Skip to main content

Differentially methylated regions of imprinted genes in prenatal, perinatal and postnatal human tissues.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Murphy, SK; Huang, Z; Hoyo, C
Published in: PLoS One
2012

Epigenetic plasticity in relation to in utero exposures may mechanistically explain observed differences in the likelihood of developing common complex diseases including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease through the cumulative effects of subtle alterations in gene expression. Imprinted genes are essential mediators of growth and development and are characterized by differentially methylated regulatory regions (DMRs) that carry parental allele-specific methylation profiles. This theoretical 50% level of methylation provides a baseline from which endogenously- or exogenously-induced deviations in methylation can be detected. We quantified DNA methylation at imprinted gene DMRs in a large panel of human conceptal tissues, in matched buccal cell specimens collected at birth and at one year of age, and in the major cell fractions of umbilical cord blood to assess the stability of methylation at these regions. DNA methylation was measured using validated pyrosequencing assays at seven DMRs regulating the IGF2/H19, DLK1/MEG3, MEST, NNAT and SGCE/PEG10 imprinted domains. DMR methylation did not significantly differ for the H19, MEST and SGCE/PEG10 DMRs across all conceptal tissues analyzed (ANOVA p>0.10). Methylation differences at several DMRs were observed in tissues from brain (IGF2 and MEG3-IG DMRs), liver (IGF2 and MEG3 DMRs) and placenta (both DLK1/MEG3 DMRs and NNAT DMR). In most infants, methylation profiles in buccal cells at birth and at one year of age were comparable, as was methylation in the major cell fractions of umbilical cord blood. Several infants showed temporal deviations in methylation at multiple DMRs. Similarity of inter-individual and intra-individual methylation at some, but not all of the DMRs analyzed supports the possibility that methylation of these regions can serve as useful biosensors of exposure.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

PLoS One

DOI

EISSN

1932-6203

Publication Date

2012

Volume

7

Issue

7

Start / End Page

e40924

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Umbilical Cord
  • Time Factors
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Organ Specificity
  • Mouth Mucosa
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Murphy, S. K., Huang, Z., & Hoyo, C. (2012). Differentially methylated regions of imprinted genes in prenatal, perinatal and postnatal human tissues. PLoS One, 7(7), e40924. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0040924
Murphy, Susan K., Zhiqing Huang, and Cathrine Hoyo. “Differentially methylated regions of imprinted genes in prenatal, perinatal and postnatal human tissues.PLoS One 7, no. 7 (2012): e40924. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0040924.
Murphy, Susan K., et al. “Differentially methylated regions of imprinted genes in prenatal, perinatal and postnatal human tissues.PLoS One, vol. 7, no. 7, 2012, p. e40924. Pubmed, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040924.

Published In

PLoS One

DOI

EISSN

1932-6203

Publication Date

2012

Volume

7

Issue

7

Start / End Page

e40924

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Umbilical Cord
  • Time Factors
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Organ Specificity
  • Mouth Mucosa
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Humans