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Richards-Steed R, Wan N, Bakian A, Medina RM, Brewer SC, Smith KR, VanDerslice JA. Observational methods for human studies of transgenerational effects. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2366065. [PMID: 38870389 PMCID: PMC11178273 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2366065] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
There are substantial challenges in studying human transgenerational epigenetic outcomes resulting from environmental conditions. The task requires specialized methods and tools that incorporate specific knowledge of multigenerational relationship combinations of probands and their ancestors, phenotype data for individuals, environmental information of ancestors and their descendants, which can span historical to present datasets, and informative environmental data that chronologically aligns with ancestors and descendants over space and time. As a result, there are few epidemiologic studies of potential transgenerational effects in human populations, thus limiting the knowledge of ancestral environmental conditions and the potential impacts we face with modern human health outcomes. In an effort to overcome some of the challenges in studying human transgenerational effects, we present two transgenerational study designs: transgenerational space-time cluster detection and transgenerational case-control study design. Like other epidemiological methods, these methods determine whether there are statistical associations between phenotypic outcomes (e.g., adverse health outcomes) among probands and the shared environments and environmental factors facing their ancestors. When the ancestor is a paternal grandparent, a statistically significant association provides some evidence that a transgenerational inheritable factor may be involved. Such results may generate useful hypotheses that can be explored using epigenomic data to establish conclusive evidence of transgenerational heritable effects. Both methods are proband-centric: They are designed around the phenotype of interest in the proband generation for case selection and family pedigree creation. In the examples provided, we incorporate at least three generations of paternal lineage in both methods to observe a potential transgenerational effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neng Wan
- Geography, University of Utah Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Amanda Bakian
- Psychiatry, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Richard M. Medina
- Geography, University of Utah Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Simon C. Brewer
- Geography, University of Utah Department of Geography, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ken R. Smith
- Child and Consumer Studies, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Korolenko A, Skinner MK. Generational stability of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance facilitates adaptation and evolution. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2380929. [PMID: 39104183 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2380929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The epigenome and epigenetic inheritance were not included in the original modern synthesis theory or more recent extended evolutionary synthesis of evolution. In a broad range of species, the environment has been shown to play a significant role in natural selection, which more recently has been shown to occur through epigenetic alterations and epigenetic inheritance. However, even with this evidence, the field of epigenetics and epigenetic inheritance has been left out of modern evolutionary synthesis, as well as other current evolutionary models. Epigenetic mechanisms can direct the regulation of genetic processes (e.g. gene expression) and also can be directly changed by the environment. In contrast, DNA sequence cannot be directly altered by the environment. The goal of this review is to present the evidence of how epigenetics and epigenetic inheritance can alter phenotypic variation in numerous species. This can occur at a significantly higher frequency than genetic change, so correlates with the frequency of evolutionary change. In addition, the concept and importance of generational stability of transgenerational inheritance is incorporated into evolutionary theory. For there to be a better understanding of evolutionary biology, we must incorporate all aspects of molecular (e.g. genetics and epigenetics) and biological sciences (e.g. environment and adaptation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Korolenko
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Khatib H, Townsend J, Konkel MA, Conidi G, Hasselkus JA. Calling the question: what is mammalian transgenerational epigenetic inheritance? Epigenetics 2024; 19:2333586. [PMID: 38525788 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2333586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
While transgenerational epigenetic inheritance has been extensively documented in plants, nematodes, and fruit flies, its existence in mammals remains controversial. Several factors have contributed to this debate, including the lack of a clear distinction between intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI), the inconsistency of some studies, the potential confounding effects of in-utero vs. epigenetic factors, and, most importantly, the biological challenge of epigenetic reprogramming. Two waves of epigenetic reprogramming occur: in the primordial germ cells and the developing embryo after fertilization, characterized by global erasure of DNA methylation and remodelling of histone modifications. Consequently, TEI can only occur if specific genetic regions evade this reprogramming and persist through embryonic development. These challenges have revived the long-standing debate about the possibility of inheriting acquired traits, which has been strongly contested since the Lamarckian and Darwinian eras. As a result, coupled with the absence of universally accepted criteria for transgenerational epigenetic studies, a vast body of literature has emerged claiming evidence of TEI. Therefore, the goal of this study is to advocate for establishing fundamental criteria that must be met for a study to qualify as evidence of TEI. We identified five criteria based on the consensus of studies that critically evaluated TEI. To assess whether published original research papers adhere to these criteria, we examined 80 studies that either claimed or were cited as supporting TEI. The findings of this analysis underscore the widespread confusion in this field and highlight the urgent need for a unified scientific consensus on TEI requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Khatib
- The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jessica Townsend
- The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Melissa A Konkel
- The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Gabi Conidi
- The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Julia A Hasselkus
- The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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Irvine N, Bell RC, Subhan FB, Field CJ, Liu J, MacDonald AM, Kinniburgh DW, Martin JW, Dewey D, England-Mason G. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI influences the associations between bisphenol and phthalate exposures and maternal weight changes and fat accumulation. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 257:119276. [PMID: 38830392 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bisphenols and phthalates are two classes of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) thought to influence weight and adiposity. Limited research has investigated their influence on maternal weight changes, and no prior work has examined maternal fat mass. We examined the associations between exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy and multiple maternal weight and fat mass outcomes. METHODS This study included a sample of 318 women enrolled in a Canadian prospective pregnancy cohort. Second trimester urinary concentrations of 2 bisphenols and 12 phthalate metabolites were quantified. Self-reported and measured maternal weights and measured skinfold thicknesses were used to calculate gestational weight gain, 3-months and 3- to 5-years postpartum weight retention, late pregnancy fat mass gain, total postpartum fat mass loss, and late postpartum fat mass retention. Adjusted robust regressions examined associations between chemicals and outcomes in the entire study population and sub-groups stratified by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Bayesian kernel machine regression examined chemical mixture effects. RESULTS Among women with underweight or normal pre-pregnancy BMIs, MBzP was negatively associated with weight retention at 3- to 5-years postpartum (B = -0.04, 95%CI: -0.07, -0.01). Among women with overweight or obese pre-pregnancy BMIs, MEHP and MMP were positively associated with weight retention at 3-months and 3- to 5-years postpartum, respectively (B's = 0.12 to 0.63, 95%CIs: 0.02, 1.07). DEHP metabolites and MCNP were positively associated with late pregnancy fat mass gain and late postpartum fat mass retention (B's = 0.04 to 0.18, 95%CIs: 0.001, 0.32). Further, the mixture of EDCs was positively associated with late pregnancy fat mass gain. CONCLUSION In this cohort, pre-pregnancy BMI was a key determinant of the associations between second trimester exposure to bisphenols and phthalates and maternal weight changes and fat accumulation. Investigations of underlying physiological mechanisms, windows of susceptibility, and impacts on maternal and infant health are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Irvine
- Bachelor of Health Sciences Program, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rhonda C Bell
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Fatheema B Subhan
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Nutrition and Food Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, United States
| | - Catherine J Field
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jiaying Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Amy M MacDonald
- Alberta Centre for Toxicology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - David W Kinniburgh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Centre for Toxicology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jonathan W Martin
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department Environmental Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary. Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gillian England-Mason
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Owerko Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary. Alberta, Canada.
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Yim G, Roberts A, Lyall K, Ascherio A, Weisskopf MG. Multigenerational association between smoking and autism spectrum disorder: findings from a nationwide prospective cohort study. Am J Epidemiol 2024; 193:1115-1126. [PMID: 38583942 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwae038] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal studies have shown that exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy can induce neurobehavioral anomalies in multiple subsequent generations. However, little work has examined such effects in humans. We examined the risk of grandchild autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in association with grandmother's smoking during pregnancy, using data from 53 562 mothers and grandmothers and 120 267 grandchildren in Nurses' Health Study II. In 1999, Nurses' Health Study II participants with children reported on their mothers' smoking. Grandchildren's ASD diagnoses were reported by the mothers in 2005 and 2009. Among grandmothers, 13 383 (25.0%) smoked during pregnancy, and 509 (0.4%) grandchildren were diagnosed with ASD. The adjusted odds ratio for ASD for grandmother smoking during pregnancy was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.06-2.20). Results were similar with direct grandmother reporting in 2001 of her smoking during pregnancy from the Nurses' Mothers Cohort Study subgroup (n = 22 167 grandmothers, n = 49 917 grandchildren) and were stronger among grandmothers who smoked ≥15 cigarettes per day during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio = 1.93 [95% CI, 1.10-3.40]; n = 1895 grandmothers, n = 4212 grandchildren). Results were similar when we adjusted for mother's smoking during pregnancy. There was no association with grandfather's smoking as reported by the grandmother. Our results suggest a potential persistent impact of gestational exposure to environmental insults across 3 generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyeyoon Yim
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Andrea Roberts
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Kristen Lyall
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Alberto Ascherio
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Marc G Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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Carrageta DF, Pereira SC, Ferreira R, Monteiro MP, Oliveira PF, Alves MG. Signatures of metabolic diseases on spermatogenesis and testicular metabolism. Nat Rev Urol 2024; 21:477-494. [PMID: 38528255 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-024-00866-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Diets leading to caloric overload are linked to metabolic disorders and reproductive function impairment. Metabolic and hormonal abnormalities stand out as defining features of metabolic disorders, and substantially affect the functionality of the testis. Metabolic disorders induce testicular metabolic dysfunction, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. The disruption of gastrointestinal, pancreatic, adipose tissue and testicular hormonal regulation induced by metabolic disorders can also contribute to a state of compromised fertility. In this Review, we will delve into the effects of high-fat diets and metabolic disorders on testicular metabolism and spermatogenesis, which are crucial elements for male reproductive function. Moreover, metabolic disorders have been shown to influence the epigenome of male gametes and might have a potential role in transmitting phenotype traits across generations. However, the existing evidence strongly underscores the unmet need to understand the mechanisms responsible for transgenerational paternal inheritance of male reproductive function impairment related to metabolic disorders. This knowledge could be useful for developing targeted interventions to prevent, counteract, and most of all break the perpetuation chain of male reproductive dysfunction associated with metabolic disorders across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Carrageta
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, UMIB - Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara C Pereira
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, UMIB - Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- LAQV-REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Rita Ferreira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Mariana P Monteiro
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, UMIB - Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro F Oliveira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marco G Alves
- Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago Agra do Crasto, Aveiro, Portugal.
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Shaoyong W, Wang W, Pan B, Liu R, Yin L, Wangjie R, Tian H, Wang Y, Jin M. Transgenerational Inheritance Effects of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles (CuONPs) Induced Asthenospermia and Infertility via Gamete H3K9me3 Insufficiency Pathway in Mice. ACS NANO 2024. [PMID: 39058239 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c05660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The widespread use of colloidal copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) poses substantial health risks to humans. CuONPs can penetrate the blood-testis barrier and induce spermatocide, and the understanding of the adverse effects of asthenospermia on spermatogenesis, embryonic development, and transgenerational inheritance is limited. In this study, male mice were orally administered different doses of CuONPs via continuous exposure for one spermatozoon development period (35 days) and then exposed without CuONPs for another 35 days. The CuONPs that accumulated in the testes induced oxidative stress (OS), affected the progress of spermatogenesis and sperm capacitation, and compromised epigenetic modifications, resulting in asthenospermia and embryonic development anomalies in male offspring. In a mechanism, CuONP exposure impaired the self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) via the GDNF/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway under OS. Importantly, CuONP exposure was found to potentially lower H3K9me3 levels in paternal sperm, which would further transgenerational transmission and interfere with sperm mitochondrial energy metabolism and motility, leading to asthenospermia and subfertility in the offspring. Collectively, these data reveal a molecular mechanism by which CuONP exposure disturbs H3K9me3 levels via the OS pathway, which further mediates the asthenospermic effects of reproductive failure by interfering with mitochondrial arrangement and formation in the next generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weike Shaoyong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Animal Feed and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province; College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Center for Metabolic & Gastroenterology, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Wusu Wang
- International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Bo Pan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rui Liu
- International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Lin Yin
- International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Reshouyang Wangjie
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haolun Tian
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yizhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Animal Feed and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province; College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mingliang Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Animal Feed and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province; College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Titus L, Hatch EE, Bertrand KA, Palmer JR, Strohsnitter WC, Huo D, Curry M, Hyer M, Aagaard K, Gierach GL, Troisi R. Benign and Malignant Outcomes in the Offspring of Females Exposed In Utero to Diethylstilbestrol (DES): An Update from the NCI Third Generation Study. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2575. [PMID: 39061214 PMCID: PMC11274475 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16142575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Females exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol (DES) have an elevated risk of cervical dysplasia, breast cancer, and clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) of the cervix/vagina. Testicular cancer risk is increased in prenatally exposed males. Epigenetic changes may mediate the transmission of DES effects to the next ("third") generation of offspring. METHODS Using data self-reported by third-generation females, we assessed DES in relation to the risk of cancer and benign breast and reproductive tract conditions. Using data from prenatally DES-exposed and unexposed mothers, we assessed DES in relation to cancer risk in their female and male offspring. Cancer risk was assessed by standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI); the risks of benign and malignant diagnoses were assessed by hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CI. RESULTS In self-reported data, DES exposure was not associated with an increased risk of overall cancer (HR 0.83; CI 0.36-1.90), breast cancer, or severe cervical dysplasia. No females reported CCA. The risk of borderline ovarian cancer appeared elevated, but the HR was imprecise (3.46; CI 0.37-32.42). Based on mothers' reports, DES exposure did not increase the risk of overall cancer (HR 0.80; CI 0.49-1.32) or of other cancers in third-generation females. Overall cancer risk in exposed males appeared elevated (HR 1.41; CI 0.70-2.86), but the CI was wide. The risk of testicular cancer was not elevated in exposed males; no cases of prostate cancer were reported. CONCLUSIONS To date, there is little evidence that DES is associated with cancer risk in third-generation females or males, but these individuals are relatively young, and further follow-up is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Titus
- Department of Pediatrics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA;
| | - Elizabeth E. Hatch
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | - Kimberly A. Bertrand
- Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA (J.R.P.)
| | - Julie R. Palmer
- Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA (J.R.P.)
| | - William C. Strohsnitter
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA;
| | - Dezheng Huo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Michael Curry
- Information Management Services, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Marianne Hyer
- Information Management Services, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Kjersti Aagaard
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77401, USA
| | - Gretchen L. Gierach
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Rebecca Troisi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
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S Y, I I, D Z, E A, D A. The possible role of epigenetics in the etiology of hypospadias. J Pediatr Urol 2024:S1477-5131(24)00353-X. [PMID: 39033034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2024.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hypospadias is a common malformation of the genitourinary system and is thought with a complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors likely contributing to its pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the receptor gene expressions of sex hormones, FGFR2, FGF8 and BMP7 and DNA methylations in these genes as an epigenetic mark, which may play a role in the etiology of hypospadias. MATERIAL AND METHODS The samples from the foreskin of 20 patients with hypospadias and 20 healthy children who underwent circumcision operations were collected. AR, ESR1, FGF8, FGFR2 and BMP7 gene expressions and DNA methylation rates of these genes were investigated in tissues. RESULTS While ESR1, FGFR2 and BMP7 gene expressions were found to be significantly higher in the hypospadias group, AR gene expression was found to be lower. In the hypospadias group, DNA methylation rates were found to be significantly higher in the ESR1, FGF8 and FGFR2 genes, but lower in the AR gene (Table). DISCUSSION Recent clinical studies suggest that epigenetic modifications may play a significant role in genital development, potentially contributing to the etiology of hypospadias. Our recent study demonstrated significant differences in foreskin AR, ESR1, and FGFR2 gene expression between patients with hypospadias and controls. To address this, the present study investigated DNA methylation levels of these same genes in hypospadias patients, hypothesizing that epigenetic modifications might be responsible for the observed gene expression changes. We again observed abnormalities in AR, ESR1, and FGFR2 gene expression in hypospadias patients. Furthermore, we found that DNA methylation patterns associated with these genes differed significantly between hypospadias and control groups. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates significant alterations in DNA methylation of sex hormone receptor genes (ESR1 and AR), FGFR2, and FGF8, which correlate with abnormal expression of these genes in hypospadias cases. These findings suggest a potential role for epigenetic modifications in hypospadias etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yıldız S
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, 22030, Edirne, Turkey.
| | - Inanç I
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, 22030, Edirne, Turkey.
| | - Zhuri D
- Trakya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, 22030, Edirne, Turkey.
| | - Atlı E
- Trakya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, 22030, Edirne, Turkey.
| | - Avlan D
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Division of Pediatric Urology, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, 22030, Edirne, Turkey.
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Coe ST, Chakraborty S, Faheem M, Kupradit K, Bhandari RK. A second hit by PFOS exposure exacerbated developmental defects in medaka embryos with a history of ancestral BPA exposure. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 362:142796. [PMID: 38972462 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Bisphenol-A (BPA), a known endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) in plastics and resins, has been found to induce heritable health effects in fish and mammals, affecting directly exposed individuals and indirectly their progenies in subsequent generations. It is not clearly understood if subsequent generations of the BPA-exposed ancestors have increased sensitivity to the second hit by the chemicals of emerging concern. To understand this, the present study examined the effects of developmental exposure to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which has been a global contaminant recently, in embryos whose ancestors were exposed to BPA. Two lineages of medaka (Oryzias latipes) were established: 1) the BPA lineage in which the F0 generation was exposed to 10 μg/L BPA during early development and 2) the control lineage with no BPA exposure in the F0 generation. These lineages were raised up to the F4 generation without further exposure. The embryos of the F4 generation were exposed to PFOS at 0, 0.002, 0.02, 0.2, 2, and 20 mg/L concentrations. Early developmental defects resulting in mortality, delayed hatching, teratogenic phenotypes, and altered gene expression were examined in both lineages. The expression level of genes encoding DNA methyltransferases and genes responsible for oxidative stress defense were determined. Following environmentally relevant PFOS exposure, organisms with a history of BPA exposure displayed significant changes in all categories of developmental defects mentioned above, including increased expression of genes related to oxidative stress, compared to individuals without BPA exposure. The present study provides initial evidence that a history of ancestral BPA exposure can alter sensitivity to developmental disorders following the second hit by PFOS exposure. The variable of ancestral BPA exposure could be considered in mechanistic, medical, and regulatory toxicology, and can also be applied to holistic environmental equity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seraiah T Coe
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, 27412, USA
| | - Sourav Chakraborty
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, 27412, USA; Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Mehwish Faheem
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Karabuning Kupradit
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, 27412, USA
| | - Ramji K Bhandari
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
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Moraes JS, Ballesteros ML, Hued AC, Bonifacio AF, Azambuja TG, Vaz BDS, Martins CDMG. Glyphosate and its formulated product Roundup Transorb R® affect locomotor activity and reproductive and developmental parameters in Jenynsia lineata fish: An intergenerational study. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 362:142541. [PMID: 38851497 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Glyphosate is the most widely utilized herbicide worldwide due to its effectiveness in controlling agricultural weeds. However, its persistence in aquatic ecosystems has raised concerns about the well-being of non-target organisms such as fish. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic exposure (21 days) to glyphosate or its formulated product Roundup Transorb R®, at an environmentally relevant concentration permitted by regulations in certain countries (65 μg/L of glyphosate), on the locomotor activity and reproductive success of the fish Jenynsia lineata, as well as on the morphology/development and locomotor activity of its offspring, as intergenerational effects. Neither the pure nor formulated herbicide altered the distance traveled and velocity of adult fish exposed to the herbicide (F0), but they negatively affected reproductive success, decreasing the percentage of positive response to the presence of the female, reducing the number of gravid females, causing abortions, and lowering offspring survival (F1). In the F1 generation, a decrease in weight and length was noted along with developmental abnormalities in both treatment groups (pure or formulated glyphosate), with the formulation causing more harm. Observed developmental abnormalities included muscle atrophy, ascites, pigmentary disorders, vertebral agenesis, spinal deviation, and exophthalmia. Furthermore, parental exposure to pure glyphosate led to an increase in the distance traveled and velocity of F1 (hyperlocomotion), whereas exposure to the formulated product resulted in a decrease in these behaviors (hypolocomotion) of F1. These findings highlight the toxic effects of glyphosate at very low concentrations, although varying between pure and formulated, and demonstrate the intergenerational consequences of herbicide exposure, underscoring the risk to the survival of fish offspring in glyphosate-contaminated environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenifer Silveira Moraes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Av. Itália km 8, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
| | - María Laura Ballesteros
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas), Córdoba, 5000, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Cátedra de Diversidad Biológica IV, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina.
| | - Andrea Cecilia Hued
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas), Córdoba, 5000, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Cátedra de Diversidad Biológica IV, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina.
| | - Alejo Fabian Bonifacio
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas), Córdoba, 5000, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Cátedra de Diversidad Biológica IV, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina.
| | - Thaíz Gonçalves Azambuja
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sul-rio-grandense, Campus Pelotas. Praça 20 de Setembro, 455, 96015360, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
| | - Bernardo Dos Santos Vaz
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sul-rio-grandense, Campus Pelotas. Praça 20 de Setembro, 455, 96015360, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
| | - Camila de Martinez Gaspar Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Av. Itália km 8, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
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12
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Moelling K. Epigenetics and transgenerational inheritance. J Physiol 2024; 602:2537-2545. [PMID: 37772441 DOI: 10.1113/jp284424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications can alter the function of genes. The epigenetics changes are caused by environmental effects, which lead to chemical modifications of the DNA or the chromatin. The mechanisms involve the influence of small interfering siRNAs on gene silencing. Epigenetic changes normally last only during the life-time of an individual and are erased in embryos and eggs for a naive progeny. The genomes are reprogrammed and the chemical modifications removed to restart the next generation. However, there are mechanisms that allow the genome to escape from such a clearing effect so that modifications can be transmitted to one or more subsequent generations. In the germline of animal cells small RNAs, including piRNAs, have evolved which guarantee a higher degree of fidelity for transmission of genetic information, guarding especially against the detrimental effect caused by transposon activity. piRNA is essential for transposon silencing for survival of a species and protection of subsequent generations. Inactivation of piRNA results in abundant transposon activity and sperm infertility. The effect in humans has been described but is less distinct. Some stress-induced epigenetic changes are transitory in mice and can be reversed by a change of environment or lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Moelling
- Institute Medical Microbiology, University Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
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13
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De Pao Mendonca K, Rocher C, Dufour A, Schenkelaars Q, Heimbürger-Boavida LE, le Bivic A, Borchiellini C, Issartel J, Renard E. Methylmercury exposure of the sponge O. lobularis induces strong tissue and cell defects. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 358:141839. [PMID: 38636911 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Mediterranean marine biota suffers from various anthropogenic threats. Among them, pollutants such as mercury (Hg) represent important environmental issues that are exacerbated by bioaccumulation and bioamplification along food webs via its organic form, monomethylmercury (MMHg). To date, very little is known regarding the impact of mercury on Porifera and the few available studies have been exclusively focused on Demospongiae. This work studies the effect of MMHgCl at different biological levels of Oscarella lobularis (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha). Bioaccumulation assays show that MMHgCl significantly accumulated in sponge tissues after a 96-h exposure to 0.1 μg L-1. Toxicity assays (LC5096h) show a sensibility that depends on life-stage (adult vs bud). Additionally, we show that the exposure to 1 μg L-1 MMHgCl negatively impacts the epithelial integrity and the regeneration process in buds, as shown by the loss of cell-cell contacts and the alteration of osculum morphogenesis. For the first time in a sponge, a whole set of genes classically involved in metal detoxification and in antioxidant response were identified. Significant changes in catalase, superoxide dismutase and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 expressions in exposed juveniles were measured. Such an integrative approach from the physiological to the molecular scales on a non-model organism expands our knowledge concerning sensitivity and toxicity mechanisms induced by MMHg in Porifera, raising new questions regarding the possible defences used by marine sponges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kassandra De Pao Mendonca
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, UMR7288, Marseille, France
| | - Caroline Rocher
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | - Aurélie Dufour
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille, France
| | | | - Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille, France
| | - André le Bivic
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, UMR7288, Marseille, France
| | | | - Julien Issartel
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, FR 3098 ECCOREV, F-13545, Aix-en-Provence, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Renard
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, UMR7288, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, FR 3098 ECCOREV, F-13545, Aix-en-Provence, France.
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14
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Abstract
Numerous examples of different phenotypic outcomes in response to varying environmental conditions have been described across phyla, from plants to mammals. Here, we examine the impact of the environment on different developmental traits, focusing in particular on one key environmental variable, nutrient availability. We present advances in our understanding of developmental plasticity in response to food variation using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which provides a near-isogenic context while permitting lab-controlled environments and analysis of wild isolates. We discuss how this model has allowed investigators not only to describe developmental plasticity events at the organismal level but also to zoom in on the tissues involved in translating changes in the environment into a plastic response, as well as the underlying molecular pathways, and sometimes associated changes in behaviour. Lastly, we also discuss how early life starvation experiences can be logged to later impact adult physiological traits, and how such memory could be wired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Jarriault
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, UMR 7104 - UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Christelle Gally
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, UMR 7104 - UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
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15
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Caroppo E, Skinner MK. Could the sperm epigenome become a diagnostic tool for evaluation of the infertile man? Hum Reprod 2024; 39:478-485. [PMID: 38148019 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Although male infertility is currently diagnosed when abnormal sperm parameters are found, the poor predictive ability of sperm parameters on natural fecundity and medically assisted reproduction outcome poses the need for improved diagnostic techniques for male infertility. The accumulating evidence about the role played by the sperm epigenome in modulation of the early phases of embryonic development has led researchers to focus on the epigenetic mechanisms within the sperm epigenome to find new molecular markers of male infertility. Indeed, sperm epigenome abnormalities could explain some cases of unexplained male infertility in men showing normal sperm parameters and were found to be associated with poor embryo development in IVF cycles. The present mini-review summarizes the current knowledge about this interesting topic, starting from a description of the epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression regulation (i.e. DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs' activity). We also discuss possible mechanisms by which environmental factors might cause epigenetic changes in the human germline and affect embryonic development, as well as subsequent generations' phenotypes. Studies demonstrating sperm epigenome abnormalities in men with male infertility are reviewed, with particular emphasis on those with the more severe form of spermatogenic dysfunction. Observations demonstrate that the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of sperm epigenome evaluation will help facilitate the management of men with male factor infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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16
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McCarthy DM, Spencer TJ, Bhide PG. Preclinical Models of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Neurobiology, Drug Discovery, and Beyond. J Atten Disord 2024; 28:880-894. [PMID: 38084074 DOI: 10.1177/10870547231215286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We offer an overview of ADHD research using mouse models of nicotine exposure. METHOD Nicotine exposure of C57BL/6 or Swiss Webster mice occurred during prenatal period only or during the prenatal and the pre-weaning periods. Behavioral, neuroanatomical and neurotransmitter assays were used to investigate neurobiological mechanisms of ADHD and discover candidate ADHD medications. RESULTS Our studies show that norbinaltorphimine, a selective kappa opioid receptor antagonist is a candidate novel non-stimulant ADHD treatment and that a combination of methylphenidate and naltrexone has abuse deterrent potential with therapeutic benefits for ADHD. Other studies showed transgenerational transmission of ADHD-associated behavioral traits and demonstrated that interactions between untreated ADHD and repeated mild traumatic brain injury produced behavioral traits not associated with either condition alone. CONCLUSION Preclinical models contribute to novel insights into ADHD neurobiology and are valuable tools for drug discovery and translation to benefit humans with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas J Spencer
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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17
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Hossain MN, Gao Y, Hatfield MJ, de Avila JM, McClure MC, Du M. Cold exposure impacts DNA methylation patterns in cattle sperm. Front Genet 2024; 15:1346150. [PMID: 38444759 PMCID: PMC10912962 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1346150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is influenced by various exogenous factors such as nutrition, temperature, toxicants, and stress. Bulls from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and other northern areas are exposed to extreme cold temperatures during winter. However, the effects of cold exposure on the methylation patterns of bovine sperm remain unclear. To address, DNA methylation profiles of sperm collected during late spring and winter from the same bulls were analyzed using whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). Bismark (0.22.3) were used for mapping the WGBS reads and R Bioconductor package DSS was used for differential methylation analysis. Cold exposure induced 3,163 differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) with methylation difference ≥10% and a q-value < 0.05. We identified 438 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) with q-value < 0.05, which overlapped with 186 unique genes. We also identified eight unique differentially methylated genes (DMGs) (Pax6, Macf1, Mest, Ubqln1, Smg9, Ctnnb1, Lsm4, and Peg10) involved in embryonic development, and nine unique DMGs (Prmt6, Nipal1, C21h15orf40, Slc37a3, Fam210a, Raly, Rgs3, Lmbr1, and Gan) involved in osteogenesis. Peg10 and Mest, two paternally expressed imprinted genes, exhibited >50% higher methylation. The differential methylation patterns of six distinct DMRs: Peg10, Smg9 and Mest related to embryonic development and Lmbr1, C21h15orf40 and Prtm6 related to osteogenesis, were assessed by methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR), which confirmed the existence of variable methylation patterns in those locations across the two seasons. In summary, cold exposure induces differential DNA methylation patterns in genes that appear to affect embryonic development and osteogenesis in the offspring. Our findings suggest the importance of replicating the results of the current study with a larger sample size and exploring the potential of these changes in affecting offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nazmul Hossain
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Department of Livestock Production and Management, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Yao Gao
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Michael J. Hatfield
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Jeanene M. de Avila
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | | | - Min Du
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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18
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Skinner MK. Epigenetic biomarkers for disease susceptibility and preventative medicine. Cell Metab 2024; 36:263-277. [PMID: 38176413 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The development of molecular biomarkers for disease makes it possible for preventative medicine approaches to be considered. Therefore, therapeutics, treatments, or clinical management can be used to delay or prevent disease development. The problem with genetic mutations as biomarkers is the low frequency with genome-wide association studies (GWASs), generally at best a 1% association of the patients with the disease. In contrast, epigenetic alterations have a high-frequency association of greater than 90%-95% of individuals with pathology in epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs). A wide variety of human diseases have been shown to have epigenetic biomarkers that are disease specific and that detect pathology susceptibility. This review is focused on the epigenetic biomarkers for disease susceptibility, and it distinct from the large literature on epigenetics of disease etiology or progression. The development of efficient epigenetic biomarkers for disease susceptibility will facilitate a paradigm shift from reactionary medicine to preventative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA.
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19
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Neyroud AS, Rolland AD, Lecuyer G, Evrard B, Alary N, Dejucq-Rainsford N, Bujan L, Ravel C, Chalmel F. Sperm DNA methylation dynamics after chemotherapy: a longitudinal study of a patient with testicular germ cell tumor treatment. Andrology 2024; 12:396-409. [PMID: 37354024 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An important issue for young men affected by testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) is how TGCT and its treatment will affect, transiently or permanently, their future reproductive health. Previous studies have reported that xenobiotics can induce changes on human sperm epigenome and have the potential to promote epigenetic alterations in the offspring. OBJECTIVES Here, we report the first longitudinal DNA methylation profiling of frozen sperm from a TGCT patient before and up to 2 years after a bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS A TGCT was diagnosed in a 30-year-old patient. A cryopreservation of spermatozoa was proposed before adjuvant BEP treatment. Semen samples were collected before and after chemotherapy at 6, 9, 12, and 24 months. The DNA methylation status was determined by RRBS to detect DNA differentially methylated regions (DMRs). RESULTS The analysis revealed that among the 74 DMRs showing modified methylation status 6 months after therapy, 17 remained altered 24 months after treatment. We next associated DMRs with differentially methylated genes (DMGs), which were subsequently intersected with loci known to be important or expressed during early development. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The consequences of the cancer treatment on the sperm epigenome during the recovery periods are topical issues of increasing significance as epigenetic modifications to the paternal genome may have deleterious effects on the offspring. The altered methylated status of these DMGs important for early development might modify their expression pattern and thus affect their function during key stages of embryogenesis, potentially leading to developmental disorders or miscarriages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Sophie Neyroud
