Early life adversity alters normal sex-dependent developmental dynamics of DNA methylation in rhesus monkeys

This study mapped the genome wide DNA methylation changes in CD3+ T lymphocytes from rhesus monkeys from postnatal day 14 through two years of age in both males and females and determined the impact of maternal deprivation on the DNA methylation profile. We show here that DNA methylation profiles evolve from birth to adolescence and are sex dependent. DNA methylation changes accompany imposed weaning, attenuating the difference between males and females. Altogether 71 T cell DNA samples were used in 4 different groups (male control, male stress, female control, female stress) at 4 different developmental stage (1 month, before weaning at 6-7 months, after weaning at 9-10 months, and after 2 years at 26-30 months) having 3-6 samples per each group. The DNA samples were pooled in each group and then subjected to Whole Genome Amplification in triplicates.