GPR61 methylation in cord blood: a potential target of prenatal exposure to air pollutants

ABSTRACT

To explore the impact of air pollutants exposure during pregnancy on infant DNA methylation, we identified correlated methylated genes in maternal and cord blood samples using the Illumina Human Methylation 27 k BeadChip. Quantitative methylation-specific PCR (QMS-PCR) was performed to validate the target gene methylation pattern in 568 participants. Then the association between air pollutants exposure and DNA methylation level in the target gene was investigated. The GPR61 gene with a higher methylation level both in mothers and newborns was identified as the target gene, and we found a positive mother-infant DNA methylation correlation in the promoter region of GPR61. Air pollutants exposure during entire pregnancy was associated with maternal and infant GPR61 DNA methylation. After adjusting confounding variables, maternal air pollutants exposure was still associated with infant GPR61 DNA methylation. In summary, GPR61 methylation in cord blood may be a potential target of prenatal exposure to air pollutants.

KEYWORDS:

• DNA methylation
• GPR61 promoter region
• air pollution
• newborns

Acknowledgments

We thank all the participants in this study and all the doctors and nurses of Houzhai Center Hospital.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant number 81673116 and 81972981; Henan Department of Science and Technology, China, under Grant number 162300410272 and 152300410048.