Cited by 96Child Abuse and TraumaEpigenetics and DNA MethylationNeuropeptides and Animal Physiology

Epigenetic Regulation of the Kappa Opioid Receptor by Child Abuse

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Lutz, Pierre-Eric, Gross, Jeffrey A., Dhir, Sabine K., Maussion, Gilles, Yang, Jennie, Bramoulle, Alexandre, Meaney, Michael J., Turecki, Gustavo·2018·Biological Psychiatry

Abstract

Background Experiences of abuse and neglect during childhood are major predictors of the emergence of depressive and suicidal behaviors throughout life. The underlying biological mechanisms, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we focused on the opioid system as a potential brain substrate mediating these effects.Methods Postmortem samples from three brain structures regulating social bonds and emotions were analyzed. Groups were constituted of depressed individuals who died by suicide, with or without a history of severe child abuse, and of psychiatrically healthy control subjects. Expression of opioid peptides and receptors was measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction. DNA methylation, a major epigenetic mark, was investigated using targeted bisulfite sequencing and characterized at functional level using in vitro reporter assays. Finally, oxidative bisulfite sequencing was used to differentiate methylation and hydroxymethylation of DNA.Results A history of child abuse specifically associated in the anterior insula with a downregulation of the kappa opioid receptor (Kappa), as well as decreased DNA methylation in the second intron of the Kappa gene. In vitro assays further showed that this intron functions as a genomic enhancer where glucocorticoid receptor binding regulates Kappa expression, unraveling a new mechanism mediating the well-established interactions between endogenous opioids and stress. Finally, results showed that child abuse is associated in the Kappa intron with a selective reduction in levels of DNA hydroxymethylation, likely mediating the observed downregulation of the receptor.Conclusions Altogether, our findings uncover new facets of Kappa physiology, whereby this receptor may be epigenetically regulated by stressful experiences, in particular as a function of early social life.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.07.012

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  • Decreased methylation at the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) in the anterior insula has been shown in child abuse.

    “While methylation at the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) gene is most strongly associated with drug addiction [144] as well as incentive motivation for processed food [145,146], decreased methylation at the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) in the anterior insula has been shown in child abuse [147] (discussed further in Section 4.1).”
  • In a study of postmortem brain structures, investigators were unable to detect a change in MOR expression, suggesting different epigenetic signatures associated with addictions and ELA.

    “In this study of postmortem brain structures, the investigators were unable to detect a change in MOR expression, suggesting different epigenetic signatures associated with addictions and ELA.”

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  1. Hawton K, Appleby L, Platt S, Foster T, Cooper J, Malmberg A, et al. (1998): The psychological autopsy approach to studying suicide: a review of methodological issues. J Affect Disord. 50:269-276.
  2. Mai JK, Paxinos G, Voss T (2007): Atlas of the Human Brain, Third Edition. Elsevier Science.
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  4. Lutz PE, Tanti A, Gasecka A, Barnett-Burns S, Kim JJ, Zhou Y, et al. (In press): Convergent epigenetic, transcriptional and morphological evidence associate a history of child abuse with impaired myelination in the anterior cingulate cortex. Am J Psychiatry.
  5. Turecki G, Meaney MJ (2014): Effects of the Social Environment and Stress on Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Methylation: A Systematic Review. Biol Psychiatry.

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Authors
Lutz, P.-E., Gross, J. A., Dhir, S. K., Maussion, G., Yang, J., Bramoulle, A., Meaney, M. J., & Turecki, G.
Affiliations
Douglas Mental Health University Institute (CA)
Corresponding author
Turecki, Gustavo
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-11
Volume
84
Issue
10
Pages
751-761
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2741288947
Cited by
96
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2015: 1
FWCI
17.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship@McGill (McGill) (submittedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale
  • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  • Fondation Fyssen
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
Keywords
kappa opioid receptor, child abuse, epigenetic regulation, DNA methylation, DNA hydroxymethylation, glucocorticoid receptor, anterior insula, depression, suicide, opioid system, early life stress, gene downregulation
MeSH terms
Adult, Cerebral Cortex, Child, Child Abuse, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Suicide, Thalamus, Receptors, Opioid, kappa, DNA Methylation, Epigenesis, Genetic

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