Keywords
DNA, methylation, WNT7a, Alcohol, mouse, WGBS
Abstract
Excessive drinking during early pregnancy is associated with fetal developmental anomalies [1], particularly affecting heart formation, known as Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). This health concern is underscored by studies that indicate a high incidence of binge drinking among expectant mothers [1]. This research delves into alcohol's role in altering epigenetic patterns across the embryonic cardiac genome, seeking to isolate genes and their specific sites influenced by in utero alcohol exposure.
The theory posits that ethanol-exposed embryonic mouse hearts will exhibit distinctive patterns of methylation in contrast to unexposed controls [2]. To investigate the proposed theory, ethanol was orally delivered to mouse models at a gestational stage critical for heart development, specifically embryonic day 9.5 (E9.5). Subsequently, at embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5)—a pivotal moment in cardiac morphogenesis—the mice were euthanized to harvest the embryonic hearts. The genomic material was then meticulously extracted from these hearts to enable a comprehensive analysis through whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS).
Preliminary results revealed a marginal shift toward lower methylation levels without broad genomic changes in the ethanol treated samples [7]. Nonetheless, particular genes, like WNT7A gene, have been pinpointed for their suppressed activity following alcohol exposure, guiding further inquiries into aimed methylation changes and epigenetic variations that may illuminate the mechanisms by which maternal alcohol consumption prompts cardiac anomalies in CHD [7]
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Steven N. Ebert
College
College of Medicine
Department
Metabolic and cardiovascular division
Thesis Discipline
Medicine
Language
English
Access Status
Campus Access
Length of Campus Access
5 years
Campus Location
Health Sciences Campus
STARS Citation
Sayyed, Lara Na Al, "Differential DNA Methylation Analysis of the WNT7A Gene in Embryonic Mouse Hearts Following Maternal Binge Alcohol Consumption" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 136.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/136