101
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Prolonged ovarian hormone deprivation alters the effects of 17β-estradiol on microRNA expression in the aged female rat hypothalamus. Oncotarget 2016; 6:36965-83. [PMID: 26460619 PMCID: PMC4741909 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Administration of 17β-estradiol (E2) has beneficial effects on cognitive function in peri- but not post-menopausal women, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying age-related changes in E2 action remain unclear. We propose that there is a biological switch in E2 action that occurs coincident with age and length of time after ovarian hormone depletion, and we hypothesized that age-dependent regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) could be the molecular basis for that switch. Previously we showed that miRNAs are regulated by E2 in young compared to aged female rats. Here we tested whether increasing lengths of ovarian hormone deprivation in aged females altered E2 regulation of these mature miRNAs. In addition, we determined where along the miRNA biogenesis pathway E2 exerted its effects. Our results showed that age and increased lengths of ovarian hormone deprivation abolished the ability of E2 to regulate mature miRNA expression in the brain. Further, we show that E2 acted at specific points along the miRNA biogenesis pathway.
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102
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Cheong JN, Wlodek ME, Moritz KM, Cuffe JSM. Programming of maternal and offspring disease: impact of growth restriction, fetal sex and transmission across generations. J Physiol 2016; 594:4727-40. [PMID: 26970222 PMCID: PMC5009791 DOI: 10.1113/jp271745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Babies born small are at an increased risk of developing myriad adult diseases. While growth restriction increases disease risk in all individuals, often a second hit is required to unmask 'programmed' impairments in physiology. Programmed disease outcomes are demonstrated more commonly in male offspring compared with females, with these sex-specific outcomes partly attributed to different placenta-regulated growth strategies of the male and female fetus. Pregnancy is known to be a major risk factor for unmasking a number of conditions and can be considered a 'second hit' for women who were born small. As such, female offspring often develop impairments of physiology for the first time during pregnancy that present as pregnancy complications. Numerous maternal stressors can further increase the risk of developing a maternal complication during pregnancy. Importantly, these maternal complications can have long-term consequences for both the mother after pregnancy and the developing fetus. Conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and hypertension as well as thyroid, liver and kidney diseases are all conditions that can complicate pregnancy and have long-term consequences for maternal and offspring health. Babies born to mothers who develop these conditions are often at a greater risk of developing disease in adulthood. This has implications as a mechanism for transmission of disease across generations. In this review, we discuss the evidence surrounding long-term intergenerational implications of being born small and/or experiencing stress during pregnancy on programming outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean N Cheong
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Mary E Wlodek
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Karen M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - James S M Cuffe
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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103
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Tschurtschenthaler M, Kachroo P, Heinsen FA, Adolph TE, Rühlemann MC, Klughammer J, Offner FA, Ammerpohl O, Krueger F, Smallwood S, Szymczak S, Kaser A, Franke A. Paternal chronic colitis causes epigenetic inheritance of susceptibility to colitis. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31640. [PMID: 27538787 PMCID: PMC4990911 DOI: 10.1038/srep31640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) arises by unknown environmental triggers in genetically susceptible individuals. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression may integrate internal and external influences and may thereby modulate disease susceptibility. Epigenetic modification may also affect the germ-line and in certain contexts can be inherited to offspring. This study investigates epigenetic alterations consequent to experimental murine colitis induced by dextran sodium sulphate (DSS), and their paternal transmission to offspring. Genome-wide methylome- and transcriptome-profiling of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and sperm cells of males of the F0 generation, which received either DSS and consequently developed colitis (F0DSS), or non-supplemented tap water (F0Ctrl) and hence remained healthy, and of their F1 offspring was performed using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq), respectively. Offspring of F0DSS males exhibited aberrant methylation and expression patterns of multiple genes, including Igf1r and Nr4a2, which are involved in energy metabolism. Importantly, DSS colitis in F0DSS mice was associated with decreased body weight at baseline of their F1 offspring, and these F1 mice exhibited increased susceptibility to DSS-induced colitis compared to offspring from F0Ctrl males. This study hence demonstrates epigenetic transmissibility of metabolic and inflammatory traits resulting from experimental colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Tschurtschenthaler
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Medicine II (Gastroenterology &Hepatology), Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Priyadarshini Kachroo
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Femke-Anouska Heinsen
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Timon Erik Adolph
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Johanna Klughammer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Albert Offner
- Department of Pathology, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, 6800 Feldkirch, Austria
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Institute of Human Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Felix Krueger
- Bioinformatics Group, Babraham Institute, CB22 3AT Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sébastien Smallwood
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, CB22 3AT Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Silke Szymczak
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Arthur Kaser
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andre Franke
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
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104
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Triantaphyllopoulos KA, Ikonomopoulos I, Bannister AJ. Epigenetics and inheritance of phenotype variation in livestock. Epigenetics Chromatin 2016. [PMID: 27446239 DOI: 10.1186/s13072‐016‐0081‐5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance plays a crucial role in many biological processes, such as gene expression in early embryo development, imprinting and the silencing of transposons. It has recently been established that epigenetic effects can be inherited from one generation to the next. Here, we review examples of epigenetic mechanisms governing animal phenotype and behaviour, and we discuss the importance of these findings in respect to animal studies, and livestock in general. Epigenetic parameters orchestrating transgenerational effects, as well as heritable disorders, and the often-overlooked areas of livestock immunity and stress, are also discussed. We highlight the importance of nutrition and how it is linked to epigenetic alteration. Finally, we describe how our understanding of epigenetics is underpinning the latest cancer research and how this can be translated into directed efforts to improve animal health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas A Triantaphyllopoulos
- Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, School of Agricultural Production, Infrastructure and Environment, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos St., 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Ikonomopoulos
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, School of Agricultural Production, Infrastructure and Environment, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos St., 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Andrew J Bannister
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
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105
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Triantaphyllopoulos KA, Ikonomopoulos I, Bannister AJ. Epigenetics and inheritance of phenotype variation in livestock. Epigenetics Chromatin 2016; 9:31. [PMID: 27446239 PMCID: PMC4955263 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-016-0081-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance plays a crucial role in many biological processes, such as gene expression in early embryo development, imprinting and the silencing of transposons. It has recently been established that epigenetic effects can be inherited from one generation to the next. Here, we review examples of epigenetic mechanisms governing animal phenotype and behaviour, and we discuss the importance of these findings in respect to animal studies, and livestock in general. Epigenetic parameters orchestrating transgenerational effects, as well as heritable disorders, and the often-overlooked areas of livestock immunity and stress, are also discussed. We highlight the importance of nutrition and how it is linked to epigenetic alteration. Finally, we describe how our understanding of epigenetics is underpinning the latest cancer research and how this can be translated into directed efforts to improve animal health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas A. Triantaphyllopoulos
- />Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, School of Agricultural Production, Infrastructure and Environment, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos St., 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Ikonomopoulos
