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Related Concept Videos

Phase II Reactions: Methylation Reactions01:17

Phase II Reactions: Methylation Reactions

Methylation is a phase II biotransformation process involving the attachment of a methyl group to a substrate. Enzymes known as methyltransferases orchestrate this reaction.
The mechanism of methylation unfolds in two stages. The first stage sees a methyltransferase enzyme facilitating the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the substrate, forming S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). The second stage involves further metabolism of SAH into homocysteine, which can be recycled...
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.
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Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

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Animal Mitochondrial Genetics02:59

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...

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Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
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Published on: June 28, 2024

Maternal methyl-donor supplementation and hypothalamic methylation stability.

Thomas Gerhard Brune1, Bettina Schloesser2, Marianne Volleth3

  • 1University Hospital Magdeburg, Department of Pediatrics, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

Endocrine Connections
|May 29, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Maternal methyl-donor supplementation impacts fetal epigenetic programming. The brain

Keywords:
DNA methylationepigenetic programminghypothalamusnutritionone-carbon metabolism

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Last Updated: May 31, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Maternal nutrition critically influences fetal epigenetic programming, with potential long-term health implications.
  • Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, are key mediators of environmental influences on gene expression.
  • Understanding how maternal diet affects offspring epigenetics is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate organ-specific differences in epigenetic responsiveness to maternal methyl-donor supplementation during development.
  • To determine if central nervous system tissues and peripheral organs exhibit distinct patterns of DNA methylation following prenatal nutritional interventions.
  • To explore the impact of maternal methyl-donor diets on global DNA methylation and gene expression in offspring.

Main Methods:

  • C57BL/6 mice dams were fed either standard or methyl-donor-enriched diets during gestation.
  • Offspring were exposed to control, prenatal, or combined prenatal and postnatal methyl-donor diets.
  • Global DNA methylation was quantified using ELISA in brain, hypothalamus, liver, spleen, and heart.
  • Hypothalamic gene expression was analyzed via microarray in a subset of offspring.

Main Results:

  • Prenatal methyl-donor supplementation significantly increased global 5-methylcytosine levels in the brain and hypothalamus.
  • Hypothalamic methylation elevations persisted regardless of postnatal diet, indicating stable programming.
  • Peripheral organs showed greater epigenetic plasticity, responding to both prenatal and postnatal methyl-donor exposure.
  • 36 differentially expressed hypothalamic transcripts were identified, including those involved in methylation pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal methyl-donor supplementation establishes a stable methylation profile in the hypothalamus during fetal development.
  • Peripheral organs retain epigenetic adaptability, responding to nutritional cues postnatally.
  • These findings highlight an organ-specific divergence in developmental programming with potential functional consequences.