Methylation of genomic cytosines is one of the best characterized epigenetic mechanisms, and investigation of its relationship with other biochemical pathways represents a critical stage in the elucidation of biological information processing. The field also has immense potential for the development of medical treatments for any number of conditions ranging from aging to neurological disorders. The DNA methylation status of genes is responsible for many heritable traits and varies more or less independently of the genetic code. This variation is often a result of cellular environmental factors including metabolism. A key metabolite in this regard is homocysteine. Knowledge of homocysteine metabolism continues to be amassed, yet the part played by aberrant DNA methylation in homocysteine-related pathologies is often, at best, conjectural. In this analysis, we will review recent insights and attempt to speculate meaningfully concerning the dynamics of the methionine cycle in relation to DNA methylation and disease.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddi100 | DOI Listing |
Front Biosci (Landmark Ed)
January 2025
School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, SE5 9NU London, UK.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most prevalent cause of mortality and morbidity in the Western world. A common underlying hallmark of CVD is the plaque-associated arterial thickening, termed atherosclerosis. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the aetiology of atherosclerosis remain unknown, it is clear that both its development and progression are associated with significant changes in the pattern of DNA methylation within the vascular cell wall.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
January 2025
Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan.
Background/objectives: The DNA methylation of neonatal cord blood can be used to accurately estimate gestational age. This is known as epigenetic gestational age. The greater the difference between epigenetic and chronological gestational age, the greater the association with an inappropriate perinatal fetal environment and development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
January 2025
Section of Preclinical Disease Biology, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Children and teenagers display a distinct metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) phenotype, yet studies of childhood MASH are scarce and validated animal models lacking, limiting the development of treatments. Poor vitamin C (VitC) status may affect MASH progression and often co-occurs with high-fat diets and related metabolic imbalances. As a regulator of DNA methylation, poor VitC status may further contribute to MASH by regulating gene expression This study investigated guinea pigs-a species that, like humans, depends on vitC in the diet-as a model of pediatric MASH, examining the effects of poor VitC status on MASH hallmarks and global DNA methylation levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
January 2025
School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
DNA methylation has been widely studied with the goal of correlating the genome profiles of various diseases with epigenetic mechanisms. Multiple approaches have been developed that employ extensive steps, such as bisulfite treatments, polymerase chain reactions (PCR), restriction digestion, sequencing, mass analysis, etc., to identify DNA methylation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLife (Basel)
December 2024
School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242, Taiwan.
Serum cystatin C is a well-established marker of renal function and a valuable predictor of health risks and mortality. DNA methylation-predicted cystatin C (DNAmCystatinC), an advanced epigenetic biomarker, serves as a proxy for serum cystatin C levels. However, the relationships between serum cystatin C, DNAmCystatinC, renal function, and mortality outcomes have not been previously examined.
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