Methylation of the tyrosine hydroxylase gene is dysregulated by cocaine dependence in the human striatum.

ABSTRACT: Cocaine dependence is a chronic, relapsing disorder caused by lasting changes in the brain. Animal studies have identified cocaine-related alterations in striatal DNA methylation; however, it is unclear how methylation is related to cocaine dependence in humans. We generated methylomic profiles of the nucleus accumbens using human postmortem brains from a cohort of individuals with cocaine dependence and healthy controls (n = 25 per group). We found hypermethylation in a cluster of CpGs within the gene body of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), containing a putative binding site for the early growth response 1 (EGR1) transcription factor, which is hypermethylated in the caudate nucleus of cocaine-dependent individuals. We replicated this finding and found it to be specific to striatal neuro

SUBMITTER: Vaillancourt K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8517202 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature