Author:
Odintsova Veronika V.,Suderman Matthew,Hagenbeek Fiona A.,Caramaschi Doretta,Hottenga Jouke-Jan,Pool René,Heijmans Bastiaan T.,’t Hoen Peter A. C.,van Meurs Joyce,Isaacs Aaron,Jansen Rick,Franke Lude,Boomsma Dorret I.,Pool René,van Dongen Jenny,Hottenga Jouke J.,van Greevenbroek Marleen M. J.,Stehouwer Coen D. A.,van der Kallen Carla J. H.,Schalkwijk Casper G.,Wijmenga Cisca,Franke Lude,Zhernakova Sasha,Tigchelaar Ettje F.,Slagboom P. Eline,Beekman Marian,Deelen Joris,van Heemst Diana,Veldink Jan H.,Van den Berg Leonard H.,van Duijn Cornelia M.,Hofman Bert A.,Isaacs Aaron,Uitterlinden André G.,van Meurs Joyce,Jhamai P. Mila,Verbiest Michael,Suchiman H. Eka D.,Verkerk Marijn,van der Breggen Ruud,van Rooij Jeroen,Lakenberg Nico,Mei Hailiang,van Iterson Maarten,van Galen Michiel,Bot Jan,Zhernakova Dasha V.,Jansen Rick,’t Hof Peter van,Deelen Patrick,Nooren Irene,’t Hoen Peter A. C.,Heijmans Bastiaan T.,Moed Matthijs,Franke Lude,Vermaat Martijn,Zhernakova Dasha V.,Luijk René,Bonder Marc Jan,van Iterson Maarten,Deelen Patrick,van Dijk Freerk,van Galen Michiel,Arindrarto Wibowo,Kielbasa Szymon M.,Swertz Morris A.,van Zwet Erik. W.,Jansen Rick,’t Hoen Peter-Bram,Heijmans Bastiaan T.,Dolan Conor V.,Ligthart Lannie,van Beijsterveldt Catharina E. M.,Willemsen Gonneke,de Geus Eco J. C.,Beck Jeffrey J.,Ehli Erik A.,Cuellar-Partida Gabriel,Evans David M.,Medland Sarah E.,Relton Caroline L.,Boomsma Dorret I.,van Dongen Jenny, , , , , ,
Abstract
AbstractHandedness has low heritability and epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed as an etiological mechanism. To examine this hypothesis, we performed an epigenome-wide association study of left-handedness. In a meta-analysis of 3914 adults of whole-blood DNA methylation, we observed that CpG sites located in proximity of handedness-associated genetic variants were more strongly associated with left-handedness than other CpG sites (P = 0.04), but did not identify any differentially methylated positions. In longitudinal analyses of DNA methylation in peripheral blood and buccal cells from children (N = 1737), we observed moderately stable associations across age (correlation range [0.355–0.578]), but inconsistent across tissues (correlation range [− 0.384 to 0.318]). We conclude that DNA methylation in peripheral tissues captures little of the variance in handedness. Future investigations should consider other more targeted sources of tissue, such as the brain.
Funder
Amsterdam Public Health Institute Methodology travel grant
The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome
BBSRC
MRC
Seventh Framework Programme
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
23andMe
National Health and Medical Research Council
KNAW Academy Professor Award
NWO Large Scale infrastructures, X-omics
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC