Association of Methylation of Neuromediator Brain System Genes with Psychoemotional Human Characteristics
Epigenetic regulation of gene activity has been implicated in a number of mental disorders, including developmental disorders of the brain, personality disorders, and deviant behavior. A study of the methylation level of 24 selected CpG sites in the groups of patients with the listed disorders and the control group was carried out. It was shown that CpG sites in the regulatory regions of three genes of human neuromediator systems – BDNF, COMT and CACNA1C – are hypermethylated, what can lead to a decrease in the expression of these genes. The results obtained can be the basis for the development of diagnostic test systems and the search for pharmacological targets for the detection and correction of these conditions, and are also of interest for personal identification inforensics.