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
- CHU de Rennes, Département de Gynécologie Obstétrique Reproduction-CECOS, Rennes, France
| | - Antoine Dominique Rolland
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Gwendoline Lecuyer
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Bertrand Evrard
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Nathan Alary
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Nathalie Dejucq-Rainsford
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Louis Bujan
- Développement Embryonnaire, Fertilité, Environnement (DEFE), UMR Inserm 1203 Université Toulouse 3 et Montpellier, Toulouse, France
- CECOS, Groupe d'activité de médecine de la reproduction, Hôpital Paule de Viguier, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Célia Ravel
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
- CHU de Rennes, Département de Gynécologie Obstétrique Reproduction-CECOS, Rennes, France
| | - Frédéric Chalmel
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
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20
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Sol Dourdin T, Guyomard K, Rabiller M, Houssais N, Cormier A, Le Monier P, Sussarellu R, Rivière G. Ancestors' Gift: Parental Early Exposure to the Environmentally Realistic Pesticide Mixture Drives Offspring Phenotype in a Larger Extent Than Direct Exposure in the Pacific Oyster, Crassostrea gigas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1865-1876. [PMID: 38217500 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Marine organisms are threatened by the presence of pesticides in coastal waters. Among them, the Pacific oyster is one of the most studied invertebrates in marine ecotoxicology where numerous studies highlighted the multiscale impacts of pesticides. In the past few years, a growing body of literature has reported the epigenetic outcomes of xenobiotics. Because DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark implicated in organism development and is meiotically heritable, it raises the question of the multigenerational implications of xenobiotic-induced epigenetic alterations. Therefore, we performed a multigenerational exposure to an environmentally relevant mixture of 18 pesticides (nominal sum concentration: 2.85 μg·L-1) during embryo-larval stages (0-48 hpf) of a second generation (F1) for which parents where already exposed or not in F0. Gene expression, DNA methylation, and physiological end points were assessed throughout the life cycle of individuals. Overall, the multigenerational effect has a greater influence on the phenotype than the exposure itself. Thus, multigenerational phenotypic effects were observed: individuals descending from exposed parents exhibited lower epinephrine-induced metamorphosis and field survival rates. At the molecular level, RNA-seq and Methyl-seq data analyses performed in gastrula embryos and metamorphosis-competent pediveliger (MCP) larvae revealed a clear F0 treatment-dependent discrimination. Some genes implicated into shell secretion and immunity exhibited F1:F0 treatment interaction patterns (e.g., Calm and Myd88). Those results suggest that low chronic environmental pesticide contamination can alter organisms beyond the individual scale level and have long-term adaptive implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Sol Dourdin
- Ifremer, Unité Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, 44311 Cedex 03 Nantes, France
| | - Killian Guyomard
- Ifremer, Plateforme Mollusques Marins Bouin, 85029 Bouin, France
| | | | - Nina Houssais
- Ifremer, Unité Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, 44311 Cedex 03 Nantes, France
| | - Alexandre Cormier
- Ifremer, Service de Bioinformatique de l'Ifremer, 29280 Brest, France
| | - Pauline Le Monier
- Ifremer, Unité Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, 44311 Cedex 03 Nantes, France
| | - Rossana Sussarellu
- Ifremer, Physiologie et Toxines des Microalgues Toxiques, 44311 Cedex 03 Nantes, France
| | - Guillaume Rivière
- Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), UMR7208, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Recherche et Développement (IRD), Sorbonne Université (SU), Université de Caen Normandie (UCN), Université des Antilles (UA), 75231 Paris Cedex, France
- BOREA, UFR des Sciences, Université de Caen-Normandie, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France
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21
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Yao Y, Du Y, Guo N, Liu F, Deng T, Li Y. Associations between urinary phthalate concentrations and antral follicle count among women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1286391. [PMID: 38260134 PMCID: PMC10801055 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1286391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Phthalates are ubiquitously used in a variety of products and have an adverse effect on folliculogenesis. However, previous epidemiological studies on the associations between phthalate exposure and antral follicle count (AFC) produced conflicting results. The present study aimed to evaluate the associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and AFC among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Methods We collected 525 urine samples and measured 8 phthalate metabolites from IVF patients. Poisson regression models were conducted to evaluate the associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations and AFC. In addition, participants were stratified into a younger group (< 35 years) and an older group (≥ 35 years) to explore the potential effect modification by age. We also performed sensitivity analyses by restricting our analyses to only infertile women diagnosed with tubal factor infertility to test the robustness of the results. Results Significant positive associations were observed among urinary MBP, MEOHP and ∑PAEs concentrations and AFC after adjusting for age, BMI, year of study and infertility diagnosis. Compared with women in the first tertile, women in the third tertile of MBP and MEOHP had 7.02% (95% CI: 1.18%, 12.9%) and 8.84% (95% CI: 2.83%, 14.9%) higher AFC, respectively, and women in the second and third tertiles of ∑PAEs had 6.19% (95% CI: 0.37%, 12.0%) and 9.09% (95% CI: 3.22%, 15.0%) higher AFC, respectively. In addition, MBP, MEOHP and ∑PAEs also had significant positive associations with AFC in trend tests for dose-response. In the age-stratified analysis, we found a stronger relationship between phthalate metabolite concentrations and AFC among older women and an inverse association among younger women. We observed similar results in the sensitivity analyses. Conclusion We found positive associations between phthalate exposure and AFC, which support the idea that phthalate exposure may accelerate primordial follicle recruitment and lead to higher AFC in women undergoing IVF. More studies are needed to better understand their relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangcheng Yao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaoyao Du
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Na Guo
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fenghua Liu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Taoran Deng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yufeng Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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22
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Grison S, Braga-Tanaka II, Baatout S, Klokov D. In utero exposure to ionizing radiation and metabolic regulation: perspectives for future multi- and trans-generation effects studies. Int J Radiat Biol 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38180060 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2023.2295293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The radiation protection community has been particularly attentive to the risks of delayed effects on offspring from low dose or low dose-rate exposures to ionizing radiation. Despite this, the current epidemiologic studies and scientific data are still insufficient to provide the necessary evidence for improving risk assessment guidelines. This literature review aims to inform future studies on multigenerational and transgenerational effects. It primarily focuses on animal studies involving in utero exposure and discusses crucial elements for interpreting the results. These elements include in utero exposure scenarios relative to the developmental stages of the embryo/fetus, and the primary biological mechanisms responsible for transmitting heritable or hereditary effects to future generations. The review addresses several issues within the contexts of both multigenerational and transgenerational effects, with a focus on hereditary perspectives. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge consolidation in the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) has led us to propose a new study strategy. This strategy aims to address the transgenerational effects of in utero exposure to low dose and low dose-rate radiation. Within this concept, there is a possibility that disruption of epigenetic programming in embryonic and fetal cells may occur. This disruption could lead to metabolic dysfunction, which in turn may cause abnormal responses to future environmental challenges, consequently increasing disease risk. Lastly, we discuss methodological limitations in our studies. These limitations are related to cohort size, follow-up time, model radiosensitivity, and analytical techniques. We propose scientific and analytical strategies for future research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Grison
- PSE-SANTE, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Ignacia Iii Braga-Tanaka
- Department of Radiobiology, Institute for Environmental Sciences (IES), Rokkasho Kamikita, Aomori, Japan
| | - Sarah Baatout
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK CEN, Institute of Nuclear Medical Applications, Mol, Belgium
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology (BW25) and Department of Human Structure and Repair (GE38), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dmitry Klokov
- PSE-SANTE, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Department of Microbiology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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23
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Braz CU, Passamonti MM, Khatib H. Characterization of genomic regions escaping epigenetic reprogramming in sheep. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2023; 10:dvad010. [PMID: 38496251 PMCID: PMC10944287 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian genome undergoes two global epigenetic reprogramming events during the establishment of primordial germ cells and in the pre-implantation embryo after fertilization. These events involve the erasure and re-establishment of DNA methylation marks. However, imprinted genes and transposable elements (TEs) maintain their DNA methylation signatures to ensure normal embryonic development and genome stability. Despite extensive research in mice and humans, there is limited knowledge regarding environmentally induced epigenetic marks that escape epigenetic reprogramming in other species. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the characteristics and locations of genomic regions that evade epigenetic reprogramming in sheep, as well as to explore the biological functions of the genes within these regions. In a previous study, we identified 107 transgenerationally inherited differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) in the F1 and F2 generations in response to a paternal methionine-supplemented diet. These DMCs were found in TEs, non-repetitive regions, and imprinted and non-imprinted genes. Our findings suggest that genomic regions, rather than TEs and imprinted genes, have the propensity to escape reprogramming and serve as potential candidates for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Notably, 34 transgenerational methylated genes influenced by paternal nutrition escaped reprogramming, impacting growth, development, male fertility, cardiac disorders, and neurodevelopment. Intriguingly, among these genes, 21 have been associated with neural development and brain disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disease, and intellectual disability. This suggests a potential genetic overlap between brain and infertility disorders. Overall, our study supports the concept of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of environmentally induced marks in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila U Braz
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Matilde Maria Passamonti
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Universit’a Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, 29122, Italy
| | - Hasan Khatib
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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24
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Nilsson EE, McBirney M, De Santos S, King SE, Beck D, Greeley C, Holder LB, Skinner MK. Multiple generation distinct toxicant exposures induce epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of enhanced pathology and obesity. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2023; 9:dvad006. [PMID: 38162685 PMCID: PMC10756336 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvad006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Three successive multiple generations of rats were exposed to different toxicants and then bred to the transgenerational F5 generation to assess the impacts of multiple generation different exposures. The current study examines the actions of the agricultural fungicide vinclozolin on the F0 generation, followed by jet fuel hydrocarbon mixture exposure of the F1 generation, and then pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane on the F2 generation gestating females. The subsequent F3 and F4 generations and F5 transgenerational generation were obtained and F1-F5 generations examined for male sperm epigenetic alterations and pathology in males and females. Significant impacts on the male sperm differential DNA methylation regions were observed. The F3-F5 generations were similar in ∼50% of the DNA methylation regions. The pathology of each generation was assessed in the testis, ovary, kidney, and prostate, as well as the presence of obesity and tumors. The pathology used a newly developed Deep Learning, artificial intelligence-based histopathology analysis. Observations demonstrated compounded disease impacts in obesity and metabolic parameters, but other pathologies plateaued with smaller increases at the F5 transgenerational generation. Observations demonstrate that multiple generational exposures, which occur in human populations, appear to increase epigenetic impacts and disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric E Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Margaux McBirney
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Sarah De Santos
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Stephanie E King
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Daniel Beck
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Colin Greeley
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Lawrence B Holder
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
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25
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Díez-Villanueva A, Martín B, Moratalla-Navarro F, Morón-Duran FD, Galván-Femenía I, Obón-Santacana M, Carreras A, de Cid R, Peinado MA, Moreno V. Identification of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance by whole genome DNA methylation analysis in trios. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21266. [PMID: 38042866 PMCID: PMC10693549 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48517-3] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have identified thousands of loci associated with common diseases and traits. However, a large fraction of heritability remains unexplained. Epigenetic modifications, such as the observed in DNA methylation have been proposed as a mechanism of intergenerational inheritance. To investigate the potential contribution of DNA methylation to the missing heritability, we analysed the methylomes of four healthy trios (two parents and one offspring) using whole genome bisulphite sequencing. Of the 1.5 million CpGs (19%) with over 20% variability between parents in at least one family and compatible with a Mendelian inheritance pattern, only 3488 CpGs (0.2%) lacked correlation with any SNP in the genome, marking them as potential sites for intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. These markers were distributed genome-wide, with some preference to be located in promoters. They displayed a bimodal distribution, being either fully methylated or unmethylated, and were often found at the boundaries of genomic regions with high/low GC content. This analysis provides a starting point for future investigations into the missing heritability of simple and complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Díez-Villanueva
- Unit of Biomarkers and Susceptibility (UBS), Oncology Data Analytics Program (ODAP), Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
- ONCOBELL Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Berta Martín
- Germans Trias i Pujol Institute (IGTP), Translational Program in Cancer Research (CARE), Camí de les Escoles, s/n, Can Ruti Biomedical Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ferran Moratalla-Navarro
- Unit of Biomarkers and Susceptibility (UBS), Oncology Data Analytics Program (ODAP), Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
- ONCOBELL Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Universitat de Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), University of Barcelona, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco D Morón-Duran
- Unit of Biomarkers and Susceptibility (UBS), Oncology Data Analytics Program (ODAP), Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
- ONCOBELL Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Universitat de Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), University of Barcelona, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iván Galván-Femenía
- Genomes for Life-GCAT lab., Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Camí de les Escoles, s/n, Can Ruti Biomedical Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mireia Obón-Santacana
- Unit of Biomarkers and Susceptibility (UBS), Oncology Data Analytics Program (ODAP), Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
- ONCOBELL Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Carreras
- Genomes for Life-GCAT lab., Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Camí de les Escoles, s/n, Can Ruti Biomedical Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Rafael de Cid
- Genomes for Life-GCAT lab., Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Camí de les Escoles, s/n, Can Ruti Biomedical Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Miguel A Peinado
- Germans Trias i Pujol Institute (IGTP), Translational Program in Cancer Research (CARE), Camí de les Escoles, s/n, Can Ruti Biomedical Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Victor Moreno
- Unit of Biomarkers and Susceptibility (UBS), Oncology Data Analytics Program (ODAP), Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain.
- ONCOBELL Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain.
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Universitat de Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), University of Barcelona, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.
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26
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Klotz LO, Carlberg C. Nutrigenomics and redox regulation: Concepts relating to the Special Issue on nutrigenomics. Redox Biol 2023; 68:102920. [PMID: 37839954 PMCID: PMC10624588 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
During our whole lifespan, from conception to death, the epigenomes of all tissues and cell types of our body integrate signals from the environment. This includes signals derived from our diet and the uptake of macro- and micronutrients. In most cases, this leads only to transient changes, but some effects of this epigenome programming process are persistent and can even be transferred to the next generation. Both epigenetic programming and redox processes are affected by the individual choice of diet and other lifestyle decisions like physical activity. The nutrient-gene communication pathways have adapted during human evolution and are essential for maintaining health. However, when they are maladaptive, such as in long-term obesity, they significantly contribute to diseases like type 2 diabetes and cancer. The field of nutrigenomics investigates nutrition-related signal transduction pathways and their effect on gene expression involving interactions both with the genome and the epigenomes. Several of these diet-(epi)genome interactions and the involved signal transduction cascades are redox-regulated. Examples include the effects of the NAD+/NADH ratio, vitamin C levels and secondary metabolites of dietary molecules from plants on the acetylation and methylation state of the epigenome as well as on gene expression through redox-sensitive pathways via the transcription factors NFE2L2 and FOXO. In this review, we summarize and extend on these topics as well as those discussed in the articles of this Special Issue and take them into the context of redox biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars-Oliver Klotz
- Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Nutrigenomics Section, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Carsten Carlberg
- Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-10-748, Olsztyn, Poland; School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland.
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27
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Duncan GE, Avery A, Maamar MB, Nilsson EE, Beck D, Skinner MK. Epigenome-wide association study of systemic effects of obesity susceptibility in human twins. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2268834. [PMID: 37871278 PMCID: PMC10595392 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2268834] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The current study was designed to use an epigenome-wide association approach (EWAS) to identify potential systemic DNA methylation alterations that are associated with obesity using 22 discordant twin pairs. Buccal cells (from a cheek swab) were used as a non-obesity relevant purified marker cell for the epigenetic analysis. Analysis of differential DNA methylation regions (DMRs) was used to identify epigenetic associations with metabolic and dietary measures related to obesity with discordant twins. An edgeR analysis provided a DMR signature with p < 1e-04, but statistical significance was reduced due to low sample size and known multiple origins of obesity. A weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed and identified modules (p < 0.005) of epigenetic sites that correlated with different metabolic and dietary measures. The DMR and WGCNA epigenetic sites were near genes (e.g., CIDEC, SPP1, ZFPG9, and POMC) with previously identified obesity associated pathways (e.g., metabolism, cholesterol, and fat digestion). Observations demonstrate the feasibility of identifying systemic epigenetic biomarkers for obesity, which can be further investigated for clinical relevance in future research with larger sample sizes. The availability of a systemic epigenetic biomarker for obesity susceptibility may facilitate preventative medicine and clinical management of the disease early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen E. Duncan
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Ally Avery
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Millissia Ben Maamar
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Eric E. Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Daniel Beck
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Michael K. Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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28
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Mavaie P, Holder L, Skinner M. Identifying unique exposure-specific transgenerational differentially DNA methylated region epimutations in the genome using hybrid deep learning prediction models. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2023; 9:dvad007. [PMID: 38130880 PMCID: PMC10735314 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvad007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental toxicants can lead to epimutations in the genome and an increase in differential DNA methylated regions (DMRs) that have been linked to increased susceptibility to various diseases. However, the unique effect of particular toxicants on the genome in terms of leading to unique DMRs for the toxicants has been less studied. One hurdle to such studies is the low number of observed DMRs per toxicants. To address this hurdle, a previously validated hybrid deep-learning cross-exposure prediction model is trained per exposure and used to predict exposure-specific DMRs in the genome. Given these predicted exposure-specific DMRs, a set of unique DMRs per exposure can be identified. Analysis of these unique DMRs through visualization, DNA sequence motif matching, and gene association reveals known and unknown links between individual exposures and their unique effects on the genome. The results indicate the potential ability to define exposure-specific epigenetic markers in the genome and the potential relative impact of different exposures. Therefore, a computational approach to predict exposure-specific transgenerational epimutations was developed, which supported the exposure specificity of ancestral toxicant actions and provided epigenome information on the DMR sites predicted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pegah Mavaie
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2752, USA
| | - Lawrence Holder
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2752, USA
| | - Michael Skinner
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
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29
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Rich MT, Swinford-Jackson SE, Pierce RC. Epigenetic inheritance of phenotypes associated with parental exposure to cocaine. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2023; 99:169-216. [PMID: 38467481 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2023.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Parental exposure to drugs of abuse induces changes in the germline that can be transmitted across subsequent generations, resulting in enduring effects on gene expression and behavior. This transgenerational inheritance involves a dynamic interplay of environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors that impact an individual's vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders. This chapter aims to summarize recent research into the mechanisms underlying the inheritance of gene expression and phenotypic patterns associated with exposure to drugs of abuse, with an emphasis on cocaine. We will first define the epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, and expression of non-coding RNAs that are impacted by parental cocaine use. We will then explore how parental cocaine use induces heritable epigenetic changes that are linked to alterations in neural circuitry and synaptic plasticity within reward-related circuits, ultimately giving rise to potential behavioral vulnerabilities. This discussion will consider phenotypic differences associated with gestational as well as both maternal and paternal preconception drug exposure and will emphasize differences based on offspring sex. In this context, we explore the complex interactions between genetics, epigenetics, environment, and biological sex. Overall, this chapter consolidates the latest developments in the multigenerational effects and long-term consequences of parental substance abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Rich
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States.
| | - Sarah E Swinford-Jackson
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - R Christopher Pierce
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
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30
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Olotu O, Ahmedani A, Kotaja N. Small Non-Coding RNAs in Male Reproduction. Semin Reprod Med 2023; 41:213-225. [PMID: 38346711 DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1779726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Male reproductive functions are strictly regulated in order to maintain sperm production and fertility. All processes are controlled by precise regulation of gene expression, which creates specific gene expression programs for different developmental stages and cell types, and forms the functional basis for the reproductive system. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) are involved in gene regulation by targeting mRNAs for translational repression and degradation through complementary base pairing to recognize their targets. This review article summarizes the current knowledge on the function of different classes of sncRNAs, in particular microRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), during male germ cell differentiation, with the focus on sncRNAs expressed in the germline. Although transcriptionally inactive, mature spermatozoa contain a complex population of sncRNAs, and we also discuss the recently identified role of sperm sncRNAs in the intergenerational transmission of epigenetic information on father's environmental and lifestyle exposures to offspring. Finally, we summarize the current information on the utility of sncRNAs as potential biomarkers of infertility that may aid in the diagnosis and prediction of outcomes of medically assisted reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Opeyemi Olotu
- Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology Unit, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ammar Ahmedani
- Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology Unit, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Noora