title: Androgen receptor function links human sexual dimorphism to DNA methylation.
abstract: Sex differences are well known to be determinants of development, health and disease. Epigenetic mechanisms are also known to differ between men and women through X-inactivation in females. We hypothesized that epigenetic sex differences may also result from sex hormone functions, in particular from long-lasting androgen programming. We aimed at investigating whether inactivation of the androgen receptor, the key regulator of normal male sex development, is associated with differences of the patterns of DNA methylation marks in genital tissues. To this end, we performed large scale array-based analysis of gene methylation profiles on genomic DNA from labioscrotal skin fibroblasts of 8 males and 26 individuals with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) due to inactivating androgen receptor gene mutations. By this approach we identified differential methylation of 167 CpG loci representing 162 unique human genes. These were significantly enriched for androgen target genes and low CpG content promoter genes. Additional 75 genes showed a significant increase of heterogeneity of methylation in AIS compared to a high homogeneity in normal male controls. Our data show that normal and aberrant androgen receptor function is associated with distinct patterns of DNA-methylation marks in genital tissues. These findings support the concept that transcription factor binding to the DNA has an impact on the shape of the DNA methylome. These data which derived from a rare human model suggest that androgen programming of methylation marks contributes to sexual dimorphism in the human which might have considerable impact on the manifestation of sex-associated phenotypes and diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel & University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ammerpohl
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bens
authors.forename: Mahesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Appari
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Korn
authors.forename: Stenvert L S
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Drop
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verheijen
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: van der Zwan
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bunch
authors.forename: Ieuan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cools
authors.forename: Felix G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Riepe
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hiort
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Siebert
authors.forename: Paul-Martin
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Holterhus
mesh_terms: D013734:Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism; D053399:Apolipoproteins D / Q000235:genetics; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000502:physiology*; D057890:Epigenomics; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000166:cytology; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000166:cytology; D018392:Genomic Imprinting / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D053399:Apolipoproteins D; D011944:Receptors, Androgen
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