Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, that underlie neuropsychiatric conditions have become a promising area of research. Most commonly used DNA sources in such studies are peripheral (whole) blood (WB), saliva (SL), and lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs); thus, the question of the consistency of DNA methylation patterns in those cells is of particular interest. To investigate this question we performed comparative analyses of methylation patterns in WB, SL, and LCLs derived from the same individuals, using Illumina HumanMethylation27 BeadChip arrays. Our results showed that DNA methylation patterns in SL are relatively consistent with those in WB, whereas the patterns in LCLs are similarly distinct from both WB and SL. The results indicated that due to multiple random and directed changes in DNA methylation throughout cell culturing, LCLs are not a reliable source of DNA for epigenetic studies and should be used with caution when investigating epigenetic mechanisms underlying biological processes.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by Awards DC007665 as administered by the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders, P50 HD052120 as administered by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Grant R25HL088730 (BioSTEP) from NIH-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Grantees undertaking such projects are encouraged to freely express their professional judgment. Therefore, this article does not necessarily reflect the position or policies of the National Institutes of Health, and no official endorsement should be inferred. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.
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Thompson, T.M., Sharfi, D., Lee, M. et al. Comparison of Whole-Genome DNA Methylation Patterns in Whole Blood, Saliva, and Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines. Behav Genet 43, 168–176 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-012-9579-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-012-9579-1