Keller, Simona (2009) BDNF gene methylation in brain of suicide subjects. [Tesi di dottorato] (Inedito)

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Tipologia del documento:	Tesi di dottorato
Lingua:	English
Titolo:	BDNF gene methylation in brain of suicide subjects
Autori:	Autore Email Keller, Simona simona.keller@libero.it
Data:	2009
Numero di pagine:	59
Istituzione:	Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Dipartimento:	Biologia e patologia cellullare e molecolare "L. Califano"
Scuola di dottorato:	Medicina molecolare
Dottorato:	Genetica e medicina molecolare
Ciclo di dottorato:	22
Coordinatore del Corso di dottorato:	nome email Di Lauro, Roberto dilauro@szn.it
Tutor:	nome email Chiariotti, Lorenzo chiariot@unina.it
Data:	2009
Numero di pagine:	59
Parole chiave:	BDNF, suicide, DNA methylation
Settori scientifico-disciplinari del MIUR:	Area 05 - Scienze biologiche > BIO/11 - Biologia molecolare Area 05 - Scienze biologiche > BIO/18 - Genetica Area 06 - Scienze mediche > MED/04 - Patologia generale
Depositato il:	19 Mag 2010 11:40
Ultima modifica:	03 Dic 2014 14:02
URI:	http://www.fedoa.unina.it/id/eprint/3816
DOI:	10.6092/UNINA/FEDOA/3816

Abstract

Abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of suicidal behaviour and BDNF levels are decreased in brain and plasma of suicide subjects. So far, the mechanisms leading to down-regulation of BDNF expression are poorly understood. In this work we tested the hypothesis that alterations of DNA methylation could be involved in the disregulation of BDNF gene expression in the brain of suicide subjects. We determined, by three independent quantitative methylation techniques, the DNA methylation degree at BDNF promoter IV and the genome-wide DNA methylation levels in the brain’s Wernicke’s area of 44 suicide completers and 33 non-suicide control subjects. Results showed in post-mortem brain samples from suicide subjects a statistically significant increase of DNA methylation at specific CpG sites in the BDNF promoter/exon IV compared to non-suicide control subjects. Most of CpG sites lying in the -300/+500 region, on both strands, were low or no methylated with the exception of few sites located near the transcriptional start site that were differentially methylated while genome-wide methylation levels were comparable among the subjects. In conclusions BDNF promoter/exon IV is frequently hypermethylated in post-mortem brain Wernicke’s area of suicide subjects irrespective of genome-wide methylation levels, indicating that a gene-specific increase in DNA methylation could cause or contribute to down-regulation of BDNF expression in suicide subjects. The reported data reveal a novel link between epigenetic alteration in brain and suicidal behaviour.

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