Epigenetic plasticity following early stress predicts long‐term health outcomes in rhesus macaques

Bibliographic Data

ID8317757
AuthorsERIN L KINNALLY (0000-0001-5402-3513, University of California, Davis, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume155
Issue2
Pages192-199
Publication date2014-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.22565
PMID25100197
OpenAlexW1940709034
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited52

Early life stress has been linked with poorer lifelong health outcomes across species, including modern and ancient humans. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation patterning of stress pathway genes in stress‐responsive tissue, may play an important role in the long‐term health effects of early stress across species. The relationships among early maternal care quality, DNA methylation patterns in a candidate stress pathway gene (serotonin transporter, 5‐HTT ) linked region in blood DNA, and adult health outcomes were examined in male and female rhesus macaques, excellent models of human health. Male ( n = 12) and female ( n = 32) infants were observed with their mothers for the first 12 weeks of life and 5‐HTT linked DNA methylation was measured in blood at 12 weeks of age. Approximately 8 years later, health‐related measures were collected for the 25 animals (6 male and 19 female) that were available for study. Health composite scores were generated using factor analysis of body condition, body weight, and diagnosis of diarrhea during the lifespan. Better quality maternal care predicted lower 5‐HTT linked methylation at 12 weeks of age. Lower 5‐HTT methylation, in turn, predicted better health composite scores in adulthood, including better body condition, greater body weight and absence of lifetime diarrhea. These data suggest that the epigenetic regulation of 5‐HTT may be one biomarker of the link between early stress and lifetime health trajectories. Future studies will examine whether epigenetic signatures in modern and ancient human DNA lends insight into stress and health and natural selection in human evolutionary history. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:192–199, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Biology · Biomarker · DNA methylation · Epigenetics · Gene · Gene expression · Genotype · Methylation · Serotonin transporter · Birth, Development, and Health · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Epigenetics and DNA Methylation · Genetics · Medicine · Physiology

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