Effect of valproic acid on mitochondrial epigenetics.

ABSTRACT: Valproic acid (valproate), an anticonvulsant and a mood stabilizer, is a potent histone deacetylase inhibitor and a widely utilized pharmacological tool for neuroepigenetic research including DNA methylation. However, only nuclear but not mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been investigated for the effects of valproate on the formation of 5-methylcytosine (5 mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5 hmC). Using mouse 3T3-L1 cells, we investigated the effects of short (1 day) and prolonged (3 days) valproate treatment on global mtDNA 5 mC content, global and mtDNA sequence-specific 5 hmC content, mRNA levels for ten-eleven-translocation (TET) enzymes involved in 5 hmC formation, and the mitochondrial content of TET proteins. Only 5 hmC but not 5 mC content in mtDNA was affected (decreased) by valproate

SUBMITTER: Chen H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3419440 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature