Neuronal activation modulates enhancer activity of genes for excitatory synaptogenesis through de novo DNA methylation
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Post-mitotic neurons exhibit DNA methylation changes, contrary to the longstanding belief that the epigenetic pattern in terminally differentiated cells is essentially unchanging. While the mechanism and physiological significance of DNA demethylation in neurons have been extensively elucidated, occurrence of de novo DNA methylation and its impacts have been much less investigated. Here we show that neuronal activation induces global de novo DNA methylation at enhancer regions that can repress target genes in primary cultured hippocampal neurons. The functional significance of this de novo DNA methylation was underpinned by the demonstration that inhibition of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity decreased neuronal activity-induced excitatory synaptogenesis. Overexpression of WW and C2 Domain containing 1 (Wwc1), a representative target gene of de novo DNA methylation, could phenocopy this DNMT inhibition-induced decrease in the synaptogenesis. We found that both DNMT1 and DNMT3a were required for the neuronal activity-induced de novo DNA methylation of Wwc1 enhancer. Taking these findings altogether, we concluded that activity-induced de novo DNA methylation affecting gene expression has impacts on neuronal physiology comparable to those of DNA demethylation.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE149342 | GEO | 2020/04/26
REPOSITORIES: GEO
ACCESS DATA