Characterizing DNA Methylation and Hydroxymethylation in Cord Blood and Identifying Sex-Specific Differences using the Illumina EPIC Array.

DNA methylation, an epigenetic mark, has become a common outcome in epidemiological studies with the aid of affordable and reliable technologies. Yet the most widespread technique used to assess methylation, bisulfite conversion, does not allow for the differentiation of regular DNA methylation (5-mC) and other cytosine modifications, like that of hydroxymethylation (5-hmC). As both 5-mC and 5-hmC have distinct biological roles, sometimes with opposing effects, it is crucial to understand the difference between these marks.

Longitudinal DNA methylation in parent-infant pairs impacted by intergenerational social adversity: An RCT of the Michigan Model of Infant Mental Health Home Visiting.

Introduction: Early childhood development is a strong predictor of long-term health outcomes, potentially mediated via epigenetics (DNA methylation). The aim of the current study was to examine how childhood experiences, punitive parenting, and an intergenerational psychotherapeutic intervention may impact DNA methylation in young children and their mothers.

Methods: Mothers and their infants/toddlers between 0 and 24 months were recruited at baseline (n = 146, 73 pairs) to participate in a randomized control trial evaluating the effectiveness of The Michigan Model of Infant Mental Health Home Visiting (IMH-HV) parent-infant psychotherapy compared to treatment as usual.

Firefighting, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and DNA methylation of genes associated with prostate cancer risk.

Prostate cancer is the leading incident cancer among men in the United States. Firefighters are diagnosed with this disease at a rate 1.21 times higher than the average population.

Translational toxicoepigenetic Meta-Analyses identify homologous gene DNA methylation reprogramming following developmental phthalate and lead exposure in mouse and human offspring.

Although toxicology uses animal models to represent real-world human health scenarios, a critical translational gap between laboratory-based studies and epidemiology remains. In this study, we aimed to understand the toxicoepigenetic effects on DNA methylation after developmental exposure to two common toxicants, the phthalate di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and the metal lead (Pb), using a translational paradigm that selected candidate genes from a mouse study and assessed them in four human birth cohorts. Data from mouse offspring developmentally exposed to DEHP, Pb, or control were used to identify genes with sex-specific sites with differential DNA methylation at postnatal day 21.

Developmental exposures to common environmental contaminants, DEHP and lead, alter adult brain and blood hydroxymethylation in mice.

The developing epigenome changes rapidly, potentially making it more sensitive to toxicant exposures. DNA modifications, including methylation and hydroxymethylation, are important parts of the epigenome that may be affected by environmental exposures. However, most studies do not differentiate between these two DNA modifications, possibly masking significant effects.