Prenatal methylmercury exposure and DNA methylation in seven-year-old children in the Seychelles Child Development Study

Methylmercury (MeHg) is present in fish and a neurotoxicant at sufficiently high levels. One potential mechanism of MeHg toxicity early life epigenetic dysregulation that may affect long-term neurodevelopment. Altered DNA methylation nervous system-related genes has been associated with adult mental health outcomes. To assess associations between prenatal exposure (at the cytosine CG dinucleotides, CpGs) three genes, encoding brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), glutamate receptor subunit NR2B (GRIN2B), glucocorticoid (NR3C1), children who were exposed to utero. We tested 406 seven-year-old Seychellois participating Seychelles Child Development Study (Nutrition Cohort 2), prenatally from maternal consumption. Total mercury hair (prenatal measure) collected during pregnancy was measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Methylation children’s saliva by pyrosequencing. CpG seven years age, we used multivariable linear regression models adjusted for covariates. identified one GRIN2B two NR3C1 CpGs out 12 total sites. Higher higher each site. For example, CpG3 had an expected increase 0.03-fold additional 1 ppm (B = 0.030, 95% CI 0.001, 0.059; p 0.047). Several sites are located transcription binding observed changes predicted lead lower gene expression. In population people consume large amounts fish, showed differential age specific influence neurodevelopment health.