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Life Long Changes in DNA Methylation & ncRNAs in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

INGENUITY SCIENTIFIC SEMINAR Speaker: Ben Laufer, PhD Candidate, Western University, Ontario, Canada. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are characterized by life-long changes in gene expression, neurodevelopment and behavior. What mechanisms initiate and maintain these changes are not known, but current research suggests a role for alcohol-induced epigenetic changes. We assessed alterations to adult mouse brain tissue by assaying DNA cytosine methylation and small noncoding RNA (ncRNA) expression, specifically the microRNA (miRNA) and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) subtypes. We found long-lasting alterations in DNA methylation as a result of fetal alcohol exposure, specifically in the imprinted regions of the genome harboring ncRNAs and sequences interacting with regulatory proteins. The findings of this study help to expand on the mechanisms behind the long-lasting changes in the brain transcriptome of FASD individuals.

Contributors/Organisations: Ingenuity Systems, Qiagen, EpiGenie, Western University

Science > Genetics > Molecular Genetics

Science > Genetics > Neurogenetics

Science > Genetics > Neurogenomics

Science > Genetics > Systems Biology Archive

Science > Genetics > Epigenomics and Epigenetics

Science > Genetics > Computational Genomics

Science > Genetics > RNA

Keywords: epigenetics, Systems Biology, bioinformatics, pathway analysis, gene networks, regulation of gene expression, Transcriptomics

Posted by: Ben Laufer

Posted on: 21 Mar 2014

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