing non-communicable diseases. LA MEDICINA DEL LAVORO 2019; 110:168-190. [PMID: 31268425 PMCID: PMC7812541 DOI: 10.23749/mdl.v110i3.8538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic diseases that are by far the leading cause of death in the world. Many occupational hazards, together with social, economic and demographic factors, have been associated to NCDs development. Genetic susceptibility or environmental exposures alone are not usually sufficient to explain the pathogenesis of NCDs, but can be integrated in a more complex scenario that can result in pathological phenotypes. Epigenetics is a crucial component of this scenario, as its changes are related to specific exposures, therefore potentially able to display the effects of environment on the genome, filling the gap between genetic asset and environment in explaining disease development. To date, the most promising biomarkers have been assessed in occupational cohorts as well as in case/control studies and include DNA methylation, histone modifications, microRNA expression, extracellular vesicles, telomere length, and mitochondrial alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ferrari
- EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122 Milan, Italy..
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Human Immunology through the Lens of Evolutionary Genetics. Cell 2019; 177:184-199. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
|
37
|
Gurusamy N, Rajasingh J. Modern human lifestyle prejudices epigenetic changes to cuddle diseases. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2019; 7:82. [PMID: 31019932 PMCID: PMC6462638 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2018.12.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Narasimman Gurusamy
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Johnson Rajasingh
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Husquin LT, Rotival M, Fagny M, Quach H, Zidane N, McEwen LM, MacIsaac JL, Kobor MS, Aschard H, Patin E, Quintana-Murci L. Exploring the genetic basis of human population differences in DNA methylation and their causal impact on immune gene regulation. Genome Biol 2018; 19:222. [PMID: 30563547 PMCID: PMC6299574 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1601-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors and is increasingly thought to affect variation in complex traits and diseases. Yet, the extent of ancestry-related differences in DNA methylation, their genetic determinants, and their respective causal impact on immune gene regulation remain elusive. RESULTS We report extensive population differences in DNA methylation between 156 individuals of African and European descent, detected in primary monocytes that are used as a model of a major innate immunity cell type. Most of these differences (~ 70%) are driven by DNA sequence variants nearby CpG sites, which account for ~ 60% of the variance in DNA methylation. We also identify several master regulators of DNA methylation variation in trans, including a regulatory hub nearby the transcription factor-encoding CTCF gene, which contributes markedly to ancestry-related differences in DNA methylation. Furthermore, we establish that variation in DNA methylation is associated with varying gene expression levels following mostly, but not exclusively, a canonical model of negative associations, particularly in enhancer regions. Specifically, we find that DNA methylation highly correlates with transcriptional activity of 811 and 230 genes, at the basal state and upon immune stimulation, respectively. Finally, using a Bayesian approach, we estimate causal mediation effects of DNA methylation on gene expression in ~ 20% of the studied cases, indicating that DNA methylation can play an active role in immune gene regulation. CONCLUSION Using a system-level approach, our study reveals substantial ancestry-related differences in DNA methylation and provides evidence for their causal impact on immune gene regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas T. Husquin
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR2000, 75015 Paris, France
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Maxime Rotival
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR2000, 75015 Paris, France
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Maud Fagny
- Laboratory for Epigenetics & Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH), CEA-Institut de Biologie François Jacob, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Hélène Quach
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR2000, 75015 Paris, France
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Nora Zidane
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR2000, 75015 Paris, France
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Lisa M. McEwen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Julia L. MacIsaac
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Hugues Aschard
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Etienne Patin
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR2000, 75015 Paris, France
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Lluis Quintana-Murci
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR2000, 75015 Paris, France
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Insights from epigenetic studies on human health and evolution. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2018; 53:36-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
|
40
|
Sevane N, Martínez R, Bruford MW. Genome-wide differential DNA methylation in tropically adapted Creole cattle and their Iberian ancestors. Anim Genet 2018; 50:15-26. [DOI: 10.1111/age.12731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Sevane
- School of Biosciences; Cardiff University; Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3AX UK
| | - R. Martínez
- Corporación Colombiana De Investigación Agropecuaria (Corpoica); Centro de Investigaciones Tibaitatá; km 14 via Bogotá 250047 Mosquera Colombia
| | - M. W. Bruford
- School of Biosciences; Cardiff University; Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3AX UK
- Sustainable Places Research Institute; Cardiff University; Cardiff CF10 3BA UK