- />Department of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, School of Agricultural Production, Infrastructure and Environment, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos St., 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Andrew J. Bannister
- />Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
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106
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Mychasiuk R, Metz GAS. Epigenetic and gene expression changes in the adolescent brain: What have we learned from animal models? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:189-197. [PMID: 27426956 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is defined as the gradual period of transition between childhood and adulthood that is characterized by significant brain maturation, growth spurts, sexual maturation, and heightened social interaction. Although originally believed to be a uniquely human aspect of development, rodent and non-human primates demonstrate maturational patterns that distinctly support an adolescent stage. As epigenetic processes are essential for development and differentiation, but also transpire in mature cells in response to environmental influences, they are an important aspect of adolescent brain maturation. The purpose of this review article was to examine epigenetic programming in animal models of brain maturation during adolescence. The discussion focuses on animal models to examine three main concepts; epigenetic processes involved in normal adolescent brain maturation, the influence of fetal programming on adolescent brain development and the epigenome, and finally, postnatal experiences such as exercise and drugs that modify epigenetic processes important for adolescent brain maturation. This corollary emphasizes the utility of animal models to further our understanding of complex processes such as epigenetic regulation and brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richelle Mychasiuk
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Department of Psychology, AD030 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
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107
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The long noncoding RNA NRF regulates programmed necrosis and myocardial injury during ischemia and reperfusion by targeting miR-873. Cell Death Differ 2016; 23:1394-405. [PMID: 27258785 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2016.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidences suggest that necrosis is programmed and is one of the main forms of cell death in the pathological process in cardiac diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as new players in gene regulation. However, it is not yet clear whether lncRNAs can regulate necrosis in cardiomyocytes. Here, we report that a long noncoding RNA, named necrosis-related factor (NRF), regulates cardiomyocytes necrosis by targeting miR-873 and RIPK1 (receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1)/RIPK3 (receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3). Our results show that RIPK1 and RIPK3 participate in H2O2-induced cardiomyocytes necrosis. miR-873 suppresses the translation of RIPK1/RIPK3 and inhibits RIPK1/RIPK3-mediated necrotic cell death in cardiomyocytes. miR-873 reduces myocardial infarct size upon ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the animal model. In exploring the molecular mechanism by which miR-873 expression is regulated, we identify NRF as an endogenous sponge RNA and repress miR-873 expression. NRF directly binds to miR-873 and regulates RIPK1/RIPK3 expression and necrosis. Knockdown of NRF antagonizes necrosis in cardiomyocytes and reduces necrosis and myocardial infarction upon I/R injury. Further, we identify that p53 transcriptionally activates NRF expression. P53 regulates cardiomyocytes necrosis and myocardial I/R injury through NRF and miR-873.Our results identify a novel mechanism involving NRF and miR-873 in regulating programmed necrosis in the heart and suggest a potential therapeutic avenue for cardiovascular diseases.
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108
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Altered brain morphology and functional connectivity reflect a vulnerable affective state after cumulative multigenerational stress in rats. Neuroscience 2016; 330:79-89. [PMID: 27241944 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Revised: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal stress is a risk factor for abnormal neuroanatomical, cognitive, behavioral and mental health outcomes with potentially transgenerational consequences. Females in general seem more resilient to the effects of prenatal stress than males. Here, we examined if repeated stress across generations may diminish stress resiliency and cumulatively enhance the susceptibility for adverse health outcomes in females. Pregnant female rats of three successive generations were exposed to stress from gestational days 12-18 to generate multigenerational prenatal stress (MPS) in the maternal lineage. Stress response was measured by plasma corticosterone levels and open-field exploration in each generation. Neuromorphological consequences of MPS were investigated in the F3 generation using in vivo manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI), T2-relaxometry, and cytoarchitectonics in relation to candidate gene expression involved in brain plasticity and mental health. Each additional generation of prenatal stress incrementally elevated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, anxiety-like and aversive behaviors in adult female offspring. Elevated stress responses in the MPS F3 generation were accompanied by reduced neural density in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and whole brain along with altered brain activation patterns in in vivo MEMRI. MPS increased ephrin receptor A5 (Epha5), neuronal growth regulator (Negr1) and synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (Snap25) gene expression and reduced fibroblast growth factor 12 (Fgf12) in prefrontal cortex. These genes regulate neuronal maturation, arborization and synaptic plasticity and may explain altered brain cytoarchitectonics and connectivity. These findings emphasize that recurrent stress across generations may cumulatively increase stress vulnerability and the risk of adverse health outcomes through perinatal programing in females.
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109
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Rando OJ. Intergenerational Transfer of Epigenetic Information in Sperm. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2016; 6:cshperspect.a022988. [PMID: 26801897 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a022988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The inheritance of information beyond DNA sequence, known as epigenetic inheritance, has been implicated in a multitude of biological processes from control of plant flowering time to cancer in humans. In addition to epigenetic inheritance that occurs in dividing cells of a multicellular organism, it is also increasingly clear that at least some epigenetic information is transmitted via the gametes in a multitude of organisms, including mammals. Here, I review the evidence for epigenetic information carriers in mammalian sperm, and explore the emerging field of intergenerational transfer of environmental information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605
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110
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Ashworth CJ, George SO, Hogg CO, Lai YT, Brunton PJ. Sex-specific prenatal stress effects on the rat reproductive axis and adrenal gland structure. Reproduction 2016; 151:709-17. [PMID: 27026714 PMCID: PMC5065086 DOI: 10.1530/rep-16-0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Social stress during pregnancy has profound effects on offspring physiology. This study examined whether an ethologically relevant social stress during late pregnancy in rats alters the reproductive axis and adrenal gland structure in post-pubertal male and female offspring. Prenatally stressed (PNS) pregnant rats (n=9) were exposed to an unfamiliar lactating rat for 10 min/day from day 16 to 20 of pregnancy inclusive, whereas control pregnant rats (n=9) remained in their home cages. Gonads, adrenal glands and blood samples were obtained from one female and one male from each litter at 11 to 12-weeks of age. Anogenital distance was measured. There was no treatment effect on body, adrenal or gonad weight at 11-12 weeks. PNS did not affect the number of primordial, secondary or tertiary ovarian follicles, numbers of corpora lutea or ovarian FSH receptor expression. There was an indication that PNS females had more primary follicles and greater ovarian aromatase expression compared with control females (both P=0.09). PNS males had longer anogenital distances (0.01±0.0 cm/g vs 0.008±0.00 cm/g; P=0.007) and higher plasma FSH concentrations (0.05 ng/mL vs 0.006 ng/mL; s.e.d.=0.023; P=0.043) compared with control males. There were no treatment effects on the number of Sertoli cells or seminiferous tubules, seminiferous tubule area, plasma testosterone concentration or testis expression of aromatase, FSH receptor or androgen receptor. PNS did not affect adrenal size. These data suggest that the developing male reproductive axis is more sensitive to maternal stress and that PNS may enhance aspects of male reproductive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl J Ashworth
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susan O George
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Charis O Hogg
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yu-Ting Lai
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paula J Brunton
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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111
