Protein arginine hypomethylation in a mouse model of cystathionine β-synthase deficiency

  • Ruben Esse
  • , Apolline Imbard
  • , Cristina Florindo
  • , Sapna Gupta
  • , Eoin P. Quinlivan
  • , Mariska Davids
  • , Tom Teerlink
  • , Isabel Tavares De Almeida
  • , Warren D. Kruger
  • , Henk J. Blom
  • , Rita Castro

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Accumulation of the homocysteine (Hcy) precursor S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy) may cause cellular hypomethylation in the setting of hyperhomocysteinemia because of cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) deficiency, an inborn error of metabolism. To test this hypothesis, DNA and protein arginine methylation status were assessed in liver, brain, heart, and kidney obtained from a previously described mouse model of CBS deficiency. Metabolite levels in tissues and serum were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography or liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Global DNA and protein arginine methylation status were evaluated as the contents of 5-methyldeoxycytidine in DNA and of methylarginines in proteins, respectively. In addition, histone arginine methylation was assessed by Western blotting. CBS-deficient mice exhibited increased (>6-fold) Hcy and AdoHcy levels in all tissues examined compared with control levels. In addition, global DNA methylation status was not affected, but global protein arginine methylation status was decreased (10-35%) in liver and brain. Moreover, asymmetric dimethylation of arginine 3 on histone H4 (H4R3me2a) content was markedly decreased in liver, and no differences were observed for the other histone arginine methylation marks examined. Our results show that CBS-deficient mice present severe accumulation of tissue Hcy and AdoHcy, protein arginine hypomethylation in liver and brain, and decreased H4R3me2a content in liver. Therefore, protein arginine hypomethylation arises as a potential player in the pathophysiology of CBS deficiency.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2686-2695
Number of pages10
JournalFASEB Journal
Volume28
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2014

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Biotechnology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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