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Epigenetics

VTRNA2-1: an environment-sensitive human epiallele

Silver MJ, Kessler NJ, Hennig BJ, et al. · Genome biology · 2015

Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC

Independent genome-wide methylation screens converge on VTRNA2-1 as a systemic metastable epiallele shaped by periconceptional environment and stable for years.

Study at a glance

Design
Other — Multi-tissue metastable-epiallele screens plus Gambian season-of-conception methylation analyses
N
N=215 · Season-of-conception contrast: 110 dry-season vs 105 rainy-season conceptions; additional multi-tissue discovery screens
Population
Human multi-tissue DNA methylomes and Gambian infant cohorts
Outcome
Systemic interindividual methylation at VTRNA2-1 and periconceptional environment effects

Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.

Key findings

VTRNA2-1 shows concordant multi-tissue methylation differences, is partly set by periconceptional environment, and remains stable ≥10 years; ME regions are depleted for CGIs/SINEs and enriched for LINEs/ERVs.

Methodology

Authors screened multi-tissue DNA methylomes for systemic interindividual variation, then tested season-of-conception effects in Gambian infants, converging on VTRNA2-1.

Limitations

Epiallele status is not itself proof of disease causation in every tissue; screens have genomic biases despite being genomewide.

How this study connects

Role on claims

Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.

  • SupportsEpigeneticsconcept

    VTRNA2-1 shows concordant multi-tissue methylation differences, is partly set by periconceptional environment, and remains stable ≥10 years; ME regions are depleted for CGIs/SINEs and enriched for LINEs/ERVs.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • SupportsBisulfite Sequencingmethod

    Independent genome-wide screens for systemic interindividual methylation converged on VTRNA2-1: concordant multi-tissue differences, partly set by periconceptional environment (season of conception in Gambian infants), and stable for at least 10 years. Metastable epiallele regions were depleted for CGIs/SINEs and enriched for LINEs/ERVs. Epiallele status is not itself proof of disease causation in every tissue.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • SupportsBisulfite Sequencingmethod

    Bisulfite designs here are not one map. VTRNA2-1 is a multi-tissue epiallele stable ≥10 years and sensitive to periconceptional season; the ageing paper compresses 102 AR-CpGs into a 3-site blood clock (MAD 3.34 years); Yoruba 27K arrays link methylation to genetics and expression in 77 LCLs. A clock CpG is not an environment-set metastable epiallele.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

Open questions

Tensions this paper is part of

From concept pages' “where studies disagree.” Disagreement means the same question; scope means different assays, populations, or outcomes.

  • Scope difference — different assays, populations, or outcomes

    Bisulfite designs here are not one map. VTRNA2-1 is a multi-tissue epiallele stable ≥10 years and sensitive to periconceptional season; the ageing paper compresses 102 AR-CpGs into a 3-site blood clock (MAD 3.34 years); Yoruba 27K arrays link methylation to genetics and expression in 77 LCLs. A clock CpG is not an environment-set metastable epiallele.

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Same topic cluster — not a recommendation engine.