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Prenatal alcohol exposure: profiling developmental DNA methylation patterns in central and peripheral tissues

ABSTRACT: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) alters the development of neurobiological systems, leading to lasting neuroendocrine, neuroimmune, and neurobehavioral deficits. Although the etiology of this reprogramming remains unknown, emerging evidence suggests DNA methylation as a potential mediator and biomarker for the effects of PAE due to its responsiveness to environmental cues and relative stability over time. Here, we utilized a rat model of PAE to examine the DNA methylation profiles of rat hypothalami and leukocytes at four time points during early development to assess the genome-wide impact of PAE on the epigenome and identify potential biomarkers of PAE. Our model of PAE approximates to 1-2x the legal limit of drunk driving in most jurisdictions (blood alcohol 80-150 mg/dl) throughout the equivalent of the first two trimesters of human pregnancy. Hypothalami were analyzed on postnatal (P) days 1, 8, 15, 22 and leukocytes at P22 to compare central and peripheral markers. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed by methylated DNA immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing. PAE resulted in lasting changes to DNA methylation profiles across all four ages, with 118 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) displaying persistent alterations across the developmental profile at a false-discovery rate (FDR) <0.05. By contrast, 299 DMRs showed the same direction of change in the hypothalamus and leukocytes of P22 pups at an FDR<0.05, with some genes overlapping with the developmental profile findings. The majority of these DMRs were located in intergenic regions, which contained several computationally-predicted transcription factor binding sites. Differentially methylated genes were generally involved in immune function, epigenetic remodeling, metabolism, and hormonal signaling, as determined by gene ontology analyses. Persistent DNA methylation changes in the hypothalamus may be associated with the long-term deficits observed in PAE. Furthermore, correlations between epigenetic alterations in peripheral tissues and those in the brain will provide a foundation for the development of biomarkers of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Finally, findings from studies of PAE provide important insight into the etiology neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders, as they tend to share numerous symptoms and comorbidities.

ORGANISM(S): Rattus norvegicus

PROVIDER: GSE121582 | GEO | 2018/10/23

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:To further our understanding of the role of DNA methylation in development, Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) was used in conjunction with a NimbleGen promoter plus CpG island array to identify Tissue and Developmental Stage specific Differentially Methylated DNA Regions (T-DMRs and DS-DMRs) on a genome-wide basis. Four tissues (brain, heart, liver, and testis) from C57BL/6J mice were analyzed at three developmental stages (15 day embryo, E15; new born, NB; 12 week adult, AD). Almost 5,000 adult T-DMRs and 10,000 DS-DMRs were identified. Surprisingly, almost all DS-DMRs were tissue specific (i.e., methylated and ummenthylated in one or more non-overlapping tissues), indicating that the vast majority of unique sequence DNA methylation has tissue specificity. Also, many DS-DMRs were methylated at early development stages (E15 and NB) but unmethylated in adult, indicating “demethylation” has a prominent role in tissue differentiation. The pattern of DNA methylation in adult testis was dramatically different from somatic tissues in many aspects, mostly notably with a very strong bias of methylation in non-CpGi (CpG island) promoter regions (94%). Although the majority of T-DMRs and DS-DMRs tended to be in non-CpGi promoter regions, a relatively large number were also located in CpGi in promoter, intra-genic and inter-genic regions (>15% of all CpGi). Gene Ontology analysis of genes with methylation in non-CpGi promoters indicates enrichment of genes related to membrane proteins and G-protein coupled receptors. Our data also suggest regulatory roles of DNA methylation outside of promoter regions and in alternative promoter selection. Overall, our studies indicate that change in DNA methylation during development is a dynamic, widespread and tissue-specific process involving both DNA methylation and demethylation. Comparison of DNA methylation across 3 developmental stages (15 day embryo, newborn, and adult) for four tissues (brain, heart, liver and testis)

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Prenatal alcohol exposure: profiling developmental DNA methylation patterns in central and peripheral tissues

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