1. Epigenomic Convergence of Neural-Immune Risk Factors in Neurodevelopmental Disorder Cortex
- Author
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Dag H. Yasui, Charles E. Mordaunt, Annie Vogel Ciernia, Hyeyeon Hwang, Rochelle L. Coulson, Benjamin I. Laufer, Janine M. LaSalle, and Keith W. Dunaway
- Subjects
Male ,Epigenomics ,Autism ,Bisulfite sequencing ,microglia ,Epigenesis, Genetic ,0302 clinical medicine ,Neurodevelopmental disorder ,Risk Factors ,2.1 Biological and endogenous factors ,Psychology ,Aetiology ,Cerebral Cortex ,Genetics ,0303 health sciences ,DNA methylation ,neurodevelopmental disorders ,Experimental Psychology ,Mental Health ,Autism spectrum disorder ,Neurological ,Original Article ,Female ,Cognitive Sciences ,Neuroimmunomodulation ,autism spectrum disorders ,Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) ,Cognitive Neuroscience ,Rett syndrome ,Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience ,Genetic ,medicine ,Humans ,Epigenetics ,030304 developmental biology ,Whole Genome Sequencing ,epigenetics ,Prevention ,Human Genome ,Neurosciences ,DNA Methylation ,medicine.disease ,Brain Disorders ,Differentially methylated regions ,Neurodevelopmental Disorders ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Epigenesis - Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) affect 7–14% of all children in developed countries and are one of the leading causes of lifelong disability. Epigenetic modifications are poised at the interface between genes and environment and are predicted to reveal insight into NDD etiology. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing was used to examine DNA cytosine methylation in 49 human cortex samples from 3 different NDDs (autism spectrum disorder, Rett syndrome, and Dup15q syndrome) and matched controls. Integration of methylation changes across NDDs with relevant genomic and genetic datasets revealed differentially methylated regions (DMRs) unique to each type of NDD but with shared regulatory functions in neurons and microglia. NDD DMRs were enriched within promoter regions and for transcription factor binding sites with identified methylation sensitivity. DMRs from all 3 disorders were enriched for ontologies related to nervous system development and genes with disrupted expression in brain from neurodevelopmental or neuropsychiatric disorders. Genes associated with NDD DMRs showed expression patterns indicating an important role for altered microglial function during brain development. These findings demonstrate an NDD epigenomic signature in human cortex that will aid in defining therapeutic targets and early biomarkers at the interface of genetic and environmental NDD risk factors.
- Published
- 2019
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