Maternal obesity alters methylation level of cytosine in CpG island for epigenetic inheritance in fetal umbilical cord blood

Zhuoyao Ma; Yingjin Wang; Yanmei Quan; Zhijie Wang; Yue Liu; Zhide Ding

doi:10.1186/s40246-022-00410-2

Human Genomics (Aug 2022)

Maternal obesity alters methylation level of cytosine in CpG island for epigenetic inheritance in fetal umbilical cord blood

Zhuoyao Ma,
Yingjin Wang,
Yanmei Quan,
Zhijie Wang,
Yue Liu,
Zhide Ding

Affiliations

Zhuoyao Ma: Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Yingjin Wang: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Eighth People’s Hospital
Yanmei Quan: Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Zhijie Wang: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Eighth People’s Hospital
Yue Liu: Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Zhide Ding: Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40246-022-00410-2
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract Background Over the past few decades, global maternal obesity prevalence has rapidly increased. This condition may induce long-lasting pathophysiological effects on either fetal or infant health that could be attributable to unknown unique changes in the umbilical blood composition. Methods A total of 34 overweight/obese and 32 normal-weight pregnant women were recruited. Fifteen umbilical blood samples including 8 overweight/obese subjects and 7 normal weight women were sequenced using Targeted Bisulfite Sequencing technology to detect the average methylation level of cytosine and identify the differentially methylated region (DMR). GO and KEGG analyses were then employed to perform pathway enrichment analysis of DMR-related genes and promoters. Moreover, the mRNA levels of methylation-related genes histone deacetylases (HDACs) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) were characterized in the samples obtained from these two groups. Results Average methylated cytosine levels in both the CpG islands (CGI) and promoter significantly decreased in overweight/obese groups. A total of 1669 DMRs exhibited differences in their DNA methylation status between the overweight/obese and control groups. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that DMR-related genes and promoters were enriched in the metabolism, cancer and cardiomyopathy signaling pathways. Furthermore, the HDACs and DNMTs mRNA levels trended to decline in overweight/obese groups. Conclusions Decreased methylated cytosine levels in overweight/obese women induce the gene expression activity at a higher level than in the control group. DMRs between these two groups in the fetal blood may contribute to the changes in gene transcription that underlie the increased risk of metabolic disorders, cancers and cardiomyopathy in their offspring.

Published in Human Genomics

ISSN: 1479-7364 (Online)
Publisher: BMC
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine; Science: Biology (General): Genetics
Website: https://humgenomics.biomedcentral.com/

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