One-Carbon Metabolism in Pregnant Women, Fetuses, and Infants
A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 102
Special Issue Editors
Interests: one-carbon metabolism; maternal nutrition; nutritional epidemiology; molecular epidemiology; developmental origins of the health and disease hypothesis (DOHaD); mass spectrometry; vitamins; trace elements
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The one-carbon metabolism (OCM) comprises a folate cycle, a choline metabolic pathway linked to a methionine cycle, and the homocysteine in the latter being connected to the trans-sulphuration pathway. The OCM is mainly involved in the transfer of the one-carbon units required for S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyl transfer reactions, nucleic acid synthesis, and amino acid metabolism, all of which support numerous physiological processes.
Many epidemiological studies have shown that adverse environments during the periconceptional, fetal, and early postnatal periods increase the risk of developing non-communicable diseases, leading to the concept of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). In the DOHaD theory, abnormal epigenetic modifications during developmental stages are considered new risk factors for non-communicable diseases. The OCM plays a crucial role in epigenetic modifications that regulate gene expression. The methyl group transfer from SAM, which is synthesized through the OCM, to histone or DNA causes epigenetic modifications. Understanding the OCM during pregnancy and the early postnatal period, when drastic epigenetic remodeling occurs, is vital for DOHaD research.
Therefore, for this Special Issue of Metabolites, we welcome submissions of original research articles and reviews covering (but not limited to) the following topics:
- Studies related to the OCM (folate cycle, choline metabolic pathway, methionine cycle, and trans-sulphuration pathway) in pregnant women or early postnatal infants;
- Alterations in OCM metabolites, metabolic fluxes, and networks during pregnancy;
- Association between OCM status and disease;
- Effects of diet or nutrients on OCM status;
- Association between maternal OCM status and epigenetic modifications in offspring.
Dr. Yoshinori Kubo
Prof. Dr. Hikaru Hori
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- folate cycle (5-methyltetrahydrofolate, folic acid, vitamin B12, serine, glycine)
- methionine cycle (homocysteine, methionine, S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine)
- choline metabolic pathway (betaine, choline)
- trans-sulfuration pathway (cysteine, taurine, vitamin B6)
- epigenetics
- developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD)
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