title: SiO(2) nanoparticles induce global genomic hypomethylation in HaCaT cells.
abstract: The increasing amount of nanotechnological products, found in our environment and those applicable in engineering, material sciences and medicine has stimulated a growing interest in examining their long-term impact on genetic and epigenetic processes. We examined here the epigenomic response to nm-SiO(2) particles in human HaCaT cells and methyltransferases (DNMTs) and DNA-binding domain proteins (MBDs) induced by nano-SiO(2) particles. Nm-SiO(2) treatment induced global hypoacetylation implying a global epigenomic response. The levels of DNMT1, DNMT3a and methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MBD2) were also decreased in a dose dependent manner at mRNA and protein level. Epigenetic changes may have long-term effects on gene expression programming long after the initial signal has been removed, and if these changes remain undetected, it could lead to long-term untoward effects in biological systems. These studies suggest that nanoparticles could cause more subtle epigenetic changes which merit thorough examination of environmental nanoparticles and novel candidate nanomaterials for medical applications.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Gonghua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Linqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qingchen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhixiong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhuang
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C000717967:DNMT3A protein, human; C489325:MBD2 protein, human; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; C000619380:DNMT1 protein, human