Epigenetics of diabetes Type 2 Since Type 2 diabetes is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia as a result of impaired pancreatic beta cell function and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues, it was thought that the gene might be downregulated in type 2 diabetes patients through DNA methylation. The defects in pancreatic beta cell function and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues were thought to be the result of impaired ATP production from reduced oxidative phosphorylation. It was found that the mRNA expression of PPARGC1A was markedly reduced in pancreatic islets from type 2 diabetic donors compared with that of non-diabetic donors. Using bisulfite testing, it was also
Epigenetics of diabetes Type 2 A possible link between DNA methylation and insulin resistance was shown through monozygotic twin comparisons and bisulfite pyrosequencing to measure the global DNA methylation of Alu repeats in peripheral blood leukocytes. Alu elements are known to create genomic instability and affect gene expression, and have been implicated in numerous human diseases. Epigenetic alterations arising during the lifetime of monozygotic twins in Alu repeats resulted in an increase in genomic s instability, and consequently cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. show that methylation levels at all four CpG sites displayed an increase in Alu methylation. This study provides the first