Cited by 61Epigenetics and DNA MethylationSuicide and Self-Harm StudiesGenetic Associations and Epidemiology

Genome-wide DNA methylation meta-analysis in the brains of suicide completers

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Policicchio, Stefania, Washer, Sam, Viana, Joana, Iatrou, Artemis, Burrage, Joe, Hannon, Eilis, Turecki, Gustavo, Kaminsky, Zachary +3 more·2020·Translational Psychiatry

Abstract

Suicide is the second leading cause of death globally among young people representing a significant global health burden. Although the molecular correlates of suicide remains poorly understood, it has been hypothesised that epigenomic processes may play a role. The objective of this study was to identify suicide-associated DNA methylation changes in the human brain by utilising previously published and unpublished methylomic datasets. We analysed prefrontal cortex (PFC, n = 211) and cerebellum (CER, n = 114) DNA methylation profiles from suicide completers and non-psychiatric, sudden-death controls, meta-analysing data from independent cohorts for each brain region separately. We report evidence for altered DNA methylation at several genetic loci in suicide cases compared to controls in both brain regions with suicide-associated differentially methylated positions enriched among functional pathways relevant to psychiatric phenotypes and suicidality, including nervous system development (PFC) and regulation of long-term synaptic depression (CER). In addition, we examined the functional consequences of variable DNA methylation within a PFC suicide-associated differentially methylated region ( PSORS1C3 DMR ) using a dual luciferase assay and examined expression of nearby genes. DNA methylation within this region was associated with decreased expression of firefly luciferase but was not associated with expression of nearby genes, PSORS1C3 and POU5F1 . Our data suggest that suicide is associated with DNA methylation, offering novel insights into the molecular pathology associated with suicidality.

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  • Altered genome-wide DNA methylation occurs at several loci in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum and more globally in the brain of suicide decedents compared with controls.

    “Altered genome-wide DNA methylation reveals alteration at several genetic loci in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cerebellum, and more globally in the brain in suicide decedents compared with control subjects (62-64).”

    From A brain-centric model of suicidal behavior (2020) · cites this paper as [62]

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  1. [47]Klug M Rehli M Functional analysis of promoter CPGmethylation using a CpG-free luciferase reporter vector Epigenetics 2006 1 127 130 17965610

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Authors
Policicchio, S., Washer, S., Viana, J., Iatrou, A., Burrage, J., Hannon, E., Turecki, G., Kaminsky, Z., Mill, J., Dempster, E. L., & Murphy, T. M.
Affiliations
  • University of Exeter (GB)
  • Rush University Medical Center (US)
  • McGill University (CA)
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
Corresponding author
Murphy, Therese M.
Venue
Translational Psychiatry
Published
2020-02-19
Volume
10
Issue
1
Pages
69-69
ISSN
2158-3188 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3007111333
Cited by
61
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 4
FWCI
2.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Translational Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Arrow - TU Dublin (Technological University Dublin) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion)
  • Royal Devon and Exeter Research Repository (Royal Devon and Exeter) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Lenus, The Irish Health Repository (Dr Steevens Hospital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (MR/K013807/1)
  • Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Société et Culture (NA)
  • Fondation Brain Canada (NA)
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH 1R21MH094771)
  • RCUK | MRC | Medical Research Foundation (MR/K013807/1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
Keywords
suicide, DNA methylation, epigenetics, prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, differentially methylated regions, Oct4, synaptic depression, brain development, gene expression regulation
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Brain, Humans, Proteins, Suicide, Genome, DNA Methylation, Epigenesis, Genetic, Epigenomics, RNA, Long Noncoding

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