Association of COMT genotypes with S-COMT promoter methylation in growth-discordant monozygotic twins and healthy adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) plays a key role in dopamine and estrogen metabolism. Recently, COMT haplotypes rather than the single polymorphism Val158Met have been reported to underlie differences in protein expression by modulating mRNA secondary structure. So far, studies investigating the epigenetic variability of the S-COMT (soluble COMT) promoter region mainly focused on phenotypical aspects, and results have been controversial.

Methods

We assessed S-COMT promoter methylation in saliva and blood derived DNA with regard to early pre- and postnatal growth as well as to genotype for polymorphisms rs6269, rs4633, and rs4680 (Val158Met) in 20 monozygotic twin pairs (mean age 4 years), who were discordant for intrauterine development due to severe feto-feta

SUBMITTER: Schreiner F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3270002 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature