Plasticity of Functional MAOA Gene Methylation in Acrophobia

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
Miriam A SchieleKatharina Domschke

Abstract

Epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed to mediate fear extinction in animal models. Here, MAOA methylation was analyzed via direct sequencing of sodium bisulfite-treated DNA extracted from blood cells before and after a 2-week exposure therapy in a sample of n = 28 female patients with acrophobia as well as in n = 28 matched healthy female controls. Clinical response was measured using the Acrophobia Questionnaire and the Attitude Towards Heights Questionnaire. The functional relevance of altered MAOA methylation was investigated by luciferase-based reporter gene assays. MAOA methylation was found to be significantly decreased in patients with acrophobia compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, MAOA methylation levels were shown to significantly increase after treatment and correlate with treatment response as reflected by decreasing Acrophobia Questionnaire/Attitude Towards Heights Questionnaire scores. Functional analyses revealed decreased reporter gene activity in presence of methylated compared with unmethylated pCpGfree_MAOA reporter gene vector constructs. The present proof-of-concept psychotherapy-epigenetic study for the first time suggests functional MAOA methylation changes as a potential epigenetic correlate o...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 12, 2018·Der Nervenarzt·Christiane ZieglerKatharina Domschke
Mar 7, 2020·The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology·Miriam A SchieleKatharina Domschke
Apr 21, 2020·American Journal of Psychotherapy·Eric Luria Goldwaser, Christopher W T Miller
Feb 27, 2019·The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry : the Official Journal of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry·Jacqueline Samantha WomersleySoraya Seedat
Apr 4, 2019·Human Nature : an Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective·Bilinda StraightStephen Lekalgitele
Sep 23, 2018·Journal of Neural Transmission·Christiane Ziegler, Katharina Domschke
Nov 23, 2019·Translational Psychiatry·Christiane ZieglerKatharina Domschke
Jan 15, 2020·Neurotherapeutics : the Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics·Marta AndreattaPaul Pauli
Dec 9, 2020·Psychiatry Research·Khethelo R XuluSian M J Hemmings
Sep 29, 2019·Journal of Psychiatric Research·Julia TomasiArun K Tiwari
Aug 24, 2021·Journal of Neural Transmission·David ChecknitaKent W Nilsson
Oct 14, 2021·Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology·Maike Scherf-ClavelAngelika Erhardt-Lehmann

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