Dynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Ariane Wiegand,
Arne Blickle,
Christof Brückmann,
Simone Weller,
Vanessa Nieratschker,
Christian Plewnia
Affiliations
Ariane Wiegand
Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Molecular Psychiatry, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Arne Blickle
Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Molecular Psychiatry, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Christof Brückmann
Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Molecular Psychiatry, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Simone Weller
Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neurophysiology & Interventional Neuropsychiatry, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Vanessa Nieratschker
Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Molecular Psychiatry, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Christian Plewnia
Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neurophysiology & Interventional Neuropsychiatry, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Changes in epigenetic modifications present a mechanism how environmental factors, such as the experience of stress, can alter gene regulation. While stress-related disorders have consistently been associated with differential DNA methylation, little is known about the time scale in which these alterations emerge. We investigated dynamic DNA methylation changes in whole blood of 42 healthy male individuals in response to a stressful cognitive task, its association with concentration changes in cortisol, and its modulation by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We observed a continuous increase in COMT promotor DNA methylation which correlated with higher saliva cortisol levels and was still detectable one week later. However, this lasting effect was suppressed by concurrent activity-enhancing anodal tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our findings support the significance of gene-specific DNA methylation in whole blood as potential biomarkers for stress-related effects. Moreover, they suggest alternative molecular mechanisms possibly involved in lasting behavioral effects of tDCS.
