Heat stress causes aberrant DNA methylation of H19 and Igf-2r in mouse blastocysts

Mol Cells. 2008 Apr 30;25(2):211-5. Epub 2008 Mar 28.

Abstract

To gain a better understanding of the methylation imprinting changes associated with heat stress in early development, we used bisulfite sequencing and bisulfite restriction analysis to examine the DNA methylation status of imprinted genes in early embryos (blastocysts). The paternal imprinted genes, H19 and Igf-2r, had lower methylation levels in heat-stressed embryos than in control embryos, whereas the maternal imprinted genes, Peg3 and Peg1, had similar methylation pattern in heat-stressed embryos and in control embryos. Our results indicate that heat stress may induce aberrant methylation imprinting, which results in developmental failure of mouse embryos, and that the effects of heat shock on methylation imprinting may be gene-specific.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blastocyst / metabolism*
  • Clone Cells
  • DNA Methylation*
  • Embryo, Mammalian / metabolism
  • Female
  • Genomic Imprinting
  • Heat-Shock Response / genetics*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Untranslated / genetics*
  • Receptor, IGF Type 2 / genetics*

Substances

  • H19 long non-coding RNA
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Untranslated
  • Receptor, IGF Type 2