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Lahiri DK, Maloney B, Bayon BL, Chopra N, White FA, Greig NH, Nurnberger JI. Transgenerational latent early-life associated regulation unites environment and genetics across generations. Epigenomics 2016; 8:373-87. [PMID: 26950428 DOI: 10.2217/epi.15.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of idiopathic diseases is still poorly understood. The latent early-life associated regulation (LEARn) model unites environmental exposures and gene expression while providing a mechanistic underpinning for later-occurring disorders. We propose that this process can occur across generations via transgenerational LEARn (tLEARn). In tLEARn, each person is a 'unit' accumulating preclinical or subclinical 'hits' as in the original LEARn model. These changes can then be epigenomically passed along to offspring. Transgenerational accumulation of 'hits' determines a sporadic disease state. Few significant transgenerational hits would accompany conception or gestation of most people, but these may suffice to 'prime' someone to respond to later-life hits. Hits need not produce symptoms or microphenotypes to have a transgenerational effect. Testing tLEARn requires longitudinal approaches. A recently proposed longitudinal epigenome/envirome-wide association study would unite genetic sequence, epigenomic markers, environmental exposures, patient personal history taken at multiple time points and family history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debomoy K Lahiri
- Department of Psychiatry, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Bryan Maloney
- Department of Psychiatry, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Baindu L Bayon
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Nipun Chopra
- Department of Psychiatry, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Fletcher A White
- Department of Anesthesia, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Nigel H Greig
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - John I Nurnberger
- Department of Psychiatry, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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112
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Rice WR, Friberg U, Gavrilets S. Sexually antagonistic epigenetic marks that canalize sexually dimorphic development. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:1812-22. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William R. Rice
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Urban Friberg
- IFM Biology AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group Linköping University SE‐581 83 Linköping Sweden
| | - Sergey Gavrilets
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Mathematics National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis University of Tennessee Knoxville TN 37996 USA
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113
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Bronson SL, Bale TL. The Placenta as a Mediator of Stress Effects on Neurodevelopmental Reprogramming. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:207-18. [PMID: 26250599 PMCID: PMC4677129 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Adversity experienced during gestation is a predictor of lifetime neuropsychiatric disease susceptibility. Specifically, maternal stress during pregnancy predisposes offspring to sex-biased neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism spectrum disorders. Animal models have demonstrated disease-relevant endophenotypes in prenatally stressed offspring and have provided unique insight into potential programmatic mechanisms. The placenta has a critical role in the deleterious and sex-specific effects of maternal stress and other fetal exposures on the developing brain. Stress-induced perturbations of the maternal milieu are conveyed to the embryo via the placenta, the maternal-fetal intermediary responsible for maintaining intrauterine homeostasis. Disruption of vital placental functions can have a significant impact on fetal development, including the brain, outcomes that are largely sex-specific. Here we review the novel involvement of the placenta in the transmission of the maternal adverse environment and effects on the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie L Bronson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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114
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Klengel T, Dias BG, Ressler KJ. Models of Intergenerational and Transgenerational Transmission of Risk for Psychopathology in Mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:219-31. [PMID: 26283147 PMCID: PMC4677139 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Trajectories toward risk or resilience in psychiatric disorders are influenced by acquired and inherited factors. More recently, evidence from rodent studies suggest that acquired risk factors can be transmitted through non-genomic, epigenetic mechanisms to subsequent generations, potentially contributing to a cycle of disease and disease risk. Here, we review examples of transmission of environmental factors across generations and illustrate the difference between behavioral transmission and epigenetic inheritance. We highlight essential definitions of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission of disease risk with corresponding examples. We then explore how these phenomena may influence our understanding of psychiatric disorders leading toward new prevention and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Klengel
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian G Dias
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA, Tel: +1 404 727 7739, Fax: +1 404 727 8070, E-mail:
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115
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Linnstaedt SD, Walker MG, Parker JS, Yeh E, Sons RL, Zimny E, Lewandowski C, Hendry PL, Damiron K, Pearson C, Velilla MA, O'Neil BJ, Jones J, Swor R, Domeier R, Hammond S, McLean SA. MicroRNA circulating in the early aftermath of motor vehicle collision predict persistent pain development and suggest a role for microRNA in sex-specific pain differences. Mol Pain 2015; 11:66. [PMID: 26498117 PMCID: PMC4619556 DOI: 10.1186/s12990-015-0069-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular mediators influencing the transition from acute to persistent musculoskeletal pain following common stress exposures such as motor vehicle collision (MVC) remain poorly understood. In this exploratory, proof of concept study, we compared circulating microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in the early aftermath of MVC among individuals who did and did not subsequently develop persistent pain. Blood RNA samples were obtained from African American individuals (n = 53) who presented to the emergency department after MVC and were discharged to home after evaluation. The presence or absence of severe pain in the axial region, the most common and morbid region in which post-MVC pain occurs, was assessed 6 weeks following MVC via standardized questionnaire. miRNA expression was determined using miRNA-sequencing; nonparametric analyses were used to compare miRNA expression levels among individuals with and without persistent pain. RESULTS Thirty-two mature miRNA were differentially expressed (p < 0.05) in those with and without severe axial pain at 6 weeks. miR-135a-5p, a regulator of the serotonin receptor that is known to be stress-responsive, differed most significantly between groups (p = 3 × 10(-4)). This miRNA, and miR-3613-3p (p = 0.001) survived correction for multiple testing (FDR = 0.15) in this small sample. Interestingly, differentially expressed miRNA were enriched for X chromosome location. In secondary analyses, the eight X chromosome miRNA were (a) more significantly associated with axial pain in women than men, (b) expressed more highly in the peripheral blood of women than men, and (c) predicted in pathway analyses (DIANA miRPath v 2.0) to regulate neuronal and neuroendocrine pathways previously implicated in various pain pathologies. CONCLUSIONS These results show that circulating miRNA predict persistent severe axial pain after MVC and suggest that they may be involved in the pathogenesis of post-traumatic musculoskeletal pain. However, further studies are needed to determine if these miRNA play a direct causal role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah D Linnstaedt
- TRYUMPH Research Program, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Medical School Wing C CB#7010, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7010, USA.
| | - Margaret G Walker
- TRYUMPH Research Program, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Medical School Wing C CB#7010, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7010, USA.
| | - Joel S Parker
- Department of Genetics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Eunice Yeh
- TRYUMPH Research Program, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Medical School Wing C CB#7010, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7010, USA.
| | - Robert L Sons
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Erin Zimny
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | | | - Phyllis L Hendry
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Kathia Damiron
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Claire Pearson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Detroit Receiving, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | | | - Brian J O'Neil
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
- The Cardiovascular Research Institute, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Jones
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Spectrum Health Butterworth Campus, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
| | - Robert Swor
- Department of Emergency Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital, Troy, MI, USA.
| | - Robert Domeier
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St Joseph Mercy Health System, Ypsilanti, MI, USA.
| | - Scott Hammond
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Samuel A McLean
- TRYUMPH Research Program, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Medical School Wing C CB#7010, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7010, USA.
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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116
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Transgenerational epigenetic programming via sperm microRNA recapitulates effects of paternal stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:13699-704. [PMID: 26483456 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1508347112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 468] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic signatures in germ cells, capable of both responding to the parental environment and shaping offspring neurodevelopment, are uniquely positioned to mediate transgenerational outcomes. However, molecular mechanisms by which these marks may communicate experience-dependent information across generations are currently unknown. In our model of chronic paternal stress, we previously identified nine microRNAs (miRs) that were increased in the sperm of stressed sires and associated with reduced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis reactivity in offspring. In the current study, we rigorously examine the hypothesis that these sperm miRs function postfertilization to alter offspring stress responsivity and, using zygote microinjection of the nine specific miRs, demonstrated a remarkable recapitulation of the offspring stress dysregulation phenotype. Further, we associated long-term reprogramming of the hypothalamic transcriptome with HPA axis dysfunction, noting a marked decreased in the expression of extracellular matrix and collagen gene sets that may reflect an underlying change in blood-brain barrier permeability. We conclude by investigating the developmental impact of sperm miRs in early zygotes with single-cell amplification technology, identifying the targeted degradation of stored maternal mRNA transcripts including sirtuin 1 and ubiquitin protein ligase E3a, two genes with established function in chromatin remodeling, and this potent regulatory function of miRs postfertilization likely initiates a cascade of molecular events that eventually alters stress reactivity. Overall, these findings demonstrate a clear mechanistic role for sperm miRs in the transgenerational transmission of paternal lifetime experiences.
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117
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Topper VY, Walker DM, Gore AC. Sexually dimorphic effects of gestational endocrine-disrupting chemicals on microRNA expression in the developing rat hypothalamus. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 414:42-52. [PMID: 26190835 PMCID: PMC4553128 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This study examined developmental changes and sexual dimorphisms in hypothalamic microRNAs, and whether gestational exposures to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) altered their expression patterns. Pregnant rat dams were treated on gestational days 16 and 18 with vehicle, estradiol benzoate, or a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls. Male and female offspring were euthanized on postnatal days (P) 15, 30, 45, or 90, and microRNA and mRNA targets were quantified in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) and ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the hypothalamus. MicroRNAs showed robust developmental changes in both regions, and were sexually dimorphic in the MPN, but not VMN. Importantly, microRNAs in females were up-regulated by EDCs at P30, and down-regulated in males at P90. Few changes in mRNAs were found. Thus, hypothalamic microRNAs are sensitive to prenatal EDC treatment in a sex-, developmental age-, and brain region-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Y Topper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Deena M Walker
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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118
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Molecular insights into transgenerational non-genetic inheritance of acquired behaviours. Nat Rev Genet 2015; 16:641-52. [PMID: 26416311 DOI: 10.1038/nrg3964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural traits in mammals are influenced by environmental factors, which can interact with the genome and modulate its activity by complex molecular interplay. Environmental experiences can modify social, emotional and cognitive behaviours during an individual's lifetime, and result in acquired behavioural traits that can be transmitted to subsequent generations. This Review discusses the concept of, and experimental support for, non-genetic transgenerational inheritance of acquired traits involving the germ line in mammals. Possible mechanisms of induction and maintenance during development and adulthood are considered along with an interpretation of recent findings showing the involvement of epigenetic modifications and non-coding RNAs in male germ cells.
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119
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Zannas AS, Provençal N, Binder EB. Epigenetics of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Current Evidence, Challenges, and Future Directions. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:327-35. [PMID: 25979620 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-related psychiatric disorder that is thought to emerge from complex interactions among traumatic events and multiple genetic factors. Epigenetic regulation lies at the heart of these interactions and mediates the lasting effects of the environment on gene regulation. An increasing body of evidence in human subjects with PTSD supports a role for epigenetic regulation of distinct genes and pathways in the pathogenesis of PTSD. The role of epigenetic regulation is further supported by studies examining fear conditioning in rodent models. Although this line of research offers an exciting outlook for future epigenetic research in PTSD, important limitations include the tissue specificity of epigenetic modifications, the phenomenologic definition of the disorder, and the challenge of translating molecular evidence across species. These limitations call for studies that combine data from postmortem human brain tissue and animal models, assess longitudinal epigenetic changes in living subjects, and examine dimensional phenotypes in addition to diagnoses. Moreover, examining the environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors that promote resilience to trauma may lead to important advances in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony S Zannas
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Nadine Provençal
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University Medical School, Atlanta, Georgia.
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120
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Rodgers AB, Bale TL. Germ Cell Origins of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Risk: The Transgenerational Impact of Parental Stress Experience. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:307-14. [PMID: 25895429 PMCID: PMC4526334 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Altered stress reactivity is a predominant feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may reflect disease vulnerability, increasing the probability that an individual will develop PTSD following trauma exposure. Environmental factors, particularly prior stress history, contribute to the developmental programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis. Critically, the consequences of stress experiences are transgenerational, with parental stress exposure impacting stress reactivity and PTSD risk in subsequent generations. Potential molecular mechanisms underlying this transmission have been explored in rodent models that specifically examine the paternal lineage, identifying epigenetic signatures in male germ cells as possible substrates of transgenerational programming. Here, we review the role of these germ cell epigenetic marks, including posttranslational histone modifications, DNA methylation, and populations of small noncoding RNAs, in the development of offspring stress axis sensitivity and disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali B Rodgers
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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121
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Prereproductive stress in adolescent female rats affects behavior and corticosterone levels in second-generation offspring. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 58:120-9. [PMID: 25973567 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Human and animal studies indicate that vulnerability to stress may be heritable. We have previously shown that chronic, mild prereproductive stress (PRS) in adolescent female rats affects behavior and corticotropin releasing factor 1 (CRF1) expression in the brain of first-generation (F1) offspring. Here, we investigated the effects of PRS on anxiogenic behavior and CRF1 expression in male and female second-generation (F2) offspring. Furthermore, we assessed levels of the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT), a direct marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, in PRS females and their F1 and F2 progeny. F2 offspring demonstrated decreased CRF1 mRNA expression at birth, and alterations in anxiogenic behavior in adulthood. CORT levels were elevated in PRS females and in their F1 female, but not male, offspring. In F2, CORT levels in PRS offspring also varied in a sex-dependent manner. These findings indicate that PRS in adolescent females leads to behavioral alterations that extend to second-generation offspring, and has transgenerational effects on endocrine function. Together with our previous findings, these data indicate that PRS to adolescent females affects behavior and HPA axis function across three generations, and highlight the importance of examining the transgenerational effects of stress in both male and female offspring.
