scholarly journals Laboratory methods to decipher epigenetic signatures: a comparative review

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raheleh Halabian ◽  
Valizadeh Arshad ◽  
Ali Ahmadi ◽  
Pardis Saeedi ◽  
Sadegh Azimzadeh Jamalkandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Histone Modification ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Independent Events ◽  
Epigenetic Effects ◽  
Diagnostic Potential ◽  
Comparative Review

AbstractEpigenetics refers to nucleotide sequence-independent events, and heritable changes, including DNA methylation and histone modification (as the two main processes), contributing to the phenotypic features of the cell. Both genetics and epigenetics contribute to determining the outcome of regulatory gene expression systems. Indeed, the flexibility of epigenetic effects and stability of genetic coding lead to gene regulation complexity in response signals. Since some epigenetic changes are significant in abnormalities such as cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, the initial changes, dynamic and reversible properties, and diagnostic potential of epigenomic phenomena are subject to epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) for therapeutic aims. Based on recent studies, methodological developments are necessary to improve epigenetic research. As a result, several methods have been developed to explore epigenetic alterations at low, medium, and high scales, focusing on DNA methylation and histone modification detection. In this research field, bisulfite-, enzyme sensitivity- and antibody specificity-based techniques are used for DNA methylation, whereas histone modifications are gained based on antibody recognition. This review provides a mechanism-based understanding and comparative overview of the most common techniques for detecting the status of epigenetic effects, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, for applicable approaches from low- to high-throughput scales.

scholarly journals The Role of DNA Methylation and Histone Modification in Periodontal Disease: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 6217
Author(s):  
Ismael Khouly ◽  
Rosalie Salus Braun ◽  
Michelle Ordway ◽  
Bradley Eric Aouizerat ◽  
Iya Ghassib ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Periodontal Disease ◽  
Histone Modification ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Periodontal Diseases ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Human Adults

Despite a number of reports in the literature on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in periodontal disease, a thorough assessment of the published studies is warranted to better comprehend the evidence on the relationship between epigenetic changes and periodontal disease and its treatment. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to identify and synthesize the evidence for an association between DNA methylation/histone modification and periodontal disease and its treatment in human adults. A systematic search was independently conducted to identify articles meeting the inclusion criteria. DNA methylation and histone modifications associated with periodontal diseases, gene expression, epigenetic changes after periodontal therapy, and the association between epigenetics and clinical parameters were evaluated. Sixteen studies were identified. All included studies examined DNA modifications in relation to periodontitis, and none of the studies examined histone modifications. Substantial variation regarding the reporting of sample sizes and patient characteristics, statistical analyses, and methodology, was found. There was some evidence, albeit inconsistent, for an association between DNA methylation and periodontal disease. IL6, IL6R, IFNG, PTGS2, SOCS1, and TNF were identified as candidate genes that have been assessed for DNA methylation in periodontitis. While several included studies found associations between methylation levels and periodontal disease risk, there is insufficient evidence to support or refute an association between DNA methylation and periodontal disease/therapy in human adults. Further research must be conducted to identify reproducible epigenetic markers and determine the extent to which DNA methylation can be applied as a clinical biomarker.

scholarly journals Epigenetics and Inflammatory Markers: A Systematic Review of the Current Evidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Gonzalez-Jaramillo ◽  
Eliana Portilla-Fernandez ◽  
Marija Glisic ◽  
Trudy Voortman ◽  
Mohsen Ghanbari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Inflammatory Markers ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Inflammation Markers ◽  
Epigenetic Marks ◽  
Differentially Methylated Genes ◽  
Inadequate Sample Size

Epigenetic mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in the genetic regulation of pathways related to inflammation. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review studies investigating the association between DNA methylation and histone modifications with circulatory inflammation markers in blood. Five bibliographic databases were screened until 21 November of 2017. We included studies conducted on humans that examined the association between epigenetic marks (DNA methylation and/or histone modifications) and a comprehensive list of inflammatory markers. Of the 3,759 identified references, 24 articles were included, involving, 17,399 individuals. There was suggestive evidence for global hypomethylation but better-quality studies in the future have to confirm this. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) (n=7) reported most of the identified differentially methylated genes to be hypomethylated in inflammatory processes. Candidate genes studies reported 18 differentially methylated genes related to several circulatory inflammation markers. There was no overlap in the methylated sites investigated in candidate gene studies and EWAS, except for TMEM49, which was found to be hypomethylated with higher inflammatory markers in both types of studies. The relation between histone modifications and inflammatory markers was assessed by one study only. This review supports an association between epigenetic marks and inflammation, suggesting hypomethylation of the genome. Important gaps in the quality of studies were reported such as inadequate sample size, lack of adjustment for relevant confounders, and failure to replicate the findings. While most of the studies have been focused on C-reactive protein, further efforts should investigate other inflammatory markers.

