Cited by 39Epigenetics and DNA MethylationBirth, Development, and HealthPrenatal Substance Exposure Effects

Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with mitochondrial DNA methylation

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Armstrong, David A., Green, Benjamin B., Blair, Bailey A., Guerin, Dylan J., Litzky, Julia F., Chavan, Niraj R., Pearson, Kevin J., Marsit, Carmen J.·2016·Environmental Epigenetics

Abstract

Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) has detrimental effects on fetal development and on the health of the offspring into adulthood. Energy homeostasis through ATP production via the mitochondria (mt) plays a key role during pregnancy. This study aimed to determine if MSDP resulted in differences in DNA methylation to the placental mitochondrial chromosome at the transcription and replication control region, the D-Loop, and if these differences were also present in an alternate neonatal tissue (foreskin) in an independent birth cohort. We investigated mtDNA methylation by bisulfite-pyrosequencing in two sections of the D-Loop control region and in long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) genomic sequences in placenta from 96 mother–newborn pairs that were enrolled in a Rhode Island birth cohort along with foreskin samples from 62 infants from a Kentucky birth cohort. In both placenta and foreskin, mtDNA methylation in the light chain D-Loop region 1 was positively associated with MSDP in placenta (difference +2.73%) ( P = 0.001) and foreskin (difference + 1.22%) ( P = 0.08). Additionally, in foreskin, a second segment of the D-Loop-heavy chain region 1 showed a small but significant change in methylation with MSDP (+ 0.4%, P = 0.04). No methylation changes were noted in either tissue at the LINE-1 repetitive element. We identified a similar pattern of epigenetic effect to mitochondria arising in cells from different primordial lineages and in different populations, associated with MSDP. These robust and consistent results build evidence that MSDP may impact mt D-Loop methylation, as one mechanism through which this exposure affects newborn health.

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  • Factors including traffic-related elemental carbon, maternal smoking, endogenous metabolites, cell senescence, and ageing alter mtDNA methylation.

    “Furthermore, mtDNA methylation is disturbed by environmental and other factors, such as traffic-derived elemental carbon105, maternal smoking106, endogenous metabolites107, cell senescence108 and ageing109.”

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Authors
Armstrong, D. A., Green, B. B., Blair, B. A., Guerin, D. J., Litzky, J. F., Chavan, N. R., Pearson, K. J., & Marsit, C. J.
Affiliations
  • Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center (US)
  • University of Kentucky HealthCare (US)
  • Dartmouth College (US)
Corresponding author
Marsit, Carmen J.
Venue
Environmental Epigenetics
Published
2016-08
Volume
2
Issue
3
Pages
dvw020
ISSN
  • 1674-5507 (ISSN-L)
  • 2058-5888
OpenAlex
W2536044826
Cited by
36
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2
FWCI
1.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Current Zoology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (P01ES022832, R01MH094609, R01ES022223, RD83544201)
  • National Institutes of Health (RD83544201)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH094609, RD83544201)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P01ES022832, R01ES022223, ES022832, RD 83544201)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
Keywords
smoking during pregnancy, mitochondrial DNA methylation, placenta, neonatal foreskin, D-loop, LINE-1, epigenetics, fetal development, newborn health, energy homeostasis

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