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122
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Victoria NC, Murphy AZ. The long-term impact of early life pain on adult responses to anxiety and stress: Historical perspectives and empirical evidence. Exp Neurol 2015. [PMID: 26210872 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 1 in 6 infants are born prematurely each year. Typically, these infants spend 25 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where they experience 10-18 painful and inflammatory procedures each day. Remarkably, pre-emptive analgesics and/or anesthesia are administered less than 25% of the time. Unalleviated pain during the perinatal period is associated with permanent decreases in pain sensitivity, blunted cortisol responses and high rates of neuropsychiatric disorders. To date, the mechanism(s) by which these long-term changes in stress and pain behavior occur, and whether such alterations can be prevented by appropriate analgesia at the time of insult, remains unclear. Work in our lab using a rodent model of early life pain suggests that inflammatory pain experienced on the day of birth blunts adult responses to stress- and pain-provoking stimuli, and dysregulates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis in part through a permanent upregulation in central endogenous opioid tone. This review focuses on the long-term impact of neonatal inflammatory pain on adult anxiety- and stress-related responses, and underlying neuroanatomical changes in the context of endogenous pain control and the HPA axis. These two systems are in a state of exaggerated developmental plasticity early in postnatal life, and work in concert to respond to noxious or aversive stimuli. We present empirical evidence from animal and clinical studies, and discuss historical perspectives underlying the lack of analgesia/anesthetic use for early life pain in the modern NICU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Victoria
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
| | - Anne Z Murphy
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
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123
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Fernandez-Twinn DS, Constância M, Ozanne SE. Intergenerational epigenetic inheritance in models of developmental programming of adult disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2015; 43:85-95. [PMID: 26135290 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It is now well established that the environment to which we are exposed during fetal and neonatal life can have a long-term impact on our health. This has been termed the developmental origins of health and disease. Factors known to have such programming effects include intrauterine nutrient availability (determined by maternal nutrition and placental function), endocrine disruptors, toxins and infectious agents. Epigenetic processes have emerged as a key mechanism by which the early environment can permanently influence cell function and metabolism after multiple rounds of cell division. More recently it has been suggested that programmed effects can be observed beyond the first generation and that therefore epigenetic mechanisms could form the basis of transmission of phenotype from parent to child to grandchild and beyond. Here we review the evidence for such processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise S Fernandez-Twinn
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Level 4, Box 289, Addenbrookes Treatment Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel Constância
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Susan E Ozanne
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Level 4, Box 289, Addenbrookes Treatment Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom.
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124
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Bale TL. Lifetime stress experience: transgenerational epigenetics and germ cell programming. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2015. [PMID: 25364281 PMCID: PMC4214173 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2014.16.3/tbale] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The transgenerational epigenetic programming involved in the passage of environmental exposures to stressful periods from one generation to the next has been examined in human populations, and mechanistically in animal models. Epidemiological studies suggest that gestational exposures to environmental factors including stress are strongly associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders. Both maternal and paternal life experiences with stress can be passed on to offspring directly during pregnancy or through epigenetic marks in the germ cell. Animal models of parental stress have examined relevant offspring phenotypes and transgenerational outcomes, and provided unique insight into the germ cell epigenetic changes associated with disruptions in neurodevelopment. Understanding germline susceptibility to exogenous signals during stress exposure and the identification of the types of epigenetic marks is critical for defining mechanisms underlying disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Bale
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, and Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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125
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Abstract
Recent studies have revealed that patients with psychiatric disorders have altered microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in the circulation and brain. Furthermore, animal studies have shown that manipulating the levels of particular miRNAs in the brain can alter behaviour. Here, we review recent studies in humans, animal models, cellular systems and bioinformatics that have advanced our understanding of the contribution of brain miRNAs to the regulation of behaviour in the context of psychiatric conditions. These studies highlight the potential of miRNA levels to be used in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders and suggest that brain miRNAs could become novel treatment targets for psychiatric disorders.
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126
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Flanagan KL. Sexual dimorphism in biomedical research: a call to analyse by sex. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2015; 108:385-7. [PMID: 24934286 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/tru079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katie L Flanagan
- Department of Immunology, Monash University, Prahran, Melbourne, Victoria 3181, Australia
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127
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Pathological brain plasticity and cognition in the offspring of males subjected to postnatal traumatic stress. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:621-31. [PMID: 25092246 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic stress in early-life increases the risk for cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders later in life. Such early stress can also impact the progeny even if not directly exposed, likely through epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we report in mice that the offspring of males subjected to postnatal traumatic stress have decreased gene expression in molecular pathways necessary for neuronal signaling, and altered synaptic plasticity when adult. Long-term potentiation is abolished and long-term depression is enhanced in the hippocampus, and these defects are associated with impaired long-term memory in both the exposed fathers and their offspring. The brain-specific gamma isoform of protein kinase C (Prkcc) is one of the affected signaling components in the hippocampus. Its expression is reduced in the offspring, and DNA methylation at its promoter is altered both in the hippocampus of the offspring and the sperm of fathers. These results suggest that postnatal traumatic stress in males can affect brain plasticity and cognitive functions in the adult progeny, possibly through epigenetic alterations in the male germline.
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128
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Epigenetic and transgenerational reprogramming of brain development. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:332-44. [PMID: 25921815 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 321] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental programming - the implementation of the genetic and epigenetic blueprints that guide and coordinate normal brain development - requires tight regulation of transcriptional processes. During prenatal and postnatal time periods, epigenetic processes fine-tune neurodevelopment towards an end product that determines how an organism interacts with and responds to exposures and experiences throughout life. Epigenetic processes also have the ability to reprogramme the epigenome in response to environmental challenges, such as maternal stress, making the organism more or less adaptive depending on the future challenges presented. Epigenetic marks generated within germ cells as a result of environmental influences throughout life can also shape future generations long before conception occurs.
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129
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Muralimanoharan S, Guo C, Myatt L, Maloyan A. Sexual dimorphism in miR-210 expression and mitochondrial dysfunction in the placenta with maternal obesity. Int J Obes (Lond) 2015; 39:1274-81. [PMID: 25833255 DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2015.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal obesity is a major problem in obstetrics, and the placenta is involved in obesity-related complications via its roles at the maternal-fetal interface. We have recently shown a causative role for micro(mi)RNA-210, a so called 'hypoxamir' regulated by HIF-1α, in mitochondrial dysfunction in placentas from women with preeclampsia. We also reported mitochondrial dysfunction in placentas with maternal obesity. Here we hypothesized that expression of miR-210 is dysregulated in the placentas with obesity. METHODS Placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies were collected at term from healthy weight or control (CTRL, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)<25), overweight (OW, BMI=25-24.9) and obese (OB, BMI>30) women following C-section with no labor. Expression of miRNA-210 and its target genes was measured by reverse transcription-PCR and Western Blot, respectively. Mitochondrial respiration was assessed by Seahorse Analyzer in syncytiotrophoblast (ST) 72 h after cytotrophoblast isolation. RESULTS Expression of miR-210 was significantly increased in placentas of OB and OW women with female but not male fetuses compared with CTRL placentas of females. However, expression of HIF-1α in these placentas remained unchanged. Levels of tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) were increased in OW and OB placentas of females but not males, and in silico analysis suggested that activation of miR-210 expression in these placentas might be activated by NFκB1 (p50) signaling. Indeed, chromatin Immunoprecipitation assay showed that NFkB1 binds to placental miR-210 promoter in a fetal sex-dependent manner. Female but not male STs treated with TNFα showed overexpression of miR-210, reduction of mitochondrial target genes and decreased mitochondrial respiration. Pre-treatment of these STs with small interfering RNA to NFkB1 or antagomiR-210 prevented the TNFα-mediated inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that the inflammatory intrauterine environment associated with maternal obesity induces an NFκB1-mediated increase in miR-210 in a fetal sex-dependent manner, leading to inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and placental dysfunction in the placentas of female fetuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Muralimanoharan
- Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - C Guo
- Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - L Myatt
- Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - A Maloyan
- Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
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130
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Khan D, Dai R, Ansar Ahmed S. Sex differences and estrogen regulation of miRNAs in lupus, a prototypical autoimmune disease. Cell Immunol 2015; 294:70-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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131
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A preliminary exploration on DNA methylation of transgene across generations in transgenic rats. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8292. [PMID: 25659774 PMCID: PMC4321119 DOI: 10.1038/srep08292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic heritability is an important issue in the field of genetics and also in the development of many human diseases. In this study, we created a transgenic rat model and investigated the transgenerational methylation patterns in these animals. The transgene DNA fragment was unmethylated before it was injected into the pronucleus, so it is a good model to study the inheritance of DNA methylation patterns. We performed bisulfite sequencing on 23 CpG dinucleotides on the transgene across three generations in two tissues. We observed that the transgene was heavily methylated in the liver (87.53%) from the founder generation, whereas its methylation rate was much lower in the kidney (70.47%). Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was a strong correlation on the methylation status between different generations in the same tissue, which was observed in both liver and kidney, and among all individuals in this pedigree. This study provided some evidence that DNA methylation patterns acquired in the founder animal can be passed to the offspring.
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132
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Provencal N, Binder EB. The neurobiological effects of stress as contributors to psychiatric disorders: focus on epigenetics. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2015; 30:31-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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133
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Early-life experience, epigenetics, and the developing brain. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:141-53. [PMID: 24917200 PMCID: PMC4262891 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Development is a dynamic process that involves interplay between genes and the environment. In mammals, the quality of the postnatal environment is shaped by parent-offspring interactions that promote growth and survival and can lead to divergent developmental trajectories with implications for later-life neurobiological and behavioral characteristics. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic factors (ie, DNA methylation, posttranslational histone modifications, and small non-coding RNAs) may have a critical role in these parental care effects. Although this evidence is drawn primarily from rodent studies, there is increasing support for these effects in humans. Through these molecular mechanisms, variation in risk of psychopathology may emerge, particularly as a consequence of early-life neglect and abuse. Here we will highlight evidence of dynamic epigenetic changes in the developing brain in response to variation in the quality of postnatal parent-offspring interactions. The recruitment of epigenetic pathways for the biological embedding of early-life experience may also have transgenerational consequences and we will describe and contrast two routes through which this transmission can occur: experience dependent vs germline inheritance. Finally, we will speculate regarding the future directions of epigenetic research and how it can help us gain a better understanding of the developmental origins of psychiatric dysfunction.
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134
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Boersma GJ, Tamashiro KL. Individual differences in the effects of prenatal stress exposure in rodents. Neurobiol Stress 2015; 1:100-8. [PMID: 27589662 PMCID: PMC4721332 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal stress alters the phenotype of the offspring in adulthood. When the prenatal and adult environments do not match, these alterations may induce pathology risk. There are, however, large individual differences in the effects of prenatal stress. While some individuals seem vulnerable, others appear to be relatively resistant to its effects. In this review we discuss potential mechanisms underlying these individual differences with a focus on animal models. Differences between rodent models selected for stress coping traits are discussed. In addition, the role of circulating factors, like glucocorticoids and cytokines, factors involved in brain development and influences of epigenetic and genetic factors in prenatal stress induced phenotype are covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretha J. Boersma
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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135
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Toth M. Mechanisms of non-genetic inheritance and psychiatric disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:129-40. [PMID: 24889369 PMCID: PMC4262890 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Revised: 05/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Inheritance is typically associated with the Mendelian transmission of information from parents to offspring by alleles (DNA sequence). However, empirical data clearly suggest that traits can be acquired from ancestors by mechanisms that do not involve genetic alleles, referred to as non-genetic inheritance. Information that is non-genetically transmitted across generations includes parental experience and exposure to certain environments, but also parental mutations and polymorphisms, because they can change the parental 'intrinsic' environment. Non-genetic inheritance is not limited to the first generation of the progeny, but can involve the grandchildren and even further generations. Non-genetic inheritance has been observed for multiple traits including overall development, cardiovascular risk and metabolic symptoms, but this review will focus on the inheritance of behavioral abnormalities pertinent to psychiatric disorders. Multigenerational non-genetic inheritance is often interpreted as the transmission of epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation and chromatin modifications, via the gametes (transgenerational epigenetic inheritance). However, information can be carried across generations by a large number of bioactive substances, including hormones, cytokines, and even microorganisms, without the involvement of the gametes. We reason that this broader definition of non-genetic inheritance is more appropriate, especially in the context of psychiatric disorders, because of the well-recognized role of parental and early life environmental factors in later life psychopathology. Here we discuss the various forms of non-genetic inheritance in humans and animals, as well as rodent models of psychiatric conditions to illustrate possible mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miklos Toth
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
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136
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Dias BG, Maddox S, Klengel T, Ressler KJ. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying learning and the inheritance of learned behaviors. Trends Neurosci 2014; 38:96-107. [PMID: 25544352 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression and regulation is an important sculptor of the behavior of organisms. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate gene expression not by altering the genetic alphabet but rather by the addition of chemical modifications to proteins associated with the alphabet or of methyl marks to the alphabet itself. Being dynamic, epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation serve as an important bridge between environmental stimuli and genotype. In this review, we outline epigenetic mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated in animals and humans. Using fear learning as a framework, we then delineate how such mechanisms underlie learning and stress responsiveness. Finally, we discuss how epigenetic mechanisms might inform us about the transgenerational inheritance of behavioral traits that are being increasingly reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian G Dias
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Stephanie Maddox
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA
| | - Torsten Klengel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD
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137
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Nongenetic inheritance and transgenerational epigenetics. Trends Mol Med 2014; 21:134-44. [PMID: 25601643 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2014.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The idea that inherited genotypes define phenotypes has been paramount in modern biology. The question remains, however, whether stable phenotypes could be also inherited from parents independently of the genetic sequence per se. Recent data suggest that parental experiences can be transmitted behaviorally, through in utero exposure of the developing fetus to the maternal environment, or through either the male or female germline. The challenge is to delineate a plausible mechanism. In the past decade it has been proposed that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in multigenerational transmission of phenotypes and transgenerational inheritance. The prospect that ancestral experiences are written in our epigenome has immense implications for our understanding of human behavior, health, and disease.
