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Mouat JS, Li S, Myint SS, Laufer BI, Lupo PJ, Schraw JM, Woodhouse JP, de Smith AJ, LaSalle JM. Epigenomic signature of major congenital heart defects in newborns with Down syndrome. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:92. [PMID: 37803336 PMCID: PMC10559462 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00540-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect approximately half of individuals with Down syndrome (DS), but the molecular reasons for incomplete penetrance are unknown. Previous studies have largely focused on identifying genetic risk factors associated with CHDs in individuals with DS, but comprehensive studies of the contribution of epigenetic marks are lacking. We aimed to identify and characterize DNA methylation differences from newborn dried blood spots (NDBS) of DS individuals with major CHDs compared to DS individuals without CHDs. METHODS We used the Illumina EPIC array and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) to quantitate DNA methylation for 86 NDBS samples from the California Biobank Program: (1) 45 DS-CHD (27 female, 18 male) and (2) 41 DS non-CHD (27 female, 14 male). We analyzed global CpG methylation and identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in DS-CHD versus DS non-CHD comparisons (both sex-combined and sex-stratified) corrected for sex, age of blood collection, and cell-type proportions. CHD DMRs were analyzed for enrichment in CpG and genic contexts, chromatin states, and histone modifications by genomic coordinates and for gene ontology enrichment by gene mapping. DMRs were also tested in a replication dataset and compared to methylation levels in DS versus typical development (TD) WGBS NDBS samples. RESULTS We found global CpG hypomethylation in DS-CHD males compared to DS non-CHD males, which was attributable to elevated levels of nucleated red blood cells and not seen in females. At a regional level, we identified 58, 341, and 3938 CHD-associated DMRs in the Sex Combined, Females Only, and Males Only groups, respectively, and used machine learning algorithms to select 19 Males Only loci that could distinguish CHD from non-CHD. DMRs in all comparisons were enriched for gene exons, CpG islands, and bivalent chromatin and mapped to genes enriched for terms related to cardiac and immune functions. Lastly, a greater percentage of CHD-associated DMRs than background regions were differentially methylated in DS versus TD samples. CONCLUSIONS A sex-specific signature of DNA methylation was detected in NDBS of DS-CHD compared to DS non-CHD individuals. This supports the hypothesis that epigenetics can reflect the variability of phenotypes in DS, particularly CHDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Mouat
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Shaobo Li
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Swe Swe Myint
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin I Laufer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Philip J Lupo
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeremy M Schraw
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John P Woodhouse
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Adam J de Smith
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Janine M LaSalle
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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Mouat JS, Li S, Myint SS, Laufer BI, Lupo PJ, Schraw JM, Woodhouse JP, de Smith AJ, LaSalle JM. Epigenomic signature of major congenital heart defects in newborns with Down syndrome. medRxiv 2023:2023.05.02.23289417. [PMID: 37205408 PMCID: PMC10187438 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.02.23289417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Background Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect approximately half of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) but the molecular reasons for incomplete penetrance are unknown. Previous studies have largely focused on identifying genetic risk factors associated with CHDs in individuals with DS, but comprehensive studies of the contribution of epigenetic marks are lacking. We aimed to identify and characterize DNA methylation differences from newborn dried blood spots (NDBS) of DS individuals with major CHDs compared to DS individuals without CHDs. Methods We used the Illumina EPIC array and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) to quantitate DNA methylation for 86 NDBS samples from the California Biobank Program: 1) 45 DS-CHD (27 female, 18 male) and 2) 41 DS non-CHD (27 female, 14 male). We analyzed global CpG methylation and identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in DS-CHD vs DS non-CHD comparisons (both sex-combined and sex-stratified) corrected for sex, age of blood collection, and cell type proportions. CHD DMRs were analyzed for enrichment in CpG and genic contexts, chromatin states, and histone modifications by genomic coordinates and for gene ontology enrichment by gene mapping. DMRs were also tested in a replication dataset and compared to methylation levels in DS vs typical development (TD) WGBS NDBS samples. Results We found global CpG hypomethylation in DS-CHD males compared to DS non-CHD males, which was attributable to elevated levels of nucleated red blood cells and not seen in females. At a regional level, we identified 58, 341, and 3,938 CHD-associated DMRs in the Sex Combined, Females Only, and Males Only groups, respectively, and used machine learning algorithms to select 19 Males Only loci that could distinguish CHD from non-CHD. DMRs in all comparisons were enriched for gene exons, CpG islands, and bivalent chromatin and mapped to genes enriched for terms related to cardiac and immune functions. Lastly, a greater percentage of CHD-associated DMRs than background regions were differentially methylated in DS vs TD samples. Conclusions A sex-specific signature of DNA methylation was detected in NDBS of DS-CHD compared to DS non-CHD individuals. This supports the hypothesis that epigenetics can reflect the variability of phenotypes in DS, particularly CHDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Mouat
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA USA
| | - Shaobo Li
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA USA
| | - Swe Swe Myint
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA USA
| | - Benjamin I Laufer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA USA
