observed in fetal-alcohol exposed rodents and human subjects [2], [34]. MeCP2 regulates chromatin structure of several genes and modulates their expression [30], [32]. We have previously shown that fetal alcohol exposure increases DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt)1 and the histone repressive mark H3K9me2 levels in POMC producing cells in the hypothalamus [17]. In this study, we showed fetal alcohol treatment increases MeCP2 protein levels in POMC cells as well as increases MeCP2 binding to the POMC gene promoter. These results could suggest that MeCP2 might play a role in POMC gene suppression in the hypothalamus by fetal alcohol exposure.
