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. 2013:2:6.
doi: 10.7243/2050-0866-2-6. Epub 2013 Feb 6.

Migration and DNA methylation: a comparison of methylation patterns in type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes between indians and europeans

Hannah R Elliott  1 , Gagandeep K Walia  2 , Aparna Duggirala  3 , Alix Groom  1 , S Umakar Reddy  3 , Giriraj R Chandak  3 , Vipin Gupta  2 , Markku Laakso  4 , Jacqueline M Dekker  5 ; RISC Consortium; Mark Walker  6 , Shah Ebrahim  7 , George Davey Smith  8 , Caroline L Relton  1
Affiliations

Migration and DNA methylation: a comparison of methylation patterns in type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes between indians and europeans

Hannah R Elliott et al. J Diabetes Res Clin Metab. 2013.

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes is a global problem that is increasingly prevalent in low and middle income countries including India, and is partly attributed to increased urbanisation. Genotype clearly plays a role in type 2 diabetes susceptibility. However, the role of DNA methylation and its interaction with genotype and metabolic measures is poorly understood. This study aimed to establish whether methylation patterns of type 2 diabetes genes differ between distinct Indian and European populations and/or change following rural to urban migration in India.

Methods: Quantitative DNA methylation analysis in Indians and Europeans using Sequenom® EpiTYPER® technology was undertaken in three genes: ADCY5, FTO and KCNJ11. Metabolic measures and genotype data were also analysed.

Results: Consistent differences in DNA methylation patterns were observed between Indian and European populations in ADCY5, FTO and KCNJ11. Associations were demonstrated between FTO rs9939609 and BMI and between ADCY5rs17295401 and HDL levels in Europeans. However, these observations were not linked to local variation in DNA methylation levels. No differences in methylation patterns were observed in urban-dwelling migrants compared to their non-migrant rural-dwelling siblings in India.

Conclusions: Analysis of DNA methylation at three type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci highlighted geographical and ethnic differences in methylation patterns. These differences may be attributed to genetic and/or region-specific environmental factors.

Keywords: DNA methylation; Type 2 diabetes; ethnicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1A-C.
Figure 1A-C.
Figures show the region of the chromosome that methylation was measured in and location of SNPs analysed. Upper images show the amplicons across which methylation was measured. Each circle represents a CpG site in the amplicon analysed. Dark filled circles represent CpG sites from which the average methylation value for the amplicon was generated. Lower images show linkage disequilibrium between SNPs. Values in diamonds are r2 values. Diamond colours represent LOD and D’ (white: D’<1, LOD <2; dark grey: D’= 1, LOD≥ 2; shades of grey:D’<1, LOD≥ 2).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Box plot showing ADCY5, FTO and KCNJ11 methylation by place. Boxes show the median and interquartile range, whiskers represent the minimum and maximum. Closed circles are outliers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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