Dietary fat quality, more than dietary fat quantity, impacts genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in Greek preadolescents

ABSTRACT: The type and the amount of dietary fat have a significant influence on the metabolic pathways involved in the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes type 2 and cardiovascular diseases. However, it is unknown to what extent this modulation is achieved through DNA methylation. We assessed the effects of cholesterol intake, the proportion of energy intake derived from fat, the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (SFA), the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) to SFA, and the ratio of (MUFA+PUFA) to SFA on genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in normal-weight and obese children. We determined the genome-wide methylation profile in blood of 69 Greek preadolescents (~10 y old), as well as their dietary intake for two consecutive weekdays and one weekend day. The methylation levels of four sites and a CpG island were significantly correlated with total fat intake. The methylation levels of 13 islands and 16 sites were significantly correlated with PUFA/SFA; of 35 islands and 158 sites with MUFA/SFA; and of 50 islands and 130 sites with (MUFA+PUFA)/SFA. We found significant gene enrichment in 26 pathways for PUFA/SFA, including the leptin pathway, and a significant enrichment in three pathways for (MUFA+PUFA)/SFA. Our results suggest that the quality, and to a lesser extent the quantity of fat intake, influences DNA methylation, including genes involved in metabolism. Thus, specific changes in DNA methylation may play an important role in the mechanisms involved in the physiological responses to different types of dietary fat. Bisulphite converted DNA from 22 boys were hybridised to the Illumina Infinium 27k Human Methylation Beadchip v1.2.Both obese and normal-weight indiviudals were included.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

SUBMITTER: Sarah Voisin 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-57484 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress