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Dynamic changes in DNA methylation during thermal control establishment affect CREB binding to the brain‐derived neurotrophic factor promoter
Author(s) -
Yossifoff Maya,
Kisliouk Tatiana,
Meiri Noam
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06532.x
Subject(s) - creb , dna methylation , cpg site , brain derived neurotrophic factor , methylation , epigenetics , biology , neurotrophic factors , dna methyltransferase , epigenetics of physical exercise , methyltransferase , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , transcription factor , gene expression , dna , receptor , gene
Thermal control establishment develops during a critical period by alterations in cellular properties in the frontal hypothalamus. These alterations may be modulated by the epigenetic code that determines the repertoire of transcribed proteins. Here we demonstrate transient changes in the expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor ( Bdnf ) during both thermal conditioning and re‐exposure of conditioned chicks to heat stress, relative to their age‐matched naive counterparts. These changes coincide with changes in CpG methylation pattern in the avian Bdnf promoter region. Reduction in methylation during heat conditioning was observed at a cAMP response element‐binding (CREB) site which coincided with both elevation in phospho‐CREB levels and its binding to the Bdnf promoter. At the same time, an increase in methylation was observed at two other CpG sites, accompanied by elevation of the DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a) expression. DNMT3a was also found to bind to the two elevated methyl CpG sites, but not to the CREB binding site. These data suggest that complex and dynamic changes in DNA methylation are involved in the regulation of Bdnf expression during thermotolerance acquisition.