title: DNA methylation, behavior and early life adversity.
abstract: The impact of early physical and social environments on life-long phenotypes is well known. Moreover, we have documented evidence for gene-environment interactions where identical gene variants are associated with different phenotypes that are dependent on early life adversity. What are the mechanisms that embed these early life experiences in the genome? DNA methylation is an enzymatically-catalyzed modification of DNA that serves as a mechanism by which similar sequences acquire cell type identity during cellular differentiation and embryogenesis in the same individual. The hypothesis that will be discussed here proposes that the same mechanism confers environmental-exposure specific identity upon DNA providing a mechanism for embedding environmental experiences in the genome, thus affecting long-term phenotypes. Particularly important is the environment early in life including both the prenatal and postnatal social environments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Sir William Osler Promenade, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada. Moshe.szyf@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szyf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001519:Behavior; D019175:DNA Methylation; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics
keywords: DNA methylation; Demethylase; Early life adversity; Epigenetics; Glucocorticoids; Maternal care; Socioeconomic status; Stress