Peripheral DNA methylation of HPA axis-related genes in humans: cross-tissue convergence, two-year stability and behavioural and neural correlates

An increasing body of evidence spanning over the past decade supports the potential role of epigenetic processes in the development and maintenance of psychiatric disorders. One of these mechanisms is through the effects of HPA axis dysregulation. Indeed, one widely postulated hypothesis suggests that stress has a long-lasting influence on gene expression through epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, which can disrupt behavioural and physiological outcomes by interfering with neurobiological pathways (Szyf, 2013).

Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - July 15, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Jessica Di Sante, Elmira Ismaylova, Zsofia Nemoda, Jean-Philippe Gouin, Wei-Jo Yu, Warren Caldwell, Frank Vitaro, Moshe Szyf, Richard E. Tremblay, Linda Booij Source Type: research