Epigenome-850K-wide profiling reveals peripheral blood differential methylation in term low birth weight
Creators: name: Liu, Jing
name: Sun, Qi
name: Liu, Die
name: Liang, Haixiao
name: Chen, Yuanmei
name: Ye, Fang
name: Zhang, Qi
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy

description: <b>Aim:</b> We investigate the genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns of term low birth weight (TLBW) neonates. <b>Methods:</b> In the discovery phase, we assayed 32 samples (TLBW/control:16/16) using the EPIC 850k BeadChip Array. Targeted pyrosequencing of in 60 samples (TLBW/control:28/32) using targeted pyrosequencing during the replication phase. <b>Results:</b> The 850K array identified TLBW-associated 144 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and 149 DMRs. Nearly 77% DMPs exhibited hypomethylation, located in the opensea and gene body regions. The most significantly enriched pathway in KEGG is sphingolipid metabolism (hsa00600), and the genes <i>GALC</i> and <i>SGMS1</i> related to this pathway both show hypomethylation. <b>Conclusion:</b> Our analysis provides evidence of genome-wide DNAm alterations in TLBW. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the functional significance of these DNAm changes. This study looked at the DNA of babies born after 37 weeks of pregnancy but weighing less than 2500 grams. We found that these babies had lower levels of DNA methylation, which might change how their bodies handle fats. This study offers a comprehensive exploration of the DNA methylation landscape in TLBW. We identified TLBW-associated 144 DMPs and 149 DMRs. Several DMPs related genes involved in crucial processes such as immune response, transcriptional regulation and sphingolipid metabolism. Epigenetic regulation, particularly DNA methylation may play an important role in the development of term low birth weight (TLBW). Our study presents a landmark investigation, marking the first-ever comprehensive comparison of genome-wide methylation patterns in the peripheral blood of TLBW and term normal birth weight (TNBW) neonates. For the first time, we identified 144 differentially methylated positions and 149 differentially methylated regions in the peripheral blood of TLBW neonates. This novel revelation highlights the genes implicated in term low birth weight, notably <i>KY</i>, <i>CEP164</i>, <i>ATG7</i>, <i>CHSY1</i>, <i>GADD45G</i>, <i>PRKAR1B</i> and <i>SH3BP5</i>. A striking observation was the predominance of hypomethylation, encompassing almost 77% of differentially methylated positions, suggesting that reduced DNA methylation levels constitute a hallmark feature of TLBW neonates. Our results resonate with the perturbed methylation of genes governing immune and inflammatory responses in TLBW neonates. Our findings accentuate the intriguing possibility of sphingolipid metabolism's involvement in the intricate mechanism underpinning TLBW. Future investigations are poised to combine diverse omics disciplines, including genomics, metabolomics and proteomics, to provide a more comprehensive perspective on TLBW's epigenetic mechanisms.