Acetaldehyde-driven mRNA methylation and expression changes in ethanol-metabolizing enzyme genes

Epigenetics. 2025 Dec;20(1):2493865. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2025.2493865. Epub 2025 Apr 19.

Abstract

This study examines how the alcohol metabolite acetaldehyde modulates mRNA methylation and expression of ethanol-metabolizing genes, uncovering its epigenetic role in ethanol metabolism. Using neuron-like (SH-SY5Y) and non-neuronal (SW620) cellular models, we examined the effects of chronic intermittent acetaldehyde (CIA) exposure and subsequent withdrawal (CIA+WD) on global RNA m6A modifications and the methylation and expression of three brain ethanol-metabolizing genes: CAT (catalase), CYP2E1 (cytochrome P450 2E1), and ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2). A 3-week CIA exposure, with or without 24-hour withdrawal, did not significantly alter global m6A methylation levels in either cell line. However, acetaldehyde exposure/withdrawal induced hypermethylation at the mRNA stop codon regions of ALDH2 (CIA: p = 0.002; CIA+WD: p = 0.055) and CAT (CIA: p = 0.077; CIA+WD: p = 0.036) in SH-SY5Y cells, but not in SW620 cells. Furthermore, ALDH2 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in both cell types following exposure (SH-SY5Y: p = 0.073 [CIA] and 0.00002 [CIA+WD]; SW620: p = 0.0009 [CIA] and 0.00008 [CIA+WD]). In contrast, CYP2E1 mRNA methylation and the expression of CYP2E1 and CAT remained unchanged. These findings highlight the cell-specific epigenetic effects of acetaldehyde, particularly its role in modulating mRNA methylation and expression of ALDH2, a key enzyme in alcohol metabolism.

Keywords: Global m6A RNA methylation; MazF-RT-qPCR; adenocarcinoma cell line SW620; alcohol-metabolizing enzyme genes; chronic intermittent acetaldehyde exposure; mRNA stop codon region m6A modifications; neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y.

MeSH terms

  • Acetaldehyde* / metabolism
  • Acetaldehyde* / pharmacology
  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial* / genetics
  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial* / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1* / genetics
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1* / metabolism
  • DNA Methylation
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Ethanol* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • RNA, Messenger* / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger* / metabolism

Substances

  • Acetaldehyde
  • Ethanol
  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1
  • RNA, Messenger
  • ALDH2 protein, human