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Retshabile G, Mlotshwa BC, Williams L, Mwesigwa S, Mboowa G, Huang Z, Rustagi N, Swaminathan S, Katagirya E, Kyobe S, Wayengera M, Kisitu GP, Kateete DP, Wampande EM, Maplanka K, Kasvosve I, Pettitt ED, Matshaba M, Nsangi B, Marape M, Tsimako-Johnstone M, Brown CW, Yu F, Kekitiinwa A, Joloba M, Mpoloka SW, Mardon G, Anabwani G, Hanchard NA. Whole-Exome Sequencing Reveals Uncaptured Variation and Distinct Ancestry in the Southern African Population of Botswana. Am J Hum Genet 2018; 102:731-743. [PMID: 29706352 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Large-scale, population-based genomic studies have provided a context for modern medical genetics. Among such studies, however, African populations have remained relatively underrepresented. The breadth of genetic diversity across the African continent argues for an exploration of local genomic context to facilitate burgeoning disease mapping studies in Africa. We sought to characterize genetic variation and to assess population substructure within a cohort of HIV-positive children from Botswana-a Southern African country that is regionally underrepresented in genomic databases. Using whole-exome sequencing data from 164 Batswana and comparisons with 150 similarly sequenced HIV-positive Ugandan children, we found that 13%-25% of variation observed among Batswana was not captured by public databases. Uncaptured variants were significantly enriched (p = 2.2 × 10-16) for coding variants with minor allele frequencies between 1% and 5% and included predicted-damaging non-synonymous variants. Among variants found in public databases, corresponding allele frequencies varied widely, with Botswana having significantly higher allele frequencies among rare (<1%) pathogenic and damaging variants. Batswana clustered with other Southern African populations, but distinctly from 1000 Genomes African populations, and had limited evidence for admixture with extra-continental ancestries. We also observed a surprising lack of genetic substructure in Botswana, despite multiple tribal ethnicities and language groups, alongside a higher degree of relatedness than purported founder populations from the 1000 Genomes project. Our observations reveal a complex, but distinct, ancestral history and genomic architecture among Batswana and suggest that disease mapping within similar Southern African populations will require a deeper repository of genetic variation and allelic dependencies than presently exists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaone Retshabile
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Busisiwe C Mlotshwa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Lesedi Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Savannah Mwesigwa
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Gerald Mboowa
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Zhuoyi Huang
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Navin Rustagi
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shanker Swaminathan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; USDA/ARS/Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Eric Katagirya
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Samuel Kyobe
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Misaki Wayengera
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Grace P Kisitu
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David P Kateete
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Eddie M Wampande
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Department of Bio-molecular Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Koketso Maplanka
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Ishmael Kasvosve
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Edward D Pettitt
- Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Mogomotsi Matshaba
- Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence, Gaborone, Botswana; Pediatric Retrovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Betty Nsangi
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Marape Marape
- Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence, Gaborone, Botswana
| | | | - Chester W Brown
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Fuli Yu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Adeodata Kekitiinwa
- Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Kampala, Uganda; Pediatric Retrovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Moses Joloba
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sununguko W Mpoloka
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Graeme Mardon
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Gabriel Anabwani
- Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence, Gaborone, Botswana; Pediatric Retrovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Neil A Hanchard
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; USDA/ARS/Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Yi SV. Insights into Epigenome Evolution from Animal and Plant Methylomes. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:3189-3201. [PMID: 29036466 PMCID: PMC5721340 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary studies of DNA methylation offer insights into the mechanisms governing the variation of genomic DNA methylation across different species. Comparisons of gross levels of DNA methylation between distantly related species indicate that the size of the genome and the level of genomic DNA methylation are positively correlated. In plant genomes, this can be reliably explained by the genomic contents of repetitive sequences. In animal genomes, the role of repetitive sequences on genomic DNA methylation is less clear. On a shorter timescale, population-level comparisons demonstrate that genetic variation can explain the observed variability of DNA methylation to some degree. The amount of DNA methylation variation that has been attributed to genetic variation in the human population studies so far is substantially lower than that from Arabidopsis population studies, but this disparity might reflect the differences in the computational and experimental techniques used. The effect of genetic variation on DNA methylation has been directly examined in mammalian systems, revealing several causative factors that govern DNA methylation. On the other hand, studies from Arabidopsis have furthered our understanding of spontaneous mutations of DNA methylation, termed “epimutations.” Arabidopsis has an extremely high rate of spontaneous epimutations, which may play a major role in shaping the global DNA methylation landscape in this genome. Key missing information includes the frequencies of spontaneous epimutations in other lineages, in particular animal genomes, and how population-level variation of DNA methylation leads to species-level differences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soojin V Yi
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
|
44
|
|
45
|
Černý V, Kulichová I, Poloni ES, Nunes JM, Pereira L, Mayor A, Sanchez-Mazas A. Genetic history of the African Sahelian populations. HLA 2018; 91:153-166. [DOI: 10.1111/tan.13189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Černý
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences; Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6; 842 15 Bratislava Slovakia
| | - I. Kulichová
- Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science; Charles University in Prague; Prague Czech Republic
| | - E. S. Poloni
- Laboratory of Anthropology, Genetics and Peopling History (AGP), Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit; University of Geneva; Geneva Switzerland
- Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (IGE3); Geneva Switzerland
| | - J. M. Nunes
- Laboratory of Anthropology, Genetics and Peopling History (AGP), Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit; University of Geneva; Geneva Switzerland
- Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (IGE3); Geneva Switzerland
| | - L. Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde; Universidade do Porto (i3S); Porto Portugal
- Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP); Porto Portugal
| | - A. Mayor
- Laboratory of African Archaeology and Peopling History (APA), Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit; University of Geneva; Geneva Switzerland
| | - A. Sanchez-Mazas
- Laboratory of Anthropology, Genetics and Peopling History (AGP), Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit; University of Geneva; Geneva Switzerland
- Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (IGE3); Geneva Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Jones MJ, Moore SR, Kobor MS. Principles and Challenges of Applying Epigenetic Epidemiology to Psychology. Annu Rev Psychol 2018; 69:459-485. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan J. Jones
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada;, ,
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada
| | - Sarah R. Moore
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada;, ,
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada;, ,
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada
- Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Llamas B, Willerslev E, Orlando L. Human evolution: a tale from ancient genomes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2015.0484. [PMID: 27994125 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of human ancient DNA (aDNA) has moved from mitochondrial sequencing that suffered from contamination and provided limited biological insights, to become a fully genomic discipline that is changing our conception of human history. Recent successes include the sequencing of extinct hominins, and true population genomic studies of Bronze Age populations. Among the emerging areas of aDNA research, the analysis of past epigenomes is set to provide more new insights into human adaptation and disease susceptibility through time. Starting as a mere curiosity, ancient human genetics has become a major player in the understanding of our evolutionary history.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Llamas
- Australian Centre for ADNA, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Eske Willerslev
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 K Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.,Wellcome Genome Campus Hinxton, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ludovic Orlando
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 K Copenhagen, Denmark .,Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie Moléculaire et d'Imagerie de Synthèse, Université de Toulouse, University Paul Sabatier, CNRS UMR 5288, 31000 Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Abstract
Analyzing the conditions in which past individuals lived is key to understanding the environments and cultural transitions to which humans had to adapt. Here, we suggest a methodology to probe into past environments, using reconstructed premortem DNA methylation maps of ancient individuals. We review a large body of research showing that differential DNA methylation is associated with changes in various external and internal factors, and propose that loci whose DNA methylation level is environmentally responsive could serve as markers to infer about ancient daily life, diseases, nutrition, exposure to toxins, and more. We demonstrate this approach by showing that hunger-related DNA methylation changes are found in ancient hunter-gatherers. The strategy we present here opens a window to reconstruct previously inaccessible aspects of the lives of past individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Gokhman
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Anat Malul
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Liran Carmel
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Worldwide patterns of human epigenetic variation. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1577-1583. [PMID: 29185505 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0299-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification, influenced by both genetic and environmental variation, that plays a key role in transcriptional regulation and many organismal phenotypes. Although patterns of DNA methylation have been shown to differ between human populations, it remains to be determined how epigenetic diversity relates to the patterns of genetic and gene expression variation at a global scale. Here we measured DNA methylation at 485,000 CpG sites in five diverse human populations, and analysed these data together with genome-wide genotype and gene expression data. We found that population-specific DNA methylation mirrors genetic variation, and has greater local genetic control than mRNA levels. We estimated the rate of epigenetic divergence between populations, which indicates far greater evolutionary stability of DNA methylation in humans than has been observed in plants. This study provides a deeper understanding of worldwide patterns of human epigenetic diversity, as well as initial estimates of the rate of epigenetic divergence in recent human evolution.
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
From March 27-29 2017, the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology held a symposium entitled 'Towards Understanding Human Development, Heredity, and Evolution' in Kobe, Japan. Recent advances in technologies including stem cell culture, live imaging, single-cell approaches, next-generation sequencing and genome editing have led to an expansion in our knowledge of human development. Organized by Yoshiya Kawaguchi, Mitinori Saitou, Mototsugu Eiraku, Tomoya Kitajima, Fumio Matsuzaki, Takashi Tsuji and Edith Heard, the symposium covered a broad range of topics including human germline development, epigenetics, organogenesis and evolution. This Meeting Review provides a summary of this timely and exciting symposium, which has convinced us that we are moving into the era of science targeted on humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichi Nishinakamura
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Minoru Takasato
- RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| |
Collapse
|