Histone Modifications Associated with DNA Methylation and Transcriptional Repression of p15INK4b in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3354-3354
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Paul ◽  
Horatiu Muresan ◽  
Emily Prentice ◽  
Linda Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Histone Modification ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Transcriptional Repression ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Hdac Inhibitors ◽  
Chromosome 9 ◽  
Repressive Histone Modification

Abstract p15INK4b is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor known to regulate the G1-to-S transition of the cell cycle and to be involved in negatively regulating myeloid progenitor cell production. DNA hypermethylation leading to transcriptional silencing of p15INK4b has been reported in up to 70% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient samples. In our study we sought to determine if p15INK4b DNA methylation in AML is accompanied by repressive histone modifications that contribute to the transcriptional repression of the gene at the chromatin level. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and DNA tiling microarrays (ChIP-on-chip) with 20bp resolution were utilized to assess the distribution of histone modifications over a 1.2 megabase region of human chromosome 9 including p15INK4b and adjacent tumor suppressor genes p14ARF and p16INK4a. We found that AML cell lines with p15INK4b hypermethylation (Kasumi-1, KG-1, and KG-1a) had high levels of the repressive histone modification trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3). Remarkably, this modification spanned the entire INK4b-ARF-INK4a region while little binding was observed in adjacent regions of chromosome 9. Binding of EZH2, the polycomb associated H3K27 histone methyltransferase, co-localized with H3K27me3 distribution over the INK locus. H3K27me3 was not identified at this region in AML cell lines without p15INK4b DNA methylation (U937 and HL-60). In contrast, histone modifications associated gene activation, trimethylation of lysine 4 of H3 (H3K4me3) and acetylation of lysine 9 (H3K9Ac), were found at the p15INK4b promoter in these cells. Enrichment of another repressive histone modification, trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 9 (H3K9me3), did not correlate with the DNA methylation status of p15INK4b and appeared highest in exons 2 and 3 of p16INK4a in most cell lines. Since p15INK4b reactivation has been described as a component of a patient’s response to epigenetic therapies in AML treatment, we sought to determine the dynamics of histone modifications following treatment with the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor tricostatin A. In KG-1 cells, a reduction in p15INK4b DNA methylation was observed following treatment with DNMT inhibitors. Unexpectedly, treatment with HDAC inhibitors alone was also capable of reducing p15INK4b DNA methylation suggesting that a repressive chromatin structure contributes to the DNA methylation in this cell line. Loss of DNA methylation was not sufficient for reactivation of p15INK4b expression as detectible expression was only observed following the combined treatment of DNMT and HDAC inhibitors. Reactivation was associated with an increase in the activation-associated histone modifications H3K4me3 and H3K9Ac at the promoter region and, unexpectedly, maintenance of the repressive modification H3K27me3. This “bivalent” histone modification pattern is characteristic of many developmentally poised genes in embryonic stem cells and correlates with the histone methylation status of p15INK4b we observed in CD34+ bone marrow progenitor/ stem cells. This data indicates that optimal epigenetic therapies targeted to reactivate p15INK4b expression should be designed to induce activating histone modifications in addition to reducing DNA methylation.

