The effect of neonicotinoids on methylation of brain genomic DNA
Neonicotinoids, including dinotefuran and imidacloprid, are agricultural chemicals widely used throughout the world, acting selectively on insect acetylcholine receptors. However, in recent years, it has been shown the possibility that pups' anxiety behaviors may be caused by oral administration of neonicotinoids to pregnant mice, so the influence of neonicotinoids on brain development has been concerned.
　The previous studies have suggested that oral administration of neonicotinoids to the mice affects the methylation of genomic DNA, which is a regulatory mechanism of epigenetic gene expression. However, we have not identified the target genes of methylation yet. In this study, we orally administered imidacloprid and dinotefuran to ICR female mice of 12 week-old and investigated the gene methylation in cerebral cortex 4 h after administration of neonicotinoides. Then, we found increased or decreased methylation of several genes and confirmed that the methylation status of those genes was different in each drug.
　In this presentation, we show the results of gene methylation and the expression profile of several genes, including cux1 and begain, which play important roles in brain development, by using quantitative RCP.