Dietary folate deficiency in pseudopregnant mice has no effect on homeobox A10 promoter methylation or expression.
During the reproductive cycle, a number of genes controlling endometrial changes are regulated by DNA methylation, a common epigenetic modification. Because dietary folate affects DNA methylation, we determined whether a folate-deficient diet (FDD) alters DNA methylation in endometria of pseudopregnant mice, focusing on the homeobox A10 (Hoxa10) promoter. Mice were given an FDD or control diet for 40 to 45 days and examined on day 5 of pseudopregnancy. Compared to control mice, FDD mice had lower folate levels in liver and serum (P = .004). However, the FDD did not significantly affect DNA methylation within the cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG)-rich Hoxa10 promoter, even when specific CpG sites were examined (P > .05). In endometrial tissue sections, the localization of anti-Hoxa10 staining was unchanged in FDD mice. Therefore, folate deficiency did not significantly affect promoter methylation or expression of Hoxa10.
Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
Chunlan
C
Long
Junlin
J
He
Xueqing
X
Liu
Xuemei
X
Chen
Rufei
R
Gao
Yingxiong
Y
Wang
Yubin
Y
Ding
D000818:Animals; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004032:Diet; D004717:Endometrium / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D000080905:Homeobox A10 Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011555:Pseudopregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*
D000080905:Homeobox A10 Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C092119:Hoxa10 protein, mouse; D005492:Folic Acid