Acute stress alters control of gene activity
Our genetic material, the DNA, provides the construction
manual for the proteins that our bodies need. Which proteins a cell produces depends
on the cell type and the environment. So-termed epigenetic information
determines which genes are read, acting quasi as a biological switch. An
example of such a switch is provided by methyl (CH3) groups that attach to
specific sections of the DNA and can remain there for a long time - even when
the cell divides. Previous studies have shown that stressful experiences and
psychological trauma in early life are associated with long-term altered DNA
methylation. Whether the DNA methylation also changes after acute psychosocial
stress, was, however, previously unknown.