Epigenomics of rat born to dams fed a diet deficient in methyl group donors (MDD). Rattus norvegicus

It is clearly established that the maternal diet during pregnancy can induce physiological and metabolic adaptations in the developing fetus which determine its susceptibility later in life to develop diabetes, obesity... The molecular and genomic mechanisms underlying the programming of the metabolic syndrome remain largely unknown but may involve resetting of epigenetic marks and fetal gene expression. We analyzed the profile of the liver methylome in 21-day-old rats born to mothers fed with a standard diet or a diet lacking methyl donor nutrients (Vitamin B12 and folates) during gestation and lactation. Modifications of DNA methylation were found in the promoter regions of 1,032 genes out of 14,981 genes. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that these genes are mainly involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, nervous system, coagulation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial function. Overall design: MDD induced modifications of methylation in rat liver were measured in 21-day-old rats born to dams fed with standard food or food deficient in methyl group donor. Six independent experiments were performed (3 controls versus 3 MDD).