Epidemiological and experimental analyses of arsenic exposure to epigenome of human embryos and child

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K06912
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Medical genome science
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Mise Nathan 自治医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (00360644)
• Research Collaborator: Fatmi Zafar Aga Khan大学, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 無機ヒ素暴露 / DNAメチル化 / エピジェネティクス / 胚発生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Intake of inorganic arsenic causes various adverse effects through alteration of methylation of genomic DNA. We collected food duplicate samples and genomic DNA samples of children and pregnant women from inorganic arsenic contaminated areas of Pakistan to determine the levels of inorganic arsenic intake and effects on DNA methylation. We have found that the methylation of the promoter regions of lung cancer-related genes, HOXB5, HOXB9, POLD4, and MSX1 were lower in higher arsenic exposed group than in lower exposed group. These results indicate that exposure to inorganic arsenic affects to health of children and pregnant women through aberrant DNA methylation due to competition of general methyl-donor.

Free Research Field

分子遺伝学