Maternal nutrition at conception modulates DNA methylation of human metastable epialleles

Paula Dominguez-Salas; Sophie E Moore; Maria S Baker; Andrew W Bergen; Sharon E Cox; Roger A Dyer; Anthony J Fulford; Yongtao Guan; Eleonora Laritsky; Matt J Silver; Gary E Swan; Steven H Zeisel; Sheila M Innis; Robert A Waterland; Andrew M Prentice; Branwen J Hennig

doi:10.1038/ncomms4746

Maternal nutrition at conception modulates DNA methylation of human metastable epialleles

Nat Commun. 2014 Apr 29:5:3746. doi: 10.1038/ncomms4746.

Authors

Paula Dominguez-Salas¹, Sophie E Moore¹, Maria S Baker², Andrew W Bergen³, Sharon E Cox¹, Roger A Dyer⁴, Anthony J Fulford¹, Yongtao Guan⁵, Eleonora Laritsky², Matt J Silver¹, Gary E Swan⁶, Steven H Zeisel⁷, Sheila M Innis⁴, Robert A Waterland⁵, Andrew M Prentice¹, Branwen J Hennig¹

Affiliations

¹ MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Keneba, The Gambia and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, EPH, LSHTM, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
² Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
³ Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, California 94025-3493, USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Room 179, Child and Family Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5Z 4H4.
⁵ 1] Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, Texas 77030, USA [2] Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
⁶ Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5411, USA.
⁷ Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health and School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, North Carolina 28081, USA.

Abstract

In experimental animals, maternal diet during the periconceptional period influences the establishment of DNA methylation at metastable epialleles in the offspring, with permanent phenotypic consequences. Pronounced naturally occurring seasonal differences in the diet of rural Gambian women allowed us to test this in humans. We show that significant seasonal variations in methyl-donor nutrient intake of mothers around the time of conception influence 13 relevant plasma biomarkers. The level of several of these maternal biomarkers predicts increased/decreased methylation at metastable epialleles in DNA extracted from lymphocytes and hair follicles in infants postnatally. Our results demonstrate that maternal nutritional status during early pregnancy causes persistent and systemic epigenetic changes at human metastable epialleles.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adult
Biomarkers / blood*
DNA Methylation / physiology*
Epigenesis, Genetic / physiology*
Female
Fertilization / physiology*
Gambia
Hair Follicle / chemistry
Humans
Lymphocytes / chemistry
Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / physiology*
Pregnancy
Seasons*

Substances

Biomarkers

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding