Bacterial infection promotes DNA hypermethylation

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Maternal oral infections, by bacteria like C. rectus, are linked to preterm delivery and fetal growth restriction.
• Oral pathogens can infect the placenta, triggering inflammation and impacting fetal development.
• Previous studies noted intrauterine growth restriction in animal models infected with oral organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the epigenetic mechanisms by which C. rectus infection affects fetal development.
• To determine if C. rectus infection alters DNA methylation patterns of the imprinted Igf2 gene in the murine placenta.
• To establish a link between maternal oral infection, placental epigenetic changes, and fetal growth outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Murine models were infected with C. rectus.
• Placental tissues were analyzed for gene expression and DNA methylation patterns.
• Specific focus was placed on the imprinted Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (Igf2) gene and its promoter region P0.

Main Results:

• C. rectus infection led to down-regulation of the imprinted Igf2 gene in placental tissues of growth-restricted mice.
• Infection induced significant hypermethylation in the promoter region-P0 of the Igf2 gene.
• A correlation was established between bacterial infection, placental epigenetic alterations, and altered gene expression.

Conclusions:

• C. rectus infection can mediate epigenetic changes in the placenta, specifically Igf2 gene hypermethylation.
• These epigenetic alterations provide a molecular mechanism linking maternal oral infection to adverse fetal growth outcomes.
• Findings highlight the role of environmental factors in programming placental phenotype and fetal development through epigenetic modifications.