Independent Genomewide Screens Identify the Tumor Suppressor VTRNA2-1 as a Human Epiallele Responsive to Periconceptional Environment

    June 2015 in “ GenomeBiology.com ”
    Matt J. Silver, Noah J. Kessler, Branwen J. Hennig, Paula Domínguez-Salas, Eleonora Laritsky, Maria S. Baker, Cristian Coarfa, Héctor Hernandez-Vargas, Jovita M. Castelino, Michael N. Routledge, Yun Gong, Zdenko Herceg, Yong Sun Lee, Kwanbok Lee, Sophie E. Moore, Anthony J. C. Fulford, Andrew M. Prentice, Robert A. Waterland
    TLDR The environment around the time of conception can change the VTRNA2-1 gene in a way that lasts for years and may affect disease risk.
    The study identified VTRNA2-1 as a tumor suppressor gene and a human epiallele responsive to the periconceptional environment through independent genomewide screens. Researchers found that environmental factors, particularly maternal nutrition and the season of conception, influenced the epigenetic state of VTRNA2-1, affecting its methylation patterns. This variation was stable over at least 10 years and was not linked to genetic differences but to the maternal environment around conception. The study involved 215 Gambian children and 164 pregnant mothers, highlighting the systemic nature of VTRNA2-1 methylation variation and its potential implications for tumor suppression and long-term health outcomes.
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