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A Chromatin Assay for Human Brain Tissue
Published on: March 21, 2008
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BDNF promoter I methylation correlates between post-mortem human peripheral and brain tissues.
Ludwig Stenz1, Seblewongel Zewdie1, Térèse Laforge-Escarra2
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland.
Neuroscience Research
|December 3, 2014
Summary
Peripheral DNA methylation in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene correlates with brain tissue, suggesting blood samples can proxy brain changes. Sex influences these methylation patterns across tissues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Psychiatric disorders are linked to CpG methylation changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promoters.
- Peripheral blood DNA is often used, but its relation to brain methylation is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare DNA methylation levels in BDNF promoter regions across human blood, muscle, and brain tissues.
- To investigate if peripheral DNA methylation serves as a proxy for brain-specific alterations.
Main Methods:
- Bisulfite-pyrosequencing was used to analyze DNA methylation in BDNF promoter regions.
- Samples were collected from blood, quadriceps muscle, prefrontal cortex (vPFC), and hippocampus.
Main Results:
- Significant correlation found between BDNF promoter I methylation in quadriceps and vPFC (n=98).
- Strong correlation observed for BDNF promoter I and IV methylation in the hippocampus (n=37).
- Evidence of sex-dependent effects on BDNF promoter methylation across all tissues and blood samples.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral and brain tissue DNA methylation show strong intra-individual correlation.
- Sex significantly influences BDNF promoter methylation patterns in blood, muscle, and brain tissues.
