BioProject

Gender differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders are well documented in epidemiological studies. More...

Gender differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders are well documented in epidemiological studies. Exposure to stress during gestation impacts differentially between females and males. Environmental or biological factors can alter DNA methylation and affect the development of neurodevelopmental diseases. In this study, we explored gender-specific DNA methylation in regarding their potential connection to psychiatric outcomes. We assessed the methylation of cord blood of 39 females and 32 males born at term and with appropriate weight at birth. Mothers between 18 and 48 years of age (median: 28 years) were interviewed to gather information about environmental factors (gestational exposure) that can potentially interfere with the methylation profiles in the newborns. Bisulphite converted DNA was hybridized to Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChips. After exclusion of XYS probes, there were 2,332 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMS) between sexes, with an overlap of 890 (38%) CpG sites with an a cohort submitted to gestational stress exposition. Using externals datasets, we found that the DMSs were enriched within brain modules of co-methylated CpGs during gestation and were also differentially methylated in the brain comparing boys and girls during brain development. Genes associated to the DMSs were enriched for neurodevelopmental disorders. Accordingly, we described an enrichment of the DMSs among the differentially methylated CpG sites in brain tissue between schizophrenics and controls. Here, we suggest that gender changes methylation in the autosomes working as a primary driver to stress exposition which potentially contributes for gender differences found in psychiatric outcomes. Overall design: Bisulphite converted DNA from the 71 samples were hybridized to the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip following manufacture's protocols. Less...