Handedness has low heritability and epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed as an etiological mechanism. To examine this hypothesis, we performed an epigenome-wide association study of left-handedness. In a meta-analysis of 3914 adults of whole-blood DNA methylation, we observed that CpG sites located in proximity of handedness-associated genetic variants were more strongly associated with left-handedness than other CpG sites (P = 0.04), but did not identify any differentially methylated positions. In longitudinal analyses of DNA methylation in peripheral blood and buccal cells from children (N = 1737), we observed moderately stable associations across age (correlation range [0.355-0.578]), but inconsistent across tissues (correlation range [- 0.384 to 0.318]). We conclude that DNA methylation in peripheral tissues captures little of the variance in handedness. Future investigations should consider other more targeted sources of tissue, such as the brain.

© 2022. The Author(s).

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TitleDNA methylation in peripheral tissues and left-handedness.
DateApril 4th, 2022
Issue nameScientific reports
Issue numberv12.1:5606
DOI10.1038/s41598-022-08998-0
PubMed35379837
AuthorsOdintsova VV, Suderman M, Hagenbeek FA, Caramaschi D, Hottenga JJ, Pool R, Dolan CV, Ligthart L, van Beijsterveldt CEM, Willemsen G, de Geus EJC, Beck JJ, Ehli EA, Cuellar-Partida G, Evans DM, Medland SE, Relton CL, Boomsma DI & van Dongen J
InfoBIOS Consortium, Heijmans BT, 't Hoen PAC, van Meurs J, Isaacs A, Jansen R, Franke L, Boomsma DI, Pool R, van Dongen J, Hottenga JJ, van Greevenbroek MMJ, Stehouwer CDA, van der Kallen CJH, Schalkwijk CG, Wijmenga C, Franke L, Zhernakova S, Tigchelaar EF, Slagboom PE, Beekman M, Deelen J, van Heemst D, Veldink JH, Van den Berg LH, van Duijn CM, Hofman BA, Isaacs A, Uitterlinden AG, van Meurs J, Jhamai PM, Verbiest M, Suchiman HED, Verkerk M, van der Breggen R, van Rooij J, Lakenberg N, Mei H, van Iterson M, van Galen M, Bot J, Zhernakova DV, Jansen R, 't Hof PV, Deelen P, Nooren I, 't Hoen PAC, Heijmans BT, Moed M, Franke L, Vermaat M, Zhernakova DV, Luijk R, Bonder MJ, van Iterson M, Deelen P, van Dijk F, van Galen M, Arindrarto W, Kielbasa SM, Swertz MA, van Zwet EW, Jansen R, 't Hoen PB, Heijmans BT
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