title: Ablation of de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a in the nervous system leads to neuromuscular defects and shortened lifespan.
abstract: DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism involved in gene regulation and implicated in the functioning of the nervous system. The de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a is expressed in neurons, but its specific role has not been clarified. Dnmt3a is activated around embryonic day 10.5 in mouse neuronal precursor cells and remains active in postmitotic neurons in the adult. We assessed the role of neuronal Dnmt3a by conditional gene targeting. Mice lacking functional Dnmt3a in the nervous system were born healthy, but degenerated in adulthood and died prematurely. Mutant mice were hypoactive, walked abnormally, and underperformed on tests of neuromuscular function and motor coordination. Loss of Dnmt3a also led to fewer motor neurons in the hypoglossal nucleus and more fragmented endplates in neuromuscular junctions of the diaphragm muscle. Our results implicate a role for Dnmt3a in the neuromuscular control of motor movement.
authors.affiliation: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meletis
authors.forename: Dongdong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Sonal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jhaveri
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jaenisch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001835:Body Weight; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017353:Gene Deletion; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009420:Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D064231:Nestin; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C000715535:Dnmt3a protein, mouse; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases