title: Epigenetic differences in cortical neurons from a pair of monozygotic twins discordant for Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: DNA methylation is capable of modulating coordinate expression of large numbers of genes across many different pathways, and may therefore warrant investigation for their potential role between genes and disease phenotype. In a rare set of monozygotic twins discordant for Alzheimer's disease (AD), significantly reduced levels of DNA methylation were observed in temporal neocortex neuronal nuclei of the AD twin. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that epigenetic mechanisms may mediate at the molecular level the effects of life events on AD risk, and provide, for the first time, a potential explanation for AD discordance despite genetic similarities.
authors: LJ Roberts Center for Alzheimer's Research, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, USA.
authors: Diego
authors: D
authors: Mastroeni
authors: Ann
authors: A
authors: McKee
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Grover
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Rogers
authors: Paul D
authors: PD
authors: Coleman
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic