1
|
Zhang X, Hocher B. Parental genetic effects on the offspring's phenotype without transmission of the gene itself-pathophysiology and clinical evidence. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024; 327:C750-C777. [PMID: 39010843 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00359.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Parental genes can influence the phenotype of their offspring through genomic-epigenomic interactions even without the direct inheritance of specific parental genotypes. Maternal genetic variations can affect the ovarian and intrauterine environments and potentially alter lactation behaviors, impacting offspring nutrition and health outcomes independently of the fetal genome. Similarly, paternal genetic changes can affect the endocrine system and vascular functions in the testes, influencing sperm quality and seminal fluid composition. These changes can initiate early epigenetic modifications in sperm, including alterations in microRNAs, tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), and DNA methylation patterns. These epigenetic modifications might induce further changes in target organs of the offspring, leading to modified gene expression and phenotypic outcomes without transmitting the original parental genetic alterations. This review presents clinical evidence supporting this hypothesis and discusses the potential underlying molecular mechanisms. Parental gene-offspring epigenome-offspring phenotype interactions have been observed in neurocognitive disorders and cardio-renal diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Zhang
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology/Pneumology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Berthold Hocher
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology/Pneumology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- IMD-Institut für Medizinische Diagnostik Berlin-Potsdam GbR, Berlin, Germany
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hoang TT, Lei Y, Mitchell LE, Sharma SV, Swartz MD, Waller DK, Finnell RH, Benjamin RH, Browne ML, Canfield MA, Lupo PJ, McKenzie P, Shaw GM, Agopian AJ. Maternal genetic markers for risk of celiac disease and their potential association with neural tube defects in offspring. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019; 7:e688. [PMID: 30968606 PMCID: PMC6565562 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We examined the association between the maternal genotype for celiac disease‐associated variants and risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods We conducted a case–control study, using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. We evaluated 667 cases (women with an offspring with NTD) and 743 controls (women with an offspring without a birth defect). We classified women as having low, intermediate, or high risk of celiac disease based on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) variants. We used logistic regression to assess the relationship between HLA celiac risk group (low, intermediate, high) and risk of NTDs. Fifteen non‐HLA variants (identified from genome‐wide association studies of celiac disease) were individually evaluated and modeled additively. Results There was no association between HLA celiac risk group and NTDs (intermediate vs. low risk: aOR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.8–1.3; high vs. low risk: aOR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.5–1.3). Of the fifteen non‐HLA variants, we observed five significant associations after accounting for multiple comparisons. Three negative associations were observed with rs10903122, rs13314993, rs13151961 (aOR range: 0.69–0.81), and two positive associations were observed with rs13003464 and rs11221332 (aOR range: 1.27–1.73). Conclusion If confirmed, our results suggest that the maternal variants related to celiac disease may be involved in the risk of NTDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thanh T Hoang
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
| | - Yunping Lei
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Laura E Mitchell
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
| | - Shreela V Sharma
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael D Swartz
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
| | - D Kim Waller
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Renata H Benjamin
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
| | - Marilyn L Browne
- Congenital Malformations Registry, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, Rensselaer, New York
| | - Mark A Canfield
- Birth Defects Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas
| | - Philip J Lupo
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Paige McKenzie
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Gary M Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - A J Agopian
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
| | | |
Collapse
|