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Sex differences in the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern and impact on gene expression, microRNA levels and insulin secretion in human pancreatic islets

Hall, Elin LU ; Volkov, Petr LU ; Dayeh, Tasnim LU ; Esguerra, Jonathan LU orcid ; Salo, Sofia ; Eliasson, Lena LU orcid ; Rönn, Tina LU ; Bacos, Karl LU orcid and Ling, Charlotte LU orcid (2014) In GenomeBiology 15(12).
Abstract
Background: Epigenetic factors regulate tissue-specific expression and X-chromosome inactivation. Previous studies have identified epigenetic differences between sexes in some human tissues. However, it is unclear whether epigenetic modifications contribute to sex-specific differences in insulin secretion and metabolism. Here, we investigate the impact of sex on the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern in human pancreatic islets from 53 males and 34 females, and relate the methylome to changes in expression and insulin secretion. Results: Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is higher in female versus male islets. Genome-wide DNA methylation data in human islets clusters based on sex. While the chromosome-wide DNA methylation level on the... (More)
Background: Epigenetic factors regulate tissue-specific expression and X-chromosome inactivation. Previous studies have identified epigenetic differences between sexes in some human tissues. However, it is unclear whether epigenetic modifications contribute to sex-specific differences in insulin secretion and metabolism. Here, we investigate the impact of sex on the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern in human pancreatic islets from 53 males and 34 females, and relate the methylome to changes in expression and insulin secretion. Results: Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is higher in female versus male islets. Genome-wide DNA methylation data in human islets clusters based on sex. While the chromosome-wide DNA methylation level on the X-chromosome is higher in female versus male islets, the autosomes do not display a global methylation difference between sexes. Methylation of 8,140 individual X-chromosome sites and 470 autosomal sites shows sex-specific differences in human islets. These include sites in/near AR, DUSP9, HNF4A, BCL11A and CDKN2B. 61 X-chromosome genes and 18 autosomal genes display sex-specific differences in both DNA methylation and expression. These include NKAP, SPESP1 and APLN, which exhibited lower expression in females. Functional analyses demonstrate that methylation of NKAP and SPESP1 promoters in vitro suppresses their transcriptional activity. Silencing of Nkap or Apln in clonal beta-cells results in increased insulin secretion. Differential methylation between sexes is associated with altered levels of microRNAs miR-660 and miR-532 and related target genes. Conclusions: Chromosome-wide and gene-specific sex differences in DNA methylation associate with altered expression and insulin secretion in human islets. Our data demonstrate that epigenetics contribute to sex-specific metabolic phenotypes. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
GenomeBiology
volume
15
issue
12
article number
522
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • wos:000346609500006
  • scopus:84965189252
  • pmid:25517766
ISSN
1465-6906
DOI
10.1186/s13059-014-0522-z
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9924a4a2-53ce-41a7-b0a0-de8c17c2ad45 (old id 4950620)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:19:09
date last changed
2024-04-10 18:49:40
@article{9924a4a2-53ce-41a7-b0a0-de8c17c2ad45,
  abstract     = {{Background: Epigenetic factors regulate tissue-specific expression and X-chromosome inactivation. Previous studies have identified epigenetic differences between sexes in some human tissues. However, it is unclear whether epigenetic modifications contribute to sex-specific differences in insulin secretion and metabolism. Here, we investigate the impact of sex on the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern in human pancreatic islets from 53 males and 34 females, and relate the methylome to changes in expression and insulin secretion. Results: Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is higher in female versus male islets. Genome-wide DNA methylation data in human islets clusters based on sex. While the chromosome-wide DNA methylation level on the X-chromosome is higher in female versus male islets, the autosomes do not display a global methylation difference between sexes. Methylation of 8,140 individual X-chromosome sites and 470 autosomal sites shows sex-specific differences in human islets. These include sites in/near AR, DUSP9, HNF4A, BCL11A and CDKN2B. 61 X-chromosome genes and 18 autosomal genes display sex-specific differences in both DNA methylation and expression. These include NKAP, SPESP1 and APLN, which exhibited lower expression in females. Functional analyses demonstrate that methylation of NKAP and SPESP1 promoters in vitro suppresses their transcriptional activity. Silencing of Nkap or Apln in clonal beta-cells results in increased insulin secretion. Differential methylation between sexes is associated with altered levels of microRNAs miR-660 and miR-532 and related target genes. Conclusions: Chromosome-wide and gene-specific sex differences in DNA methylation associate with altered expression and insulin secretion in human islets. Our data demonstrate that epigenetics contribute to sex-specific metabolic phenotypes.}},
  author       = {{Hall, Elin and Volkov, Petr and Dayeh, Tasnim and Esguerra, Jonathan and Salo, Sofia and Eliasson, Lena and Rönn, Tina and Bacos, Karl and Ling, Charlotte}},
  issn         = {{1465-6906}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{GenomeBiology}},
  title        = {{Sex differences in the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern and impact on gene expression, microRNA levels and insulin secretion in human pancreatic islets}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3905403/7695370}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s13059-014-0522-z}},
  volume       = {{15}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}