Co-methylation networks associated with cognition and structural brain development during adolescence

Bibliographic Details
Title: Co-methylation networks associated with cognition and structural brain development during adolescence
Authors: Dawn Jensen, Jiayu Chen, Jessica A. Turner, Julia M. Stephen, Yu-Ping Wang, Tony W. Wilson, Vince D. Calhoun, Jingyu Liu
Source: Frontiers in Genetics, Vol 15 (2025)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Genetics
Subject Terms: adolescent development, methylation, neuroimaging epigenetics, co-methylation, cognition, brain development, Genetics, QH426-470
More Details: IntroductionTypical adolescent neurodevelopment is marked by decreases in grey matter (GM) volume, increases in myelination, measured by fractional anisotropy (FA), and improvement in cognitive performance.MethodsTo understand how epigenetic changes, methylation (DNAm) in particular, may be involved during this phase of development, we studied cognitive assessments, DNAm from saliva, and neuroimaging data from a longitudinal cohort of normally developing adolescents, aged nine to fourteen. We extracted networks of methylation with patterns of correlated change using a weighted gene correlation network analysis (WCGNA). Modules from these analyses, consisting of co-methylation networks, were then used in multivariate analyses with GM, FA, and cognitive measures to assess the nature of their relationships with cognitive improvement and brain development in adolescence.ResultsThis longitudinal exploration of co-methylated networks revealed an increase in correlated epigenetic changes as subjects progressed into adolescence. Co-methylation networks enriched for pathways involved in neuronal systems, potassium channels, neurexins and neuroligins were both conserved across time as well as associated with maturation patterns in GM, FA, and cognition.DiscussionOur research shows that correlated changes in the DNAm of genes in neuronal processes involved in adolescent brain development that were both conserved across time and related to typical cognitive and brain maturation, revealing possible epigenetic mechanisms driving this stage of development.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1664-8021
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2024.1451150/full; https://doaj.org/toc/1664-8021
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1451150
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/3d73bd1d896f4edba3ccb12f1e786b27
Accession Number: edsdoj.3d73bd1d896f4edba3ccb12f1e786b27
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:16648021
DOI:10.3389/fgene.2024.1451150
Published in:Frontiers in Genetics
Language:English