Maternal plasma folate impacts differential DNA methylation in an epigenome-wide meta-analysis of newborns

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#adult #cell-adhesion-molecules #cytoskeletal-proteins #dna-methylation #epigenesis-genetic

Maternal plasma folate impacts differential DNA methylation in an epigenome-wide meta-analysis of newborns

Joubert et al., 2016 | Nat Commun | Meta Analysis

Citation

Joubert Bonnie R, den Dekker Herman T, ... London Stephanie J. Maternal plasma folate impacts differential DNA methylation in an epigenome-wide meta-analysis of newborns. Nat Commun. 2016-Feb-10;7:10577. doi:10.1038/ncomms10577

Abstract

Folate is vital for fetal development. Periconceptional folic acid supplementation and food fortification are recommended to prevent neural tube defects. Mechanisms whereby periconceptional folate influences normal development and disease are poorly understood: epigenetics may be involved. We examine the association between maternal plasma folate during pregnancy and epigenome-wide DNA methylation using Illumina's HumanMethyl450 Beadchip in 1,988 newborns from two European cohorts. Here we report the combined covariate-adjusted results using meta-analysis and employ pathway and gene expression analyses. Four-hundred forty-three CpGs (320 genes) are significantly associated with maternal plasma folate levels during pregnancy (false discovery rate 5%); 48 are significant after Bonferroni correction. Most genes are not known for folate biology, including APC2, GRM8, SLC16A12, OPCML, PRPH, LHX1, KLK4 and PRSS21. Some relate to birth defects other than neural tube defects, neurological functions or varied aspects of embryonic development. These findings may inform how maternal folate impacts the developing epigenome and health outcomes in offspring.

Key Findings

These findings may inform how maternal folate impacts the developing epigenome and health outcomes in offspring.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • DNA Methylation
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Female
  • Folic Acid
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Kallikreins
  • LIM-Homeodomain Proteins
  • Monocarboxylic Acid Transporters
  • Peripherins
  • Pregnancy
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • Transcription Factors

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Vertical: folate

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09