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138
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Overall KL, Tiira K, Broach D, Bryant D. Genetics and behavior: a guide for practitioners. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2014; 44:483-505. [PMID: 24766696 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2014.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Phenotyping behavior is difficult, partly because behavior is almost always influenced by environment. Using objective terms/criteria to evaluate behaviors is best; the more objective the assessment, the more likely underlying genetic patterns will be identified. Behavioral pathologies, and highly desirable behavioral characteristics/traits, are likely complex, meaning that multiple genes are probably involved, and therefore simple genetic tests are less possible. Breeds can be improved using traditional quantitative genetic methods; unfortunately, this also creates the possibility of inadvertently selecting for covarying undesirable behaviors. Patterns of behaviors within families and breed lines are still the best guidelines for genetic counseling in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katriina Tiira
- Canine Genomics Research Group, Research Program's Unit, Molecular Neurology, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Desiree Broach
- JBSA-Lackland, 1219 Knight Street, San Antonio, TX 78236, USA
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139
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Prenatal stress induces spatial memory deficits and epigenetic changes in the hippocampus indicative of heterochromatin formation and reduced gene expression. Behav Brain Res 2014; 281:1-8. [PMID: 25496779 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Stress during pregnancy has a wide variety of negative effects in both human [1] and animal offspring [2]. These effects are especially apparent in various forms of learning and memory such as object recognition [3] and spatial memory [4]. The cognitive effects of prenatal stress (PNS) may be mediated through epigenetic changes such as histone acetylation and DNA methylation [5]. As such, the present study investigated the effects of chronic unpredictable PNS on memory and epigenetic measures in adult offspring. Mice that underwent PNS exhibited impaired spatial memory in the Morris water maze, as well as sex-specific changes in levels of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1 protein, and acetylated histone H3 (AcH3) in the hippocampus, and serum corticosterone. Male mice exposed to PNS exhibited decreased hippocampal AcH3, whereas female PNS mice displayed a further reduction in AcH3, as well as heightened hippocampal DNMT1 protein levels and corticosterone levels. These data suggest that PNS may epigenetically reduce transcription in the hippocampus, particularly in females in whom this effect may be related to increased baseline stress hormone levels, and which may underlie the sexual dimorphism in rates of mental illness in humans.
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140
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Gore AC, Martien KM, Gagnidze K, Pfaff D. Implications of prenatal steroid perturbations for neurodevelopment, behavior, and autism. Endocr Rev 2014; 35:961-91. [PMID: 25211453 PMCID: PMC4234775 DOI: 10.1210/er.2013-1122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prenatal brain develops under the influence of an ever-changing hormonal milieu that includes endogenous fetal gonadal and adrenal hormones, placental and maternal hormones, and exogenous substances with hormonal activity that can cross the placental barrier. This review discusses the influences of endogenous fetal and maternal hormones on normal brain development and potential consequences of pathophysiological hormonal perturbations to the developing brain, with particular reference to autism. We also consider the effects of hormonal pharmaceuticals used for assisted reproduction, the maintenance of pregnancy, the prevention of congenital adrenal hypertrophy, and hormonal contraceptives continued into an unanticipated pregnancy, among others. These treatments, although in some instances life-saving, may have unintended consequences on the developing fetuses. Additional concern is raised by fetal exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals encountered universally by pregnant women from food/water containers, contaminated food, household chemicals, and other sources. What are the potential outcomes of prenatal steroid perturbations on neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders, including autism-spectrum disorders? Our purposes here are 1) to summarize some consequences of steroid exposures during pregnancy for the development of brain and behavior in the offspring; 2) to summarize what is known about the relationships between exposures and behavior, including autism spectrum disorders; 3) to discuss the molecular underpinnings of such effects, especially molecular epigenetic mechanisms of prenatal steroid manipulations, a field that may explain effects of direct exposures, and even transgenerational effects; and 4) for all of these, to add cautionary notes about their interpretation in the name of scientific rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (K.M.M.), Lexington, Massachusetts, 02421; and Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior (K.G., D.P.), Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021
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141
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Wei Y, Schatten H, Sun QY. Environmental epigenetic inheritance through gametes and implications for human reproduction. Hum Reprod Update 2014; 21:194-208. [PMID: 25416302 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmu061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditional studies focused on DNA as the heritable information carrier that passes the phenotype from parents to offspring. However, increasing evidence suggests that information, that is independent of the DNA sequence, termed epigenetic information, can be inherited between generations. Recently, in our lab, we found that prediabetes in fathers increases the susceptibility to diabetes in offspring through gametic cytosine methylation changes. Paternal prediabetes changed overall methylation patterns in sperm, and a large portion of differentially methylated loci can be transmitted to pancreatic islets of offspring up to the second generation. In this review, we survey the extensive examples of environmentally induced epigenetic inheritance in various species, ranging from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans. We focus mainly on elucidating the molecular basis of environmental epigenetic inheritance through gametes, which is an emerging theme and has important implications for explaining the prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic non-genetic diseases, which is also important for understanding the influence of environmental exposures on reproductive and overall health in offspring. METHODS For this review, we included relevant data and information obtained through a PubMed database search for all English language articles published up to August 2014 which included the term 'environmental epigenetic inheritance' and 'transgenerational epigenetic inheritance'. We focused on research papers using animal models including Drosophila, C. elegans, mouse and rat. Human data were also included. RESULTS Evidence from animal models suggests that environmental epigenetic inheritance through gametes exists in various species. Extensive molecular evidence suggests that epigenetic information carriers including DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs and chromatin proteins in gametes play important roles in the transmission of phenotypes from parents to offspring. CONCLUSIONS Given the large number of experimental evidence from various organisms, it is clear that parental environmental alterations can affect the phenotypes of offspring through gametic epigenetic alterations. This more recent thinking based on new data may have implications in explaining the prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic non-genetic diseases. This also implies that, in the near future, epigenetic factors which are heritable should be regarded important in determining the risk of certain diseases. Moreover, identification of epigenetic markers in gametes (polar body or sperm) may hold great promise for predicting susceptibility to and preventing certain non-genetic diseases in offspring, as well as providing indications on parental environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchang Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Heide Schatten
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Qing-Yuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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142
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Henderson YO, Victoria NC, Inoue K, Murphy AZ, Parent MB. Early life inflammatory pain induces long-lasting deficits in hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in male and female rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2014; 118:30-41. [PMID: 25451312 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The present experiment tested the hypothesis that neonatal injury disrupts adult hippocampal functioning and that normal aging or chronic stress during adulthood, which are known to have a negative impact on hippocampal function, exacerbate these effects. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were given an intraplantar injection of the inflammatory agent carrageenan (1%) on the day of birth and their memory was tested in the hippocampal-dependent spatial water maze in adulthood and again in middle age. We found that neonatal injury impaired hippocampal-dependent memory in adulthood, that the effects of injury on memory were more pronounced in middle-aged male rats, and that chronic stress accelerated the onset of these memory deficits. Neonatal injury also decreased glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the dorsal CA1 area of middle-aged rats, a brain region critical for spatial memory. Morphine administration at the time of injury completely reversed injury-induced memory deficits, but neonatal morphine treatments in the absence of injury produced significant memory impairments in adulthood. Collectively, these findings are consistent with our hypothesis that neonatal injury produces long-lasting disruption in adult hippocampal functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko O Henderson
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, United States.
| | - Nicole C Victoria
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, United States.
