Background: Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is characterised by elevated impulsive aggression and increased risk for criminal behaviour and incarceration. Deficient activity of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene is suggested to contribute to serotonergic system dysregulation strongly associated with impulsive aggression and antisocial criminality.
Aims: To elucidate the role of epigenetic processes in altered MAOA expression and serotonin regulation in a population of incarcerated offenders with ASPD compared with a healthy non-incarcerated control population.
Method: Participants were 86 incarcerated participants with ASPD and 73 healthy controls. MAOA promoter methylation was compared between case and control groups. We explored the functional impact of MAOA promoter methylation on gene expression in vitro and blood 5-HT levels in a subset of the case group.
Results: Results suggest that MAOA promoter hypermethylation is associated with ASPD and may contribute to downregulation of MAOA gene expression, as indicated by functional assays in vitro, and regression analysis with whole-blood serotonin levels in offenders with ASPD.
Conclusions: These results are consistent with prior literature suggesting MAOA and serotonergic dysregulation in antisocial populations. Our results offer the first evidence suggesting epigenetic mechanisms may contribute to MAOA dysregulation in antisocial offenders.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.144964 | DOI Listing |
J Exp Bot
January 2025
College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Flowering, a pivotal plant lifecycle event, is intricately regulated by environmental and endogenous signals via genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Photoperiod is a crucial environmental cue that induces flowering by activating integrators through genetic and epigenetic pathways. However, the specific role of DNA methylation, a conserved epigenetic marker, in photoperiodic flowering remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHortic Res
January 2025
College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China.
DNA methylation is a stable epigenetic mark that plays a crucial role in plant life processes. However, the specific functions of DNA methylation in grape berry development remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on 'Kyoho' grape and its early-ripening bud mutant 'Fengzao' at different developmental stages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndocrinology
January 2025
Neuroendocrinology Department, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, J. M. Street, Parel, Mumbai 400012, India.
Estrogen through its receptors, ERα and ERβ, regulate various aspects of spermatogenesis and male fertility. Since the sperm epigenome is an important contributing factor to male fertility, we evaluated the effects of estrogen signaling activation through the ERs on sperm DNA methylome in adult rats. Whole genome-bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) in caudal sperm DNA was performed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Adv Res
January 2025
Biomedical Research Center, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016 Zhejiang, China; Department of Pathology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016 Zhejiang, China. Electronic address:
Introduction: Tumor suppressor gene (TSG) inactivation by epigenetic modifications contributes to the carcinogenesis and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Expression profiling and CpG methylomics revealed that a forkhead-box transcriptional factor, FOXS1, is downregulated and methylated in CRC.
Objectives: To assess the biological functions and underlying mechanisms of FOXS1 in colorectal cancer.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China. Electronic address:
In previous reports, we highlighted the significant involvement of SMYD3, a histone methyltransferase (HMT), in various aspects of cancer progression, including cell adhesion, migration, and invasion. In this study, we delved deeper into understanding the relationship between SMYD3 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) both in cell lines and clinical samples. Our investigation uncovered a notable correlation between heightened SMYD3 expression and the presence of EMT markers in human breast cancer tissues.
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