Dynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Changes in epigenetic modifications present a mechanism how environmental factors, such as the experience of stress, can alter gene regulation. While stress-related disorders have consistently been associated with differential DNA methylation, little is known about the time scale in which these alte...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Ariane Wiegand, Arne Blickle, Christof Brückmann, Simone Weller, Vanessa Nieratschker, Christian Plewnia
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: MDPI AG 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/26b5827606044c23bf84425e3690b3b9
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
id oai:doaj.org-article:26b5827606044c23bf84425e3690b3b9
record_format dspace
spelling oai:doaj.org-article:26b5827606044c23bf84425e3690b3b92021-11-25T16:54:28ZDynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation10.3390/biom111117262218-273Xhttps://doaj.org/article/26b5827606044c23bf84425e3690b3b92021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/11/1726https://doaj.org/toc/2218-273XChanges in epigenetic modifications present a mechanism how environmental factors, such as the experience of stress, can alter gene regulation. While stress-related disorders have consistently been associated with differential DNA methylation, little is known about the time scale in which these alterations emerge. We investigated dynamic DNA methylation changes in whole blood of 42 healthy male individuals in response to a stressful cognitive task, its association with concentration changes in cortisol, and its modulation by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We observed a continuous increase in <i>COMT</i> promotor DNA methylation which correlated with higher saliva cortisol levels and was still detectable one week later. However, this lasting effect was suppressed by concurrent activity-enhancing anodal tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our findings support the significance of gene-specific DNA methylation in whole blood as potential biomarkers for stress-related effects. Moreover, they suggest alternative molecular mechanisms possibly involved in lasting behavioral effects of tDCS.Ariane WiegandArne BlickleChristof BrückmannSimone WellerVanessa NieratschkerChristian PlewniaMDPI AGarticletranscranial direct current stimulationepigeneticsDNA methylationstress response<i>COMT</i>MicrobiologyQR1-502ENBiomolecules, Vol 11, Iss 1726, p 1726 (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic transcranial direct current stimulation
epigenetics
DNA methylation
stress response
<i>COMT</i>
Microbiology
QR1-502
spellingShingle transcranial direct current stimulation
epigenetics
DNA methylation
stress response
<i>COMT</i>
Microbiology
QR1-502
Ariane Wiegand
Arne Blickle
Christof Brückmann
Simone Weller
Vanessa Nieratschker
Christian Plewnia
Dynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
description Changes in epigenetic modifications present a mechanism how environmental factors, such as the experience of stress, can alter gene regulation. While stress-related disorders have consistently been associated with differential DNA methylation, little is known about the time scale in which these alterations emerge. We investigated dynamic DNA methylation changes in whole blood of 42 healthy male individuals in response to a stressful cognitive task, its association with concentration changes in cortisol, and its modulation by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We observed a continuous increase in <i>COMT</i> promotor DNA methylation which correlated with higher saliva cortisol levels and was still detectable one week later. However, this lasting effect was suppressed by concurrent activity-enhancing anodal tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our findings support the significance of gene-specific DNA methylation in whole blood as potential biomarkers for stress-related effects. Moreover, they suggest alternative molecular mechanisms possibly involved in lasting behavioral effects of tDCS.
format article
author Ariane Wiegand
Arne Blickle
Christof Brückmann
Simone Weller
Vanessa Nieratschker
Christian Plewnia
author_facet Ariane Wiegand
Arne Blickle
Christof Brückmann
Simone Weller
Vanessa Nieratschker
Christian Plewnia
author_sort Ariane Wiegand
title Dynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
title_short Dynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
title_full Dynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
title_fullStr Dynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
title_full_unstemmed Dynamic DNA Methylation Changes in the <i>COMT</i> Gene Promoter Region in Response to Mental Stress and Its Modulation by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
title_sort dynamic dna methylation changes in the <i>comt</i> gene promoter region in response to mental stress and its modulation by transcranial direct current stimulation
publisher MDPI AG
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/26b5827606044c23bf84425e3690b3b9
work_keys_str_mv AT arianewiegand dynamicdnamethylationchangesintheicomtigenepromoterregioninresponsetomentalstressanditsmodulationbytranscranialdirectcurrentstimulation
AT arneblickle dynamicdnamethylationchangesintheicomtigenepromoterregioninresponsetomentalstressanditsmodulationbytranscranialdirectcurrentstimulation
AT christofbruckmann dynamicdnamethylationchangesintheicomtigenepromoterregioninresponsetomentalstressanditsmodulationbytranscranialdirectcurrentstimulation
AT simoneweller dynamicdnamethylationchangesintheicomtigenepromoterregioninresponsetomentalstressanditsmodulationbytranscranialdirectcurrentstimulation
AT vanessanieratschker dynamicdnamethylationchangesintheicomtigenepromoterregioninresponsetomentalstressanditsmodulationbytranscranialdirectcurrentstimulation
AT christianplewnia dynamicdnamethylationchangesintheicomtigenepromoterregioninresponsetomentalstressanditsmodulationbytranscranialdirectcurrentstimulation
_version_ 1718412825463881728