A multidisciplinary team has devised a new approach to 3D imaging that captures DNA methylation, a key epigenetic change associated with learning in the brain. The scientists say their proof-of-concept study in pigs will easily translate to humans, as the new method relies on standard MRI technology and biological markers already in use in human medicine.

Epigenetics is a key mechanism by which gene expression is regulated. The new approach — called epigenetic MRI, or eMRI — will open up new avenues of research into how such changes mold the brain, allowing it to grow, learn and respond to stress, the researchers said. The technique also may be useful in the study of neurodegenerative processes like Alzheimer’s disease.

The findings are reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

DNA methylation is one mechanism that cells use to regulate which genes are actively expressed, said Dr. King Li, a professor in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the U. of I. who led the research with U. of I. bioengineering professor Fan Lam and Gene Robinson, the director of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at Illinois.

«Our DNA is the same from cell to cell and it doesn’t change,» Li said. «But tiny molecules, like methyl groups, are attached to the DNA backbone to regulate which genes are actively being transcribed into RNAs and translated into proteins. DNA methylation is a very important part of the control of gene functions.»

Previous research showed that DNA methylation is one of several epigenetic changes that occur in the brain when an animal responds to its environment, said Robinson, a professor of entomology at Illinois who studies the interplay of genomics, experience and behavior in honey bees. His studies have shown that many genes in the brain are upregulated or downregulated in bees as they mature, change roles in the hive, encounter new food sources or respond to threats.

Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau. Original written by Diana Yates. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.