| | - Philip J Lupo
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Jeremy M Schraw
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - John P Woodhouse
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Adam J de Smith
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA USA
| | - Janine M LaSalle
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA USA
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Mouat JS, Li X, Neier K, Zhu Y, Mordaunt CE, La Merrill MA, Lehmler HJ, Jones MP, Lein PJ, Schmidt RJ, LaSalle JM. Networks of placental DNA methylation correlate with maternal serum PCB concentrations and child neurodevelopment. Environ Res 2023; 220:115227. [PMID: 36608759 PMCID: PMC10518186 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gestational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been associated with elevated risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Placental epigenetics may serve as a potential mechanism of risk or marker of altered placental function. Prior studies have associated differential placental DNA methylation with maternal PCB exposure or with increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, sequencing-based placental methylomes have not previously been tested for simultaneous associations with maternal PCB levels and child neurodevelopmental outcomes. OBJECTIVES We aimed to identify placental DNA methylation patterns associated with maternal PCB levels and child neurodevelopmental outcomes in the high-risk ASD MARBLES cohort. METHODS We measured 209 PCB congeners in 104 maternal serum samples collected at delivery. We identified networks of DNA methylation from 147 placenta samples using the Comethyl R package, which performs weighted gene correlation network analysis for whole genome bisulfite sequencing data. We tested placental DNA methylation modules for association with maternal serum PCB levels, child neurodevelopment, and other participant traits. RESULTS PCBs 153 + 168, 170, 180 + 193, and 187 were detected in over 50% of maternal serum samples and were highly correlated with one another. Consistent with previous findings, maternal age was the strongest predictor of serum PCB levels, alongside year of sample collection, pre-pregnancy BMI, and polyunsaturated fatty acid levels. Twenty seven modules of placental DNA methylation were identified, including five which significantly correlated with one or more PCBs, and four which correlated with child neurodevelopment. Two modules associated with maternal PCB levels as well as child neurodevelopment, and mapped to CSMD1 and AUTS2, genes previously implicated in ASD and identified as differentially methylated regions in mouse brain and placenta following gestational PCB exposure. CONCLUSIONS Placental DNA co-methylation modules were associated with maternal PCBs and child neurodevelopment. Methylation of CSMD1 and AUTS2 could be markers of altered placental function and/or ASD risk following maternal PCB exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Mouat
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Xueshu Li
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Kari Neier
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Yihui Zhu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Charles E Mordaunt
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Michele A La Merrill
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Hans-Joachim Lehmler
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Michael P Jones
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Pamela J Lein
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Janine M LaSalle
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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Mordaunt CE, Mouat JS, Schmidt RJ, LaSalle JM. Comethyl: a network-based methylome approach to investigate the multivariate nature of health and disease. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:bbab554. [PMID: 35037016 PMCID: PMC8921619 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Health outcomes are frequently shaped by difficult to dissect inter-relationships between biological, behavioral, social and environmental factors. DNA methylation patterns reflect such multivariate intersections, providing a rich source of novel biomarkers and insight into disease etiologies. Recent advances in whole-genome bisulfite sequencing enable investigation of DNA methylation over all genomic CpGs, but existing bioinformatic approaches lack accessible system-level tools. Here, we develop the R package Comethyl, for weighted gene correlation network analysis of user-defined genomic regions that generates modules of comethylated regions, which are then tested for correlations with multivariate sample traits. First, regions are defined by CpG genomic location or regulatory annotation and filtered based on CpG count, sequencing depth and variability. Next, correlation networks are used to find modules of interconnected nodes using methylation values within the selected regions. Each module containing multiple comethylated regions is reduced in complexity to a single eigennode value, which is then tested for correlations with experimental metadata. Comethyl has the ability to cover the noncoding regulatory regions of the genome with high relevance to interpretation of genome-wide association studies and integration with other types of epigenomic data. We demonstrate the utility of Comethyl on a dataset of male cord blood samples from newborns later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) versus typical development. Comethyl successfully identified an ASD-associated module containing regions mapped to genes enriched for brain glial functions. Comethyl is expected to be useful in uncovering the multivariate nature of health disparities for a variety of common disorders. Comethyl is available at github.com/cemordaunt/comethyl with complete documentation and example analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles E Mordaunt
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Genome Center, Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, and MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Julia S Mouat
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Genome Center, Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, and MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, and MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Janine M LaSalle
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Genome Center, Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, and MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Zhu Y, Gomez JA, Laufer BI, Mordaunt CE, Mouat JS, Soto DC, Dennis MY, Benke KS, Bakulski KM, Dou J, Marathe R, Jianu JM, Williams LA, Gutierrez Fugón OJ, Walker CK, Ozonoff S, Daniels J, Grosvenor LP, Volk HE, Feinberg JI, Fallin MD, Hertz-Picciotto I, Schmidt RJ, Yasui DH, LaSalle JM. Placental methylome reveals a 22q13.33 brain regulatory gene locus associated with autism. Genome Biol 2022; 23:46. [PMID: 35168652 PMCID: PMC8848662 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02613-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves complex genetics interacting with the perinatal environment, complicating the discovery of common genetic risk. The epigenetic layer of DNA methylation shows dynamic developmental changes and molecular memory of in utero experiences, particularly in placenta, a fetal tissue discarded at birth. However, current array-based methods to identify novel ASD risk genes lack coverage of the most structurally and epigenetically variable regions of the human genome. RESULTS We use whole genome bisulfite sequencing in placenta samples from prospective ASD studies to discover a previously uncharacterized ASD risk gene, LOC105373085, renamed NHIP. Out of 134 differentially methylated regions associated with ASD in placental samples, a cluster at 22q13.33 corresponds to a 118-kb hypomethylated block that replicates in two additional cohorts. Within this locus, NHIP is functionally characterized as a nuclear peptide-encoding transcript with high expression in brain, and increased expression following neuronal differentiation or hypoxia, but decreased expression in ASD placenta and brain. NHIP overexpression increases cellular proliferation and alters expression of genes regulating synapses and neurogenesis, overlapping significantly with known ASD risk genes and NHIP-associated genes in ASD brain. A common structural variant disrupting the proximity of NHIP to a fetal brain enhancer is associated with NHIP expression and methylation levels and ASD risk, demonstrating a common genetic influence. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results identify and initially characterize a novel environmentally responsive ASD risk gene relevant to brain development in a hitherto under-characterized region of the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihui Zhu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J Antonio Gomez
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin I Laufer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Charles E Mordaunt
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Julia S Mouat
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Daniela C Soto
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Megan Y Dennis
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kelly S Benke
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kelly M Bakulski
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - John Dou
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ria Marathe
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Julia M Jianu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Logan A Williams
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Orangel J Gutierrez Fugón
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Cheryl K Walker
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sally Ozonoff
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jason Daniels
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luke P Grosvenor
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather E Volk
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jason I Feinberg
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M Daniele Fallin
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Dag H Yasui
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Janine M LaSalle
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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Mouat JS, LaSalle JM. The Promise of DNA Methylation in Understanding Multigenerational Factors in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Genet 2022; 13:831221. [PMID: 35242170 PMCID: PMC8886225 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.831221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social reciprocity and communication, restrictive interests, and repetitive behaviors. Most cases of ASD arise from a confluence of genetic susceptibility and environmental risk factors, whose interactions can be studied through epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. While various parental factors are known to increase risk for ASD, several studies have indicated that grandparental and great-grandparental factors may also contribute. In animal studies, gestational exposure to certain environmental factors, such as insecticides, medications, and social stress, increases risk for altered behavioral phenotypes in multiple subsequent generations. Changes in DNA methylation, gene expression, and chromatin accessibility often accompany these altered behavioral phenotypes, with changes often appearing in genes that are important for neurodevelopment or have been previously implicated in ASD. One hypothesized mechanism for these phenotypic and methylation changes includes the transmission of DNA methylation marks at individual chromosomal loci from parent to offspring and beyond, called multigenerational epigenetic inheritance. Alternatively, intermediate metabolic phenotypes in the parental generation may confer risk from the original grandparental exposure to risk for ASD in grandchildren, mediated by DNA methylation. While hypothesized mechanisms require further research, the potential for multigenerational epigenetics assessments of ASD risk has implications for precision medicine as the field attempts to address the variable etiology and clinical signs of ASD by incorporating genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. In this review, we discuss the promise of multigenerational DNA methylation investigations in understanding the complex etiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Mouat
- LaSalle Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Janine M LaSalle
- LaSalle Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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