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 954 Gatewood Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 954 Gatewood Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.
| | - Anne Z Murphy
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, United States.
| | - Marise B Parent
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, United States; Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5010, Atlanta, GA 30302-5010, United States.
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143
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Feeney A, Nilsson E, Skinner MK. Epigenetics and transgenerational inheritance in domesticated farm animals. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2014; 5:48. [PMID: 25810901 PMCID: PMC4373098 DOI: 10.1186/2049-1891-5-48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics provides a molecular mechanism of inheritance that is not solely dependent on DNA sequence and that can account for non-Mendelian inheritance patterns. Epigenetic changes underlie many normal developmental processes, and can lead to disease development as well. While epigenetic effects have been studied in well-characterized rodent models, less research has been done using agriculturally important domestic animal species. This review will present the results of current epigenetic research using farm animal models (cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens). Much of the work has focused on the epigenetic effects that environmental exposures to toxicants, nutrients and infectious agents has on either the exposed animals themselves or on their direct offspring. Only one porcine study examined epigenetic transgenerational effects; namely the effect diet micronutrients fed to male pigs has on liver DNA methylation and muscle mass in grand-offspring (F2 generation). Healthy viable offspring are very important in the farm and husbandry industry and epigenetic differences can be associated with production traits. Therefore further epigenetic research into domestic animal health and how exposure to toxicants or nutritional changes affects future generations is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Feeney
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, 99164-4236 Pullman, WA USA
| | - Eric Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, 99164-4236 Pullman, WA USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, 99164-4236 Pullman, WA USA
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144
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Sadri-Vakili G. Cocaine triggers epigenetic alterations in the corticostriatal circuit. Brain Res 2014; 1628:50-9. [PMID: 25301690 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.09.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Acute and repeated exposure to cocaine induces long-lasting alterations in neural networks that underlie compulsive drug seeking and taking. Cocaine exposure triggers complex adaptations in the brain that are mediated by dynamic patterns of gene expression that are translated into enduring changes. Recently, epigenetic modifications have been unveiled as critical mechanisms underlying addiction that contribute to drug-induced plasticity by regulating gene expression. These alterations are also now linked to the heritability of cocaine-induced phenotypes. This review focuses on how changes in the epigenome, such as altered DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNAs, regulate transcription of specific genes that contribute to cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazaleh Sadri-Vakili
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease Massachusetts General Hospital 114 16th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129-4404, USA.
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145
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Braun K, Champagne FA. Paternal influences on offspring development: behavioural and epigenetic pathways. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:697-706. [PMID: 25039356 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Although mammalian parent-offspring interactions during early life are primarily through the mother, there is increasing evidence for the impact of fathers on offspring development. A critical issue concerns the pathways through which this paternal influence is achieved. In the present review, we highlight the literature suggesting several of these routes of paternal effects in mammals. First, similar to mothers, fathers can influence offspring development through the direct care of offspring, as has been observed in biparental species. Second, there is growing evidence that, even in the absence of contact with offspring, fathers can transmit environmentally-induced effects (i.e. behavioural, neurobiological and metabolic phenotypes induced by stress, nutrition and toxins) to offspring and it has been speculated that these effects are achieved through inherited epigenetic variation within the patriline. Third, fathers may also impact the quality of mother-infant interactions and thus achieve an indirect influence on offspring. Importantly, these pathways of paternal influence are not mutually exclusive but rather serve as an illustration of the complex mechanisms through which parental influence is achieved. These influences may serve to transmit traits across generations, thus leading to a transgenerational transmission of neurobiological and behavioural phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Braun
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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146
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Brewis AA. Stigma and the perpetuation of obesity. Soc Sci Med 2014; 118:152-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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147
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Rubin TG, Gray JD, McEwen BS. Experience and the ever-changing brain: what the transcriptome can reveal. Bioessays 2014; 36:1072-81. [PMID: 25213333 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201400095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The brain is an ever-changing organ that encodes memories and directs behavior. Neuroanatomical studies have revealed structural plasticity of neural architecture, and advances in gene expression technology and epigenetics have demonstrated new mechanisms underlying the brain's dynamic nature. Stressful experiences challenge the plasticity of the brain, and prolonged exposure to environmental stress redefines the normative transcriptional profile of both neurons and glia, and can lead to the onset of mental illness. A more thorough understanding of normal and abnormal gene expression is needed to define the diseased brain and improve current treatments for psychiatric disorders. The efforts to describe gene expression networks have been bolstered by microarray and RNA-sequencing technologies. The heterogeneity of neural cell populations and their unique microenvironments, coupled with broad ranging interconnectivity, makes resolving this complexity exceedingly challenging and requires the combined efforts of single cell and systems level expression profiling to identify targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd G Rubin
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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148
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Provençal N, Binder EB. The effects of early life stress on the epigenome: From the womb to adulthood and even before. Exp Neurol 2014; 268:10-20. [PMID: 25218020 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early life stress (ELS), such as childhood abuse and neglect is a well established major risk factor for developing psychiatric and behavioral disorders later in life. Both prenatal and postnatal stressors have been shown to have a long-lasting impact on adult pathological states where the type and timing of the stressor are important factors to consider. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms play a major role in the biological embedding of ELS. A number of studies now indicate that the epigenome is responsive to external environmental exposures, including the social environment, both during intra-uterine development and after birth. In this review, we summarize the evidence of long-lasting effects of ELS on mental health and behavior and highlight common and distinct epigenetic effects of stress exposure at different stages during development. These stages include postnatal stress, prenatal stress, i.e. in utero and stress occurring pre-conception, i.e. effects of stress exposure transmitted to the next generation. We also delineate the evidence for the possible molecular mechanisms involved in epigenetic programming by ELS and how these maybe distinct, according to the timing of the stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Provençal
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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149
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Abstract
Previous studies have shown a wide variety of environmental toxicants and abnormal nutrition can promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. More recently a number of studies have indicated environmental stress can also promote epigenetic alterations that are transmitted to subsequent generations to induce pathologies. A recent study by Yao and colleagues demonstrated gestational exposure to restraint stress and forced swimming promoted preterm birth risk and adverse newborn outcomes generationally. This ancestral stress promoted the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of abnormalities in the great-grand offspring of the exposed gestating female. Several studies now support the role of environmental stress in promoting the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. Observations suggest ancestral environmental stress may be a component of disease etiology in the current population.
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150
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Griffiths B, Hunter R. Neuroepigenetics of stress. Neuroscience 2014; 275:420-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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