학술논문
Quantification of cytosine modifications in the aged mouse brain
Document Type
Report
Author
Source
Neuropsychopharmacology Reports. March 2024, Vol. 44 Issue 1, p250, 6 p.
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epigenetics is the study of the genetic regulation of gene expression in which DNA sequences are not altered. DNA methylation is a major form of DNA modification and contributes [...]
: Quantifying cytosine modifications in various brain regions provides important insights into the gene expression regulation and pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, we quantified 5‐methylcytosine (5‐mC), 5‐hydroxymethylation (5‐hmC), and 5‐formylcytosine (5‐fC) levels in five brain regions (the frontal lobe, cerebral cortical region without frontal lobe, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and the cerebellum) and the heart at three developmental periods (12, 48, and 101 weeks). We observed significant regional variations in cytosine modification. Notably, regional variations were generally maintained throughout development, suggesting that epigenetic regulation is unique to each brain region and remains relatively stable with age. The 5‐mC and 5‐hmC levels were positively correlated, although the extent of the correlations seemed to differ in different brain regions. On the contrary, 5‐fC levels did not correlate with 5‐mC or 5‐hmC levels. Additionally, we observed an age‐dependent decrease in 5‐fC levels in the basal ganglia, suggesting a unique epigenetic regulation mechanism. Further high‐resolution studies using animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders as well as postmortem brain evaluation are warranted.
: Quantifying cytosine modifications in various brain regions provides important insights into the gene expression regulation and pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, we quantified 5‐methylcytosine (5‐mC), 5‐hydroxymethylation (5‐hmC), and 5‐formylcytosine (5‐fC) levels in five brain regions (the frontal lobe, cerebral cortical region without frontal lobe, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and the cerebellum) and the heart at three developmental periods (12, 48, and 101 weeks). We observed significant regional variations in cytosine modification. Notably, regional variations were generally maintained throughout development, suggesting that epigenetic regulation is unique to each brain region and remains relatively stable with age. The 5‐mC and 5‐hmC levels were positively correlated, although the extent of the correlations seemed to differ in different brain regions. On the contrary, 5‐fC levels did not correlate with 5‐mC or 5‐hmC levels. Additionally, we observed an age‐dependent decrease in 5‐fC levels in the basal ganglia, suggesting a unique epigenetic regulation mechanism. Further high‐resolution studies using animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders as well as postmortem brain evaluation are warranted.