Ischemic epigenetics and the transplanted kidney

The primary purpose of this investigation was to study oxidative demethylation of DNA following ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/RI) that putatively influences posttransplant gene expression in transplanted kidneys. Our hypothesis was that as a result of I/RI, oxidative damage, which is inherent in solid organ transplantation, may lead to aberrant demethylation of cytosine-guanine (CpG) sites within gene promoter regions of DNA. The methylated CpG sites normally contribute to the binding of proteins that render DNA inaccessible to transcription factors. Therefore, conversion of methylated cytosines to nonmethylated cytosines by oxidative damage in postischemic organs might facilitate enhanced gene expression in donor organs by exposing the demethylated CpG site in a gene promoter to DNA-binding proteins that enhance gene transcription. In this study, we investigated the demethylation of a specific CpG within the IFNgamma response element resident in the promoter region of the C3 gene in the rat kidney. In response to 24 hours of cold ischemia and a subsequent 2 hours of reperfusion in an isolated ex-vivo circuit, we observed a significant change in the ratio of methylated to unmethylated cytosines at this site. Epigenetic modifications to donor DNA have not been previously investigated, but our own data suggests that they have the potential to modify gene expression posttransplantation. Since epigenetic modification may become stable and heritable upon mitosis, such changes to the donor organ DNA may persist with enormous implications for transplant outcomes.