Maternal nutrition at conception modulates DNA methylation of human metastable epialleles.
In experimental animals, maternal diet during the periconceptional period influences the establishment of DNA methylation at metastable epialleles in the offspring, with permanent phenotypic consequences. Pronounced naturally occurring seasonal differences in the diet of rural Gambian women allowed us to test this in humans. We show that significant seasonal variations in methyl-donor nutrient intake of mothers around the time of conception influence 13 relevant plasma biomarkers. The level of several of these maternal biomarkers predicts increased/decreased methylation at metastable epialleles in DNA extracted from lymphocytes and hair follicles in infants postnatally. Our results demonstrate that maternal nutritional status during early pregnancy causes persistent and systemic epigenetic changes at human metastable epialleles.
MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Keneba, The Gambia and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, EPH, LSHTM, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Paula
P
Dominguez-Salas
MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Keneba, The Gambia and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, EPH, LSHTM, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Sophie E
SE
Moore
Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Maria S
MS
Baker
Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, California 94025-3493, USA.
Andrew W
AW
Bergen
MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Keneba, The Gambia and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, EPH, LSHTM, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Sharon E
SE
Cox
Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Room 179, Child and Family Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5Z 4H4.
Roger A
RA
Dyer
MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Keneba, The Gambia and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, EPH, LSHTM, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Anthony J
AJ
Fulford
1] Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, Texas 77030, USA [2] Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Yongtao
Y
Guan
Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Eleonora
E
Laritsky
MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Keneba, The Gambia and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, EPH, LSHTM, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Matt J
MJ
Silver
Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5411, USA.
Gary E
GE
Swan
Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health and School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, North Carolina 28081, USA.
Steven H
SH
Zeisel
Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Room 179, Child and Family Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5Z 4H4.
Sheila M
SM
Innis
1] Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, Texas 77030, USA [2] Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Robert A
RA
Waterland
MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Keneba, The Gambia and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, EPH, LSHTM, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Andrew M
AM
Prentice
MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Keneba, The Gambia and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, EPH, LSHTM, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Branwen J
BJ
Hennig
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000502:physiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D005714:Gambia; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012621:Seasons
D015415:Biomarkers