Epigenetics in schizophrenia: a pilot study of global DNA methylation in different brain regions associated with higher cognitive functions

Attempts to discover genes that are involved in the pathogenesis of major psychiatric disorders have been frustrating and often fruitless. Concern is building about the need to understand the complex ways in which nature and nurture interact to produce mental illness. We analyze the epigenome in sev...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Alelú-Paz, Raúl, Carmona, F. Javier, Sanchez-Mut, Jose Vicente, Cariaga-Martínez, Ariel, González-Corpas, Ana, Ashour, Nadia, Orea, Maria J., Escanilla, Ana, Monje, Alfonso, Guerrero Márquez, Carmen, Saiz Ruiz, Jerónimo, Esteller, Manel, 1968-, Ropero, Santiago
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/127979
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/127979
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Esquizofrènia
Cognició
Memòria
Epigenètica
ADN
Metilació
Cervell
Schizophrenia
Cognition
Memory
Epigenetics
DNA
Methylation
Brain
Descripción
Sumario:Attempts to discover genes that are involved in the pathogenesis of major psychiatric disorders have been frustrating and often fruitless. Concern is building about the need to understand the complex ways in which nature and nurture interact to produce mental illness. We analyze the epigenome in several brain regions from schizophrenic patients with severe cognitive impairment using high-resolution (450K) DNA methylation array. We identified 139 differentially methylated CpG sites included in known and novel candidate genes sequences as well as in and intergenic sequences which functions remain unknown. We found that altered DNA methylation is not restricted to a particular region, but includes others such as CpG shelves and gene bodies, indicating the presence of different DNA methylation signatures depending on the brain area analyzed. Our findings suggest that epimutations are not relatables between different tissues or even between tissues' regions, highlighting the need to adequately study brain samples to obtain reliable data concerning the epigenetics of schizophrenia.