Epigenetic modifications in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: From cellular mechanisms to therapeutics

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezzatollah Fathi ◽  
Raheleh Farahzadi ◽  
Soheila Montazersaheb ◽  
Yasin Bagheri
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Histone Modification ◽  
Epigenetic Modification ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Methylation Pattern ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Novel Treatments

Background:: Epigenetic modification pattern is considered as a characteristic feature in blood malignancies. Modifications in the DNA methylation modulators are recurrent in lymphoma and leukemia, so that, the distinct methylation pattern defines different types of leukemia. Generally, the role of epigenetics is less understood and most investigations are focused on genetic abnormalities and cytogenic studies to develop novel treatments for patients with hematologic disorders. Recently, understanding the underlying mechanism of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), especially epigenetic altera-tions as a driving force in the development of ALL opens a new era of investigation for developing promising strategy, be-yond available conventional therapy. Objective:: This review will focus on a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms in cancer development and pro-gression, with an emphasis on epigenetic alterations in ALL including, DNA methylation, histone modification, and mi-croRNA alterations. Other topics that will be discussed include the use of epigenetic alterations as a promising therapeutic target in order to develop novel well-suited approaches against ALL. Conclusion:: According to the literature review, leukemogenesis of ALL is extensively influenced by epigenetic modifica-tions, particularly DNA hyper-methylation, histone modification, and miRNA alteration.

scholarly journals Genome-wide association studies identify 137 genetic loci for DNA methylation biomarkers of aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel L. McCartney ◽  
Josine L. Min ◽  
Rebecca C. Richmond ◽  
Ake T. Lu ◽  
Maria K. Sobczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Genome Wide Association Study ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Loci ◽  
Biomarkers Of Aging ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Shared Genetic

Abstract Background Biological aging estimators derived from DNA methylation data are heritable and correlate with morbidity and mortality. Consequently, identification of genetic and environmental contributors to the variation in these measures in populations has become a major goal in the field. Results Leveraging DNA methylation and SNP data from more than 40,000 individuals, we identify 137 genome-wide significant loci, of which 113 are novel, from genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses of four epigenetic clocks and epigenetic surrogate markers for granulocyte proportions and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 levels, respectively. We find evidence for shared genetic loci associated with the Horvath clock and expression of transcripts encoding genes linked to lipid metabolism and immune function. Notably, these loci are independent of those reported to regulate DNA methylation levels at constituent clock CpGs. A polygenic score for GrimAge acceleration showed strong associations with adiposity-related traits, educational attainment, parental longevity, and C-reactive protein levels. Conclusion This study illuminates the genetic architecture underlying epigenetic aging and its shared genetic contributions with lifestyle factors and longevity.

scholarly journals Neuroblastoma and the epigenome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irfete S. Fetahu ◽  
Sabine Taschner-Mandl
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Disease Diagnosis ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Tet Proteins ◽  
Relative Paucity ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
Aberrant Dna Methylation

AbstractNeuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric cancer of the sympathetic nervous system and one of the most common solid tumors in infancy. Amplification of MYCN, copy number alterations, numerical and segmental chromosomal aberrations, mutations, and rearrangements on a handful of genes, such as ALK, ATRX, TP53, RAS/MAPK pathway genes, and TERT, are attributed as underlying causes that give rise to NB. However, the heterogeneous nature of the disease—along with the relative paucity of recurrent somatic mutations—reinforces the need to understand the interplay of genetic factors and epigenetic alterations in the context of NB. Epigenetic mechanisms tightly control gene expression, embryogenesis, imprinting, chromosomal stability, and tumorigenesis, thereby playing a pivotal role in physio- and pathological settings. The main epigenetic alterations include aberrant DNA methylation, disrupted patterns of posttranslational histone modifications, alterations in chromatin composition and/or architecture, and aberrant expression of non-coding RNAs. DNA methylation and demethylation are mediated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins, respectively, while histone modifications are coordinated by histone acetyltransferases and deacetylases (HATs, HDACs), and histone methyltransferases and demethylases (HMTs, HDMs). This article focuses predominately on the crosstalk between the epigenome and NB, and the implications it has on disease diagnosis and treatment.

scholarly journals Natural Antisense Transcript PEBP1P3 Regulates the RNA Expression, DNA Methylation and Histone Modification of CD45 Gene

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 759
Author(s):  
Zhongjing Su ◽  
Guangyu Liu ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Ze Lin ◽  
Dongyang Huang
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Histone Modification ◽  
Antisense Rna ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Antisense Transcript ◽  
Natural Antisense Transcript ◽  
Regulation Of Expression ◽  
Splicing Isoforms ◽  
Intron 2

