Distinct DNA methylation patterns of cognitive impairment and trisomy 21 in Down syndrome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The presence of an extra whole or part of chromosome 21 in people with Down syndrome (DS) is associated with multiple neurological changes, including pathological aging that often meets the criteria for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In addition, trisomies have been shown to disrupt normal epigenetic marks across the genome, perhaps in response to changes in gene dosage. We hypothesized that trisomy 21 would result in global epigenetic changes across all participants, and that DS patients with cognitive impairment would show an additional epigenetic signature.

Methods

We therefore examined whole-genome DNA methylation in buccal epithelial cells of 10 adults with DS and 10 controls to determine whether patterns of DNA methylation were correlated with DS and/or cognitive

SUBMITTER: Jones MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3879645 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature