| Literature DB >> 29069286 |
Fabio Ciccarone1, Elisabetta Valentini2,3, Marco Malavolta4, Michele Zampieri2,3, Maria Giulia Bacalini5, Roberta Calabrese2,3, Tiziana Guastafierro2,3, Anna Reale2, Claudio Franceschi5,6,7, Miriam Capri6,7, Nicolle Breusing8, Tilman Grune9, María Moreno-Villanueva10, Alexander Bürkle10, Paola Caiafa2,3.
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is caused by the presence of part or an entire extra copy of chromosome 21, a phenomenon that can cause a wide spectrum of clinically defined phenotypes of the disease. Most of the clinical signs of DS are typical of the aging process including dysregulation of immune system. Beyond the causative genetic defect, DS persons display epigenetic alterations, particularly aberrant DNA methylation patterns that can contribute to the heterogeneity of the disease. In the present work, we investigated the levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and of the Ten-eleven translocation dioxygenase enzymes, which are involved in DNA demethylation processes and are often deregulated in pathological conditions as well as in aging. Analyses were carried out on peripheral blood mononuclear cells of DS volunteers enrolled in the context of the MARK-AGE study, a large-scale cross-sectional population study with subjects representing the general population in eight European countries. We observed a decrease in 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, TET1, and other components of the DNA methylation/demethylation machinery in DS subjects, indicating that aberrant DNA methylation patterns in DS, which may have consequences on the transcriptional status of immune cells, may be due to a global disturbance of methylation control in DS.Entities:
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Year: 2018 PMID: 29069286 PMCID: PMC5946825 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glx198
Source DB: PubMed Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci ISSN: 1079-5006 Impact factor: 6.053
Figure 1.5-hydroxymethylcytosine levels are decreased in DS PBMCs. (A) Scatter plot showing median and interquartile ranges of 5hmC levels in DS and control (C) subjects. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann–Whitney U-test. (B) Representative dot blot of DNA from DS and control subjects performed by using anti-5hmC antibody (left panel) and methylene blue (MB) staining (right panel) as a DNA loading control, **p < .01.
Figure 2.TET1 expression levels are decreased in DS PBMCs. Scatter dot plot showing median and interquartile ranges of TET1 (A), TET2 (B), and TET3 (C) mRNA levels in DS and control (C) subjects. Statistical analysis was performed by unpaired t-test for TET1 and Mann–Whitney U-test for TET2, *p < .05; ***p < .001.
Figure 3.DNA methylation levels at the TET1 CpG island in DS and control PBMCs. Graphs represent the CpGs at TET1 CpG island showing difference in DNA methylation between DS and control (C) subjects. DNA methylation analysis was performed by epiTYPER assay. Statistical significance was determined by unpaired t-test, *p < .05; ***p < .001.
Figure 4.The expression levels of DNMT3A and TDG are decreased in DS PBMCs. Scatter plot showing median and interquartile ranges of DNMT1 (A), DNMT3A (B), DNMT3B (C), and TDG (D) levels in DS and control (C) subjects. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann–Whitney U-test for DNMT3A and unpaired t-test for TDG, *p < .05; ***p < .001.
Figure 5.5hmC levels as well as TET1 and TET3 expression were similar between DS samples and an elderly population. Scatter plot showing median and interquartile ranges of 5hmC (A), TET1 (B), TET2 (C), and TET3 (D) levels in DS persons, young (Y) persons (age: 31–45 years) and old (O) persons (age: 69–74 years). Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test, *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.