Dominguez Salas, Paula ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8753-4221, Moore, Sophie E, Cole, Darren, da Costa, Kerry-Ann, Cox, Sharon E, Dyer, Roger A, Fulford, Anthony JC, Innis, Sheila M, Waterland, Robert A, Zeisel, Steven H, Prentice, Andrew M and Hennig, Branwen J (2013) DNA methylation potential: dietary intake and blood concentrations of one-carbon metabolites and cofactors in rural African women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 97 (6). pp. 1217-1227. ISSN 0002-9165 (Print), 1938-3207 (Online) (doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.048462)

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Abstract

Background: Animal models show that periconceptional supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B-12, choline, and betaine can induce differences in offspring phenotype mediated by epigenetic changes in DNA. In humans, altered DNA methylation patterns have been observed in offspring whose mothers were exposed to famine or who conceived in the Gambian rainy season.
Objective: The objective was to understand the seasonality of DNA methylation patterns in rural Gambian women. We studied natural variations in dietary intake of nutrients involved in methyl-donor pathways and their effect on the respective metabolic biomarkers.
Design: In 30 women of reproductive age (18-45 y), we monitored diets monthly for 1 y by using 48-h weighed records to measure intakes of choline, betaine, folate, methionine, riboflavin, and vitamins B-6 and B-12. Blood biomarkers of these nutrients, S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), homocysteine, cysteine, and dimethylglycine were also assessed monthly.
Results: Dietary intakes of riboflavin, folate, choline, and betaine varied significantly by season; the most dramatic variation was seen for betaine. All metabolic biomarkers showed significant seasonality, and vitamin B-6 and folate had the highest fluctuations. Correlations between dietary intakes and blood biomarkers were found for riboflavin, vitamin B-6, active vitamin B-12 (holotranscobalamin), and betaine. We observed a seasonal switch between the betaine and folate pathways and a probable limiting role of riboflavin in these processes and a higher SAM/SAH ratio during the rainy season.

Conclusions: Naturally occurring seasonal variations in food-consumption patterns have a profound effect on methyl-donor biomarker status. The direction of these changes was consistent with previously reported differences in methylation of metastable epialleles. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01811641.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Gambia, nutrition, methyl donors, methionine dietfolic, acid betaine, biological markers, carbon cholinedna, methylation food ribo flavinvitamin, b6 vitamin, b12 nutrients, seasonal variation
Subjects:	Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology Q Science > QH Natural history > QH426 Genetics S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > FaNSI - Food Systems for Improved Nutrition
Related URLs:	Publisher Publisher
Last Modified:	09 Sep 2021 12:35
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/33793

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