However, in other respects, the current findings nicely complement and expand the prior findings. First of all, in keeping with our general understanding of the effects of methylation on gene transcription, they demonstrate that greater amounts of CpG methylation are associated with lower amounts of mRNA production [Reik, 2007]. Second, the demonstration of greater amounts of methylation in females versus males and a trend for that methylation to be associated with greater vulnerability to lifetime MD directly demonstrates a mechanism through which the environment can reprogram genes to vulnerability to illness. However, it should be noted that CpG methylation is only one method through which gene transcription can be modified epigenetically. Hence, the current study should be viewed as only the beginning for future studies of this important group of phenomena.
