Open AccessStress‐associated H 3 K 4 methylation accumulates during postnatal development and aging of rhesus macaque brain
Author(s) -
Han Yixing,
Han Dali,
Yan Zheng,
BoydKirkup Jerome D.,
Green Christopher D.,
Khaitovich Philipp,
Han JingDong J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
aging cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1474-9726
pISSN - 1474-9718
DOI - 10.1111/acel.12007
Subject(s) - epigenetics , biology , chromatin immunoprecipitation , histone , chromatin , dna methylation , rhesus macaque , gene expression , methyltransferase , methylation , promoter , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , aging brain , genetics , enhancer , neuroscience , cognition
Summary Epigenetic modifications are critical determinants of cellular and developmental states. Epigenetic changes, such as decreased H 3 K 27me3 histone methylation on insulin/ IGF 1 genes, have been previously shown to modulate lifespan through gene expression regulation. However, global epigenetic changes during aging and their biological functions, if any, remain elusive. Here, we examined the histone modification H 3 K 4 dimethylation ( H 3 K 4me2) in the prefrontal cortex of individual rhesus macaques at different ages by chromatin immunoprecipitation, followed by deep sequencing ( C h IP ‐seq) at the whole genome level. Through integrative analysis of the C h IP ‐seq profiles with gene expression data, we found that H 3 K 4me2 increased at promoters and enhancers globally during postnatal development and aging, and those that correspond to gene expression changes in cis are enriched for stress responses, such as the DNA damage response. This suggests that metabolic and environmental stresses experienced by an organism are associated with the progressive opening of chromatin. In support of this, we also observed increased expression of two H 3 K 4 methyltransferases, SETD 7 and DPY 30, in aged macaque brain.