DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment

Jenny van Dongen; Michel G. Nivard; Gonneke Willemsen; Dorret I. Boomsma; René Pool; Jouke J. Hottenga; Rick Jansen; BIOS Consortium

doi:10.1038/s41539-018-0020-2

DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment

Jenny van Dongen^*
, Michel G. Nivard
, Gonneke Willemsen
, Dorret I. Boomsma
, René Pool
, Jouke J. Hottenga
, Rick Jansen
, BIOS Consortium

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Educational attainment is a key behavioural measure in studies of cognitive and physical health, and socioeconomic status. We measured DNA methylation at 410,746 CpGs (N = 4152) and identified 58 CpGs associated with educational attainment at loci characterized by pleiotropic functions shared with neuronal, immune and developmental processes. Associations overlapped with those for smoking behaviour, but remained after accounting for smoking at many CpGs: Effect sizes were on average 28% smaller and genome-wide significant at 11 CpGs after adjusting for smoking and were 62% smaller in never smokers. We examined sources and biological implications of education-related methylation differences, demonstrating correlations with maternal prenatal folate, smoking and air pollution signatures, and associations with gene expression in cis, dynamic methylation in foetal brain, and correlations between blood and brain. Our findings show that the methylome of lower-educated people resembles that of smokers beyond effects of their own smoking behaviour and shows traces of various other exposures.

Original language	English
Article number	7
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Number of pages	14
Journal	npj Science of learning
Volume	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-018-0020-2
Publication status	Published - 23 Mar 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was funded by: BBRMI-NL-financed BIOS Consortium (NWO 184.021.007). JvD is supported by ACTION. ACTION receives funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 602768. DIB gratefully acknowledges the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award (PAH/6635).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, The Author(s).

Funding

This study was funded by: BBRMI-NL-financed BIOS Consortium (NWO 184.021.007). JvD is supported by ACTION. ACTION receives funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 602768. DIB gratefully acknowledges the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award (PAH/6635).

Funders	Funder number
ACTION
Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen	PAH/6635
Seventh Framework Programme	602768
Seventh Framework Programme
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek	184.021.007
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Seventh Framework Programme

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Access to Document

10.1038/s41539-018-0020-2

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Cite this

@article{66669b1ed8a44478aab90da5daadde98,

title = "DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment",

abstract = "Educational attainment is a key behavioural measure in studies of cognitive and physical health, and socioeconomic status. We measured DNA methylation at 410,746 CpGs (N = 4152) and identified 58 CpGs associated with educational attainment at loci characterized by pleiotropic functions shared with neuronal, immune and developmental processes. Associations overlapped with those for smoking behaviour, but remained after accounting for smoking at many CpGs: Effect sizes were on average 28\% smaller and genome-wide significant at 11 CpGs after adjusting for smoking and were 62\% smaller in never smokers. We examined sources and biological implications of education-related methylation differences, demonstrating correlations with maternal prenatal folate, smoking and air pollution signatures, and associations with gene expression in cis, dynamic methylation in foetal brain, and correlations between blood and brain. Our findings show that the methylome of lower-educated people resembles that of smokers beyond effects of their own smoking behaviour and shows traces of various other exposures.",

author = "\{van Dongen\}, Jenny and Bonder, \{Marc Jan\} and Dekkers, \{Koen F.\} and Nivard, \{Michel G.\} and \{van Iterson\}, Maarten and Gonneke Willemsen and Marian Beekman and \{van der Spek\}, Ashley and \{van Meurs\}, \{Joyce B.J.\} and Lude Franke and Heijmans, \{Bastiaan T.\} and \{van Duijn\}, \{Cornelia M.\} and Slagboom, \{P. Eline\} and Boomsma, \{Dorret I.\} and Heijmans, \{Bastiaan T.\} and \{{\textquoteright}t Hoen\}, \{Peter A.C.\} and \{van Meurs\}, Joyce and Aaron Isaacs and Rick Jansen and Lude Franke and Boomsma, \{Dorret I.\} and Ren{\'e} Pool and Hottenga, \{Jouke J.\} and \{van Greevenbroek\}, \{Marleen Mj\} and Stehouwer, \{Coen D.A.\} and \{van der Kallen\}, \{Carla J.H.\} and Schalkwijk, \{Casper G.\} and Cisca Wijmenga and Lude Franke and Sasha Zhernakova and Tigchelaar, \{Ettje F.\} and Slagboom, \{P. Eline\} and Marian Beekman and Joris Deelen and \{van Heemst\}, Diana and Veldink, \{Jan H.\} and \{van den Berg\}, \{Leonard H.\} and \{van Duijn\}, \{Cornelia M.\} and Hofman, \{Bert A.\} and Aaron Isaacs and Uitterlinden, \{Andr{\'e} G.\} and \{van Meurs\}, Joyce and Jhamai, \{P. Mila\} and Michael Verbiest and Suchiman, \{H. Eka D.\} and Marijn Verkerk and \{van der Breggen\}, Ruud and \{van Rooij\}, Jeroen and Nico Lakenberg and Hailiang Mei and \{van Iterson\}, Maarten and \{van Galen\}, Michiel and Jan Bot and Zhernakova, \{Dasha V.\} and Rick Jansen and \{van{\textquoteright}t Hof\}, Peter and Patrick Deelen and Irene Nooren and \{{\textquoteright}t Hoen\}, \{Peter A.C.\} and Heijmans, \{Bastiaan T.\} and Matthijs Moed and Lude Franke and Martijn Vermaat and Zhernakova, \{Dasha V.\} and Ren{\'e} Luijk and Bonder, \{Marc Jan\} and \{van Iterson\}, Maarten and Patrick Deelen and \{van Dijk\}, Freerk and \{van Galen\}, Michiel and Wibowo Arindrarto and Kielbasa, \{Szymon M.\} and Swertz, \{Morris A.\} and \{van Zwet\}, \{Erik W.\} and Rick Jansen and Hoen, \{Peter Bram{\textquoteright}t\} and Heijmans, \{Bastiaan T.\} and \{BIOS Consortium\}",

note = "Funding Information: This study was funded by: BBRMI-NL-financed BIOS Consortium (NWO 184.021.007). JvD is supported by ACTION. ACTION receives funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 602768. DIB gratefully acknowledges the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award (PAH/6635). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018, The Author(s).",

year = "2018",

month = mar,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1038/s41539-018-0020-2",

language = "English",

volume = "3",

pages = "1--14",

journal = "npj Science of learning",

issn = "2056-7936",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment

AU - van Dongen, Jenny

AU - Bonder, Marc Jan

AU - Dekkers, Koen F.

AU - Nivard, Michel G.

AU - van Iterson, Maarten

AU - Willemsen, Gonneke

AU - Beekman, Marian

AU - van der Spek, Ashley

AU - van Meurs, Joyce B.J.

AU - Franke, Lude

AU - Heijmans, Bastiaan T.

AU - van Duijn, Cornelia M.

AU - Slagboom, P. Eline

AU - Boomsma, Dorret I.

AU - Heijmans, Bastiaan T.

AU - ’t Hoen, Peter A.C.

AU - van Meurs, Joyce

AU - Isaacs, Aaron

AU - Jansen, Rick

AU - Franke, Lude

AU - Boomsma, Dorret I.

AU - Pool, René

AU - Hottenga, Jouke J.

AU - van Greevenbroek, Marleen Mj

AU - Stehouwer, Coen D.A.

AU - van der Kallen, Carla J.H.

AU - Schalkwijk, Casper G.

AU - Wijmenga, Cisca

AU - Franke, Lude

AU - Zhernakova, Sasha

AU - Tigchelaar, Ettje F.

AU - Slagboom, P. Eline

AU - Beekman, Marian

AU - Deelen, Joris

AU - van Heemst, Diana

AU - Veldink, Jan H.

AU - van den Berg, Leonard H.

AU - van Duijn, Cornelia M.

AU - Hofman, Bert A.

AU - Isaacs, Aaron

AU - Uitterlinden, André G.

AU - van Meurs, Joyce

AU - Jhamai, P. Mila

AU - Verbiest, Michael

AU - Suchiman, H. Eka D.

AU - Verkerk, Marijn

AU - van der Breggen, Ruud

AU - van Rooij, Jeroen

AU - Lakenberg, Nico

AU - Mei, Hailiang

AU - van Iterson, Maarten

AU - van Galen, Michiel

AU - Bot, Jan

AU - Zhernakova, Dasha V.

AU - Jansen, Rick

AU - van’t Hof, Peter

AU - Deelen, Patrick

AU - Nooren, Irene

AU - ’t Hoen, Peter A.C.

AU - Heijmans, Bastiaan T.

AU - Moed, Matthijs

AU - Franke, Lude

AU - Vermaat, Martijn

AU - Zhernakova, Dasha V.

AU - Luijk, René

AU - Bonder, Marc Jan

AU - van Iterson, Maarten

AU - Deelen, Patrick

AU - van Dijk, Freerk

AU - van Galen, Michiel

AU - Arindrarto, Wibowo

AU - Kielbasa, Szymon M.

AU - Swertz, Morris A.

AU - van Zwet, Erik W.

AU - Jansen, Rick

AU - Hoen, Peter Bram’t

AU - Heijmans, Bastiaan T.

AU - BIOS Consortium

N1 - Funding Information: This study was funded by: BBRMI-NL-financed BIOS Consortium (NWO 184.021.007). JvD is supported by ACTION. ACTION receives funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 602768. DIB gratefully acknowledges the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award (PAH/6635). Publisher Copyright: © 2018, The Author(s).

PY - 2018/3/23

Y1 - 2018/3/23

N2 - Educational attainment is a key behavioural measure in studies of cognitive and physical health, and socioeconomic status. We measured DNA methylation at 410,746 CpGs (N = 4152) and identified 58 CpGs associated with educational attainment at loci characterized by pleiotropic functions shared with neuronal, immune and developmental processes. Associations overlapped with those for smoking behaviour, but remained after accounting for smoking at many CpGs: Effect sizes were on average 28% smaller and genome-wide significant at 11 CpGs after adjusting for smoking and were 62% smaller in never smokers. We examined sources and biological implications of education-related methylation differences, demonstrating correlations with maternal prenatal folate, smoking and air pollution signatures, and associations with gene expression in cis, dynamic methylation in foetal brain, and correlations between blood and brain. Our findings show that the methylome of lower-educated people resembles that of smokers beyond effects of their own smoking behaviour and shows traces of various other exposures.

AB - Educational attainment is a key behavioural measure in studies of cognitive and physical health, and socioeconomic status. We measured DNA methylation at 410,746 CpGs (N = 4152) and identified 58 CpGs associated with educational attainment at loci characterized by pleiotropic functions shared with neuronal, immune and developmental processes. Associations overlapped with those for smoking behaviour, but remained after accounting for smoking at many CpGs: Effect sizes were on average 28% smaller and genome-wide significant at 11 CpGs after adjusting for smoking and were 62% smaller in never smokers. We examined sources and biological implications of education-related methylation differences, demonstrating correlations with maternal prenatal folate, smoking and air pollution signatures, and associations with gene expression in cis, dynamic methylation in foetal brain, and correlations between blood and brain. Our findings show that the methylome of lower-educated people resembles that of smokers beyond effects of their own smoking behaviour and shows traces of various other exposures.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85105731370

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85105731370#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1038/s41539-018-0020-2

DO - 10.1038/s41539-018-0020-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85105731370

SN - 2056-7936

VL - 3

SP - 1

EP - 14

JO - npj Science of learning

JF - npj Science of learning

M1 - 7

ER -

DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Persistent URL (handle)

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