Early Life Adversity Alters Normal Sex-dependent Developmental Dynamics of DNA Methylation

Overview

Journal Dev Psychopathol

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Specialties Psychiatry
Psychology

Date 2016 Oct 1

PMID 27687908

Citations 15

Authors

Renaud Massart

Zsofia Nemoda

Matthew J Suderman

Sheila Sutti

Angela M Ruggiero

Amanda M Dettmer

Stephen J Suomi

Moshe Szyf

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Studies in rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans suggest that epigenetic processes mediate between early life experiences and adult phenotype. However, the normal evolution of epigenetic programs during child development, the effect of sex, and the impact of early life adversity on these trajectories are not well understood. This study mapped the genome-wide DNA methylation changes in CD3+ T lymphocytes from rhesus monkeys from postnatal day 14 through 2 years of age in both males and females and determined the impact of maternal deprivation on the DNA methylation profile. We show here that DNA methylation profiles evolve from birth to adolescence and are sex dependent. DNA methylation changes accompany imposed weaning, attenuating the difference between males and females. Maternal separation at birth alters the normal evolution of DNA methylation profiles and targets genes that are also affected by a later stage maternal separation, that is, weaning. Our results suggest that early life events dynamically interfere with the normal developmental evolution of the DNA methylation profile and that these changes are highly effected by sex.

Citing Articles

Early life adversities and lifelong health outcomes: A review of the literature on large, social, long-lived nonhuman mammals.

Dettmer A, Chusyd D Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023; 152:105297.

PMID: 37391110 PMC: 10529948. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105297.

Experiences of Trauma and DNA Methylation Profiles among African American Mothers and Children.

Barcelona V, Huang Y, Caceres B, Newhall K, Hui Q, Cerdena J Int J Mol Sci. 2022; 23(16).

PMID: 36012217 PMC: 9408935. DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168951.

The rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene.

Cooper E, Brent L, Snyder-Mackler N, Singh M, Sengupta A, Khatiwada S Elife. 2022; 11.

PMID: 35801697 PMC: 9345599. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.78169.

Genome-wide Signatures of Early-Life Stress: Influence of Sex.

Parel S, Pena C Biol Psychiatry. 2021; 91(1):36-42.

PMID: 33602500 PMC: 8791071. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.12.010.

Genome-wide DNA methylation alteration in prenatally stressed Brahman heifer calves with the advancement of age.

Cilkiz K, Baker E, Riggs P, Littlejohn B, Long C, Welsh T Epigenetics. 2020; 16(5):519-536.

PMID: 32815760 PMC: 8078662. DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1805694.

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