Major epigenetic development distinguishing neuronal and non-neuronal cells occurs postnatally in the murine hypothalamus.

ABSTRACT: Prenatal and early postnatal environment can persistently alter one's risk of obesity. Environmental effects on hypothalamic developmental epigenetics constitute a likely mechanism underlying such 'developmental programming' of energy balance regulation. To advance our understanding of these processes, it is essential to develop approaches to disentangle the cellular and regional heterogeneity of hypothalamic developmental epigenetics. We therefore performed genome-scale DNA methylation profiling in hypothalamic neurons and non-neuronal cells at postnatal day 0 (P0) and P21 and found, surprisingly, that most of the DNA methylation differences distinguishing these two cell types are established postnatally. In particular, neuron-specific increases in DNA methylation occurred extensively at

SUBMITTER: Li G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3929094 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature