Tier 3 — preclinical

The BHMT-betaine methylation pathway epigenetically modulates oligodendrocyte maturation

Sarah Sternbach, Nicole West, Naveen K Singhal, Robert Clements, Soumitra Basu, Ajai Tripathi, Ranjan Dutta, Ernest J Freeman, Jennifer McDonough
PloS one 2021 16(5):e0250486

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 33975330
PubMed Central
PMC8112889
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0250486
Funding
Reported funding/support: Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State UniversityResearch Granthttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9809-2289McDonoughJenniferBrain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Research Grant, Jennifer McDonough.
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Study snapshot

DesignExperimental animal and/or laboratory research
ModelHuman cell line, primary rat oligodendrocytes and postmortem tissue
SampleExperiment-specific biological replicates and model groups; see original methods
InterventionBetaine exposure and BHMT knockdown experiments
DurationLaboratory and tissue-analysis protocols
EndpointsOligodendrocyte maturation; Histone and DNA methylation

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2021, this source examined preclinical aging, brain and metabolic mechanisms. Design: Experimental animal and/or laboratory research. Sample/model: Experiment-specific biological replicates and model groups; see original methods. The exposure or intervention was Betaine exposure and BHMT knockdown experiments. Follow-up or treatment period: Laboratory and tissue-analysis protocols.

Betaine changed methyltransferase activity and maturation-related genes in oligodendrocyte models, dependent on BHMT expression.

Experimental model evidence. The intervention, concentrations and outcomes do not establish an effective human supplement dose or a clinical treatment benefit.

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Continue with TMG, Methylation and MTHFR: Understanding the Evidence

Key findings

  • Betaine changed methyltransferase activity and maturation-related genes in oligodendrocyte models, dependent on BHMT expression.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Oligodendrocyte maturation; Histone and DNA methylation.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Betaine exposure and BHMT knockdown experiments; Laboratory and tissue-analysis protocols.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Experimental model evidence. The intervention, concentrations and outcomes do not establish an effective human supplement dose or a clinical treatment benefit.
  • Cell concentrations, species, disease models and experimental routes cannot be converted directly into an effective or safe oral human regimen.
  • Source basis: Accessible full-text extract plus indexed bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology