title: Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of human pancreatic islets from type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic donors identifies candidate genes that influence insulin secretion.
abstract: Impaired insulin secretion is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Epigenetics may affect disease susceptibility. To describe the human methylome in pancreatic islets and determine the epigenetic basis of T2D, we analyzed DNA methylation of 479,927 CpG sites and the transcriptome in pancreatic islets from T2D and non-diabetic donors. We provide a detailed map of the global DNA methylation pattern in human islets, β- and α-cells. Genomic regions close to the transcription start site showed low degrees of methylation and regions further away from the transcription start site such as the gene body, 3'UTR and intergenic regions showed a higher degree of methylation. While CpG islands were hypomethylated, the surrounding 2 kb shores showed an intermediate degree of methylation, whereas regions further away (shelves and open sea) were hypermethylated in human islets, β- and α-cells. We identified 1,649 CpG sites and 853 genes, including TCF7L2, FTO and KCNQ1, with differential DNA methylation in T2D islets after correction for multiple testing. The majority of the differentially methylated CpG sites had an intermediate degree of methylation and were underrepresented in CpG islands (∼ 7%) and overrepresented in the open sea (∼ 60%). 102 of the differentially methylated genes, including CDKN1A, PDE7B, SEPT9 and EXOC3L2, were differentially expressed in T2D islets. Methylation of CDKN1A and PDE7B promoters in vitro suppressed their transcriptional activity. Functional analyses demonstrated that identified candidate genes affect pancreatic β- and α-cells as Exoc3l silencing reduced exocytosis and overexpression of Cdkn1a, Pde7b and Sept9 perturbed insulin and glucagon secretion in clonal β- and α-cells, respectively. Together, our data can serve as a reference methylome in human islets. We provide new target genes with altered DNA methylation and expression in human T2D islets that contribute to perturbed insulin and glucagon secretion. These results highlight the importance of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of T2D.
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tasnim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dayeh
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Volkov
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salö
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University Medical Center, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Clare L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University Medical Center, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claes B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wollheim
authors.affiliation: Islet Cell Exocytosis, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eliasson
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rönn
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bacos
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Lund University, CRC, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000235:genetics; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin