Altered mitochondrial DNA methylation and mitochondrial DNA copy number in an APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer disease

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 520; no. 1; pp. 41 - 46
• Main Authors: Xu, YingYing, Xu, LinLin, Han, Min, Liu, XiangTian, Li, Fan, Zhou, XiaoYan, Wang, Yun, Bi, JianZhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 26.11.2019
• Subjects: 12S rRNA gene; Alzheimer’s disease; APP/PS1 transgenic mice; D-loop; Mitochondrial DNA copy number; Mitochondrial DNA methylation; Mitochondrial DNA copy number; APP/PS1 transgenic mice; D-loop; Alzheimer’s disease; 12S rRNA gene; Mitochondrial DNA methylation
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.09.094

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease and mitochondrial impairment is a key feature of AD. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) epigenetic mechanism is a relatively new field compared to nuclear DNA. The relationship between mtDNA epigenetic mechanism and AD hasn’t been established. So we analyzed the mtDNA methylation in D-loop region and 12 S rRNA gene in the hippocampi in amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) transgenic mice by bisulfite pyrosequencing. Mitochondrial DNA copy number and gene expression were studied by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). We observed a decrease in the displacement loop (D-loop) methylation and an increase in 12 S rRNA gene methylation, while both the mtDNA copy number and the mitochondrial gene expression were reduced in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. In summary, the present finding suggest that mtDNA methylation may play a role in AD pathology, which warrants larger future investigations. •We analyzed the mtDNA methylation in D-loop region and 12 S rRNA gene in the hippocampi in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by bisulfite pyrosequencing.•There were only two studies performed so far to investigate mtDNA D-loop methylation in AD.•And this is the first study to demonstrate a link between the hypermethylation of 12 S rRNA gene and AD.