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An epigenome-wide association study of early-onset major depression in monozygotic twins.

ABSTRACT: Major depression (MD) is a debilitating mental health condition with peak prevalence occurring early in life. Genome-wide examination of DNA methylation (DNAm) offers an attractive complement to studies of allelic risk given it can reflect the combined influence of genes and environment. The current study used monozygotic twins to identify differentially and variably methylated regions of the genome that distinguish twins with and without a lifetime history of early-onset MD. The sample included 150 Caucasian monozygotic twins between the ages of 15 and 20 (73% female; Mage?=?17.52?SD?=?1.28) who were assessed during a developmental stage characterized by relatively distinct neurophysiological changes. All twins were generally healthy and currently free of medications with psychotropic effects. DNAm was measured in peripheral blood cells using the Infinium Human BeadChip 450?K Array. MD associations with early-onset MD were detected at 760 differentially and variably methylated probes/regions that mapped to 428 genes. Genes and genomic regions involved neural circuitry formation, projection, functioning, and plasticity. Gene enrichment analyses implicated genes related to neuron structures and neurodevelopmental processes including cell-cell adhesion genes (e.g., PCDHA genes). Genes previously implicated in mood and psychiatric disorders as well as chronic stress (e.g., NRG3) also were identified. DNAm regions associated with early-onset MD were found to overlap genetic loci identified in the latest Psychiatric Genomics Consortium meta-analysis of depression. Understanding the time course of epigenetic influences during emerging adulthood may clarify developmental phases where changes in the DNA methylome may modulate individual differences in MD risk.

SUBMITTER: Roberson-Nay R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7447798 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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An epigenome-wide association study of early-onset major depression in monozygotic twins.

Roberson-Nay Roxann R Lapato Dana M DM Wolen Aaron R AR Lancaster Eva E EE Webb Bradley T BT Verhulst Bradley B Hettema John M JM York Timothy P TP

Translational psychiatry 20200825 1

Major depression (MD) is a debilitating mental health condition with peak prevalence occurring early in life. Genome-wide examination of DNA methylation (DNAm) offers an attractive complement to studies of allelic risk given it can reflect the combined influence of genes and environment. The current study used monozygotic twins to identify differentially and variably methylated regions of the genome that distinguish twins with and without a lifetime history of early-onset MD. The sample included ...[more]

PMID: 32843619

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Project description:Depression is a severe and debilitating mental disorder diagnosed by evaluation of affective, cognitive and physical depression symptoms. Severity of these symptoms strongly impacts individual's quality of life and is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. One of the molecular mechanisms allowing for an interplay between these factors is DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification playing a pivotal role in regulation of brain functioning across lifespan. The aim of this study was to investigate if there are DNA methylation signatures associated with depression symptomatology in order to identify molecular mechanisms contributing to pathophysiology of depression. We performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of continuous depression symptomatology score measured in a cohort of 724 monozygotic Danish twins (346 males, 378 females). Through EWAS analyses adjusted for sex, age, flow-cytometry based blood cell composition, and twin relatedness structure in the data we identified depression symptomatology score to be associated with blood DNA methylation levels in promoter regions of neuropsin (KLK8, p-value?=?4.7?×?10-7) and DAZ associated protein 2 (DAZAP2, p-value?=?3.13?×?10-8) genes. Other top associated probes were located in gene bodies of MAD1L1 (p-value?=?5.16?×?10-6), SLC29A2 (p-value?=?6.15?×?10-6) and AKT1 (p-value?=?4.47?×?10-6), all genes associated before with development of depression. Additionally, the following three measures (a) DNAmAge (calculated with Horvath and Hannum epigenetic clock estimators) adjusted for chronological age, (b) difference between DNAmAge and chronological age, and (c) DNAmAge acceleration were not associated with depression symptomatology score in our cohort. In conclusion, our data suggests that depression symptomatology score is associated with DNA methylation levels of genes implicated in response to stress, depressive-like behaviors, and recurrent depression in patients, but not with global DNA methylation changes across the genome.

Dataset Information

An epigenome-wide association study of early-onset major depression in monozygotic twins.

Publications

An epigenome-wide association study of early-onset major depression in monozygotic twins.

Similar Datasets

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