Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer
07:50

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer

Published on: September 18, 2020

6.1K

Differential genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in childhood obesity

Lei Cao-Lei1, Guillaume Elgbeili2, Moshe Szyf3

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.

BMC Research Notes
|March 27, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) did not link to child obesity, but genome-wide DNA methylation patterns were identified in obese children. This epigenetic study highlights potential markers for childhood obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) may influence offspring susceptibility to obesity.
  • Project Ice Storm provided a unique longitudinal dataset to study PNMS effects.
  • Understanding epigenetic modifications is crucial for identifying obesity risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between PNMS from a natural disaster and child obesity.
  • To compare genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in obese versus non-obese children at age 13½.
  • To identify potential epigenetic biomarkers related to childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study design (Project Ice Storm).
  • Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip Array.
  • Analysis of 31 children, including five obese participants, at age 13½.

Main Results:

  • A distinct obesity-associated genome-wide DNA methylation pattern was identified.
  • 277 CpGs (143 genes) were differentially methylated in obese children.
  • Enrichment analysis revealed immune function pathways involved in obesity-associated methylation.

Conclusions:

  • While no direct association was found between PNMS and child obesity, significant obesity-associated DNA methylation patterns exist.
  • These findings suggest epigenetic mechanisms may play a role in childhood obesity development.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the functional implications of these methylation patterns.
Abstract

Keywords:
Genome-wide DNA methylationImmune functionObesityPrenatal maternal stressProject Ice Storm

More Related Videos

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies14:56

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies

Published on: May 6, 2022

5.1K
DamID-seq: Genome-wide Mapping of Protein-DNA Interactions by High Throughput Sequencing of Adenine-methylated DNA Fragments09:14

DamID-seq: Genome-wide Mapping of Protein-DNA Interactions by High Throughput Sequencing of Adenine-methylated DNA Fragments

Published on: January 27, 2016

20.1K

Related Concept Videos

Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS01:11

Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS

Genome-wide association studies or GWAS are used to identify whether common SNPs are associated with certain diseases. Suppose specific SNPs are more frequently observed in individuals with a particular disease than those without the disease. In that case, those SNPs are said to be associated with the disease. Chi-square analysis is performed to check the probability of the allele likely to be associated with the disease.
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
15.4K
Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes00:46

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

The genome of most prokaryotic organisms consists of double-stranded DNA organized into one circular chromosome in a region of cytoplasm called the nucleoid. The chromosome is tightly wound, or supercoiled, for efficient storage. Prokaryotes also contain other circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. These plasmids are smaller than the chromosome and often carry genes that confer adaptive functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...
48.5K
Genomic DNA in Eukaryotes00:58

Genomic DNA in Eukaryotes

Eukaryotes have large genomes compared to prokaryotes. To fit their genomes into a cell, eukaryotic DNA is packaged extraordinarily tightly inside the nucleus. To achieve this, DNA is tightly wound around proteins called histones, which are packaged into nucleosomes that are joined by linker DNA and coil into chromatin fibers. Additional fibrous proteins further compact the chromatin, which is recognizable as chromosomes during certain phases of cell division.
52.7K
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
37.0K
Genomics02:02

Genomics

Genomics is the science of genomes: it is the study of all the genetic material of an organism. In humans, the genome consists of information carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, as well as mitochondrial DNA. In genomics, both coding and non-coding DNA is sequenced and analyzed. Genomics allows a better understanding of all living things, their evolution, and their diversity. It has a myriad of uses: for example, to build phylogenetic trees, to improve productivity and...
40.0K
Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
1.2K