Schmitz Judith, Kumsta Robert, Moser Dirk, Güntürkün Onur, Ocklenburg Sebastian
Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
Genetic Psychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
Behav Brain Res. 2018 Jan 30;337:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.035. Epub 2017 Sep 25.
Language lateralization is one of the most prominent examples of functional hemispheric asymmetries. Previous studies indicate a significant contribution of factors not related to DNA sequence variation on the development of language lateralization, but the molecular processes underlying this relation are unclear. The Brandler-Paracchini model of hemispheric asymmetries assumes that genes involved in the establishment of ciliogenesis and bodily asymmetries also affect functional hemispheric asymmetries. Thus, genes implicated in this model represent a key target for epigenetic modulation of language lateralization. Here, we analyzed DNA methylation in the KIAA0319 (a gene involved in dyslexia and ciliogenesis) promoter region to investigate whether epigenetic markers of language lateralization can be identified in non-neuronal tissue. We found sex-specific effects of DNA methylation in single CpG sites on language lateralization in the forced-left (FL) and the forced-right (FR), but not on language lateralization in the non-forced (NF) condition of the dichotic listening task. These findings suggest that DNA methylation patterns in the KIAA0319 promoter region might be associated with cognitive control processes that are necessary to perform well in the forced-attention conditions. Furthermore, the assumption of an association between genes involved in ciliogenesis and the ontogenesis of functional hemispheric asymmetries is supported.
语言功能偏侧化是大脑半球功能不对称最显著的例子之一。先前的研究表明，与DNA序列变异无关的因素对语言功能偏侧化的发展有显著贡献，但这种关系背后的分子过程尚不清楚。Brandler-Paracchini大脑半球不对称模型假设，参与纤毛发生和身体不对称建立的基因也会影响大脑半球的功能不对称。因此，该模型中涉及的基因是语言功能偏侧化表观遗传调控的关键靶点。在这里，我们分析了KIAA0319（一个与阅读障碍和纤毛发生有关的基因）启动子区域的DNA甲基化，以研究是否可以在非神经组织中识别出语言功能偏侧化的表观遗传标记。我们发现，在双耳分听任务的强制向左（FL）和强制向右（FR）条件下，单个CpG位点的DNA甲基化对语言功能偏侧化有性别特异性影响，但在非强制（NF）条件下对语言功能偏侧化没有影响。这些发现表明，KIAA0319启动子区域的DNA甲基化模式可能与在强制注意条件下良好表现所必需的认知控制过程有关。此外，支持了参与纤毛发生的基因与大脑半球功能不对称个体发生之间存在关联的假设。