The leukocyte common antigen CD45 is a transmembrane phosphatase expressed on all nucleated hemopoietic cells, and the expression levels of its splicing isoforms are closely related to the development and function of lymphocytes. PEBP1P3 is a natural antisense transcript from the opposite strand of CD45 intron 2 and is predicted to be a noncoding RNA. The genotype-tissue expression and quantitative PCR data suggested that PEBP1P3 might be involved in the regulation of expression of CD45 splicing isoforms. To explore the regulatory mechanism of PEBP1P3 in CD45 expression, DNA methylation and histone modification were detected by bisulfate sequencing PCR and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, respectively. The results showed that after the antisense RNA PEBP1P3 was knocked down by RNA interference, the DNA methylation of CD45 intron 2 was decreased and histone H3K9 and H3K36 trimethylation at the alternative splicing exons of CD45 DNA was increased. Knockdown of PEBP1P3 also increased the binding levels of chromatin conformation organizer CTCF at intron 2 and the alternative splicing exons of CD45. The present results indicate that the natural antisense RNA PEBP1P3 regulated the alternative splicing of CD45 RNA, and that might be correlated with the regulation of histone modification and DNA methylation.

scholarly journals Comparison of DNA Methylation Profiles of Hemostatic Genes between Liver Tissue and Peripheral Blood within Individuals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelie Angerfors ◽  
Martina Olsson Lindvall ◽  
Björn Andersson ◽  
Staffan Nilsson ◽  
Marcela Davila Lopez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Liver Tissue ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Methylation Pattern ◽  
Cpg Dinucleotides ◽  
Phenotypic Differences ◽  
Targeted Bisulfite Sequencing ◽  
Hemostatic Genes

AbstractDNA methylation has become increasingly recognized in the etiology of complex diseases, including thrombotic disorders. Blood is often collected in epidemiological studies for genotyping and has recently also been used to examine DNA methylation in epigenome-wide association studies. DNA methylation patterns are often tissue-specific, thus, peripheral blood may not accurately reflect the methylation pattern in the tissue of relevance. Here, we collected paired liver and blood samples concurrently from 27 individuals undergoing liver surgery. We performed targeted bisulfite sequencing for a set of 35 hemostatic genes primarily expressed in liver to analyze DNA methylation levels of >10,000 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides. We evaluated whether DNA methylation in blood could serve as a proxy for DNA methylation in liver at individual CpGs. Approximately 30% of CpGs were nonvariable and were predominantly hypo- (<25%) or hypermethylated (>70%) in both tissues. While blood can serve as a proxy for liver at these CpGs, the low variability renders these unlikely to explain phenotypic differences. We therefore focused on CpG sites with variable methylation levels in liver. The level of blood–liver tissue correlation varied widely across these variable CpGs; moderate correlations (0.5 ≤ r < 0.75) were detected for 6% and strong correlations (r ≥ 0.75) for a further 4%. Our findings indicate that it is essential to study the concordance of DNA methylation between blood and liver at individual CpGs. This paired blood–liver dataset is intended as a resource to aid interpretation of blood-based DNA methylation results.

scholarly journals Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies of carotid intima-media thickness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliana Portilla-Fernández ◽  
Shih-Jen Hwang ◽  
Rory Wilson ◽  
Jane Maddock ◽  
W. David Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Subclinical Atherosclerosis ◽  
Intima Media Thickness ◽  
Carotid Intima Media Thickness ◽  
Media Thickness

AbstractCommon carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is an index of subclinical atherosclerosis that is associated with ischemic stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD). We undertook a cross-sectional epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of measures of cIMT in 6400 individuals. Mendelian randomization analysis was applied to investigate the potential causal role of DNA methylation in the link between atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk factors and cIMT or clinical cardiovascular disease. The CpG site cg05575921 was associated with cIMT (beta = −0.0264, p value = 3.5 × 10–8) in the discovery panel and was replicated in replication panel (beta = −0.07, p value = 0.005). This CpG is located at chr5:81649347 in the intron 3 of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor gene (AHRR). Our results indicate that DNA methylation at cg05575921 might be in the pathway between smoking, cIMT and stroke. Moreover, in a region-based analysis, 34 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified of which a DMR upstream of ALOX12 showed the strongest association with cIMT (p value = 1.4 × 10–13). In conclusion, our study suggests that DNA methylation may play a role in the link between cardiovascular risk factors, cIMT and clinical cardiovascular disease.

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