Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling identifies a folate-sensitive region of differential methylation upstream of ZFP57-imprinting regulator in humans

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Manori Amarasekera - , University of Western Australia (Author)
  • David Martino - , Melbourne Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Sarah Ashley - , Monash University Malaysia (Author)
  • Hani Harb - , University Hospital Gießen and Marburg (Author)
  • Dörthe Kesper - , University Hospital Gießen and Marburg (Author)
  • Deborah Strickland - , Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (Author)
  • Richard Saffery - , Melbourne Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Susan L Prescott - , University of Western Australia (Author)

Abstract

Folate intake during pregnancy may affect the regulation of DNA methylation during fetal development. The genomic regions in the offspring that may be sensitive to folate exposure during in utero development have not been characterized. Using genome-scale profiling, we investigated DNA methylation in 2 immune cell types (CD4(+) and antigen-presenting cells) isolated from neonatal cord blood, selected on the basis of in utero folate exposure. High-folate (HF; n=11) and low-folate (LF; n=12) groups were selected from opposite extremes of maternal serum folate levels measured in the last trimester of pregnancy. A comparison of these groups revealed differential methylation at 7 regions across the genome. By far, the biggest effect observed was hypomethylation of a 923 bp region 3 kb upstream of the ZFP57 transcript, a regulator of DNA methylation during development, observed in both cell types. Levels of H3/H4 acetylation at ZFP57 promoter and ZFP57 mRNA expression were higher in CD4(+) cells in the HF group relative to the LF group. Hypomethylation at this region was replicated in an independent sample set. These data suggest that exposure to folate has effects on the regulation of DNA methylation during fetal development, and this may be important for health and disease.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4068-76
Number of pages9
JournalFASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Volume28
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2014
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC5395735
Scopus 84907215005

Keywords

Keywords

  • Adult, Antigen-Presenting Cells/metabolism, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism, DNA Methylation, DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics, Female, Fetal Blood/metabolism, Fetal Development/genetics, Folic Acid/metabolism, Gene Expression Profiling, Genome, Human, Genomic Imprinting, Humans, Immunoenzyme Techniques, Infant, Male, Pregnancy, Prospective Studies, RNA, Messenger/genetics, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Repressor Proteins, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Transcription Factors/genetics