Epigenetic state and expression of imprinted genes in umbilical cord correlates with growth parameters in human pregnancy

Abstract

These data are the first to demonstrate relative expression of an imprinted gene associated with epigenetic changes in non-syndromic fetal growth restriction in babies. They show that perturbed expression in compromised fetal growth may be associated with in utero modulation of the epigenetic state at the imprinting control regions and implicate specific imprinted genes as new biomarkers of fetal growth.

Placental 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine patterns associate with size at birth

“…However the consequences of this are unclear, since there was no correlation between DNA methylation at these regions and IGF2 and CDKN1C mRNA levels. The lack of correlation between mRNA levels and DNA methylation is consistent with previous studies in umbilical cord and placenta which report altered expression of a number of imprinted genes in the absence of the corresponding expected changes in DNA methylation 20,39 and suggests that alternative mechanisms may lead to dysregulation of the expression of these genes in the placenta. 5hmC enrichment within the H19 gene body was also positively related to birth weight SD score.…”

“…13 Approximately 50% of growthrestricted individuals with SRS cases show loss of methylation at ICR1, which could lead to decreased IGF2 expression and consequent growth restriction. 8,14 IGF2 expression is additionally modulated by DNA methylation at a number of other DMRs, 15 and altered placental and umbilical cord 5mC at DMRs controlling IGF2 expression has been reported in association with fetal growth restriction in some, [16][17][18][19] but not all 15,20 studies.…”

Maternal diabetes induces changes in the umbilical cord gene expression

“…This may, to some extent, limit the extrapolation of the gene expression results to the biological functions. Nevertheless, similar to our study, the whole umbilical cord tissue has been successfully used for genetic examinations in pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restriction [44,45]. In order Fig.…”

Degree of methylation ofZAC1(PLAGL1) is associated with prenatal and post-natal growth in healthy infants of the EDEN mother child cohort

“…19 By contrast, few data have been published to date about whether pre-and postnatal growth and insulin/C-peptide levels at birth in healthy children are associated with the methylation status at imprinted genes involved in the control of both metabolism and growth. 20 In addition, there are scarce data about whether maternal diet, either before or during pregnancy, is associated with variability in the ZAC1 DMR methylation index (MI). 21 We report an exploratory analysis of the association between the MI for the ZAC1 DMR in cord blood and both C-peptide levels in cord blood and intra-and extra-uterine growth in healthy children of the French EDEN cohort study (Study of pre-and post-natal child health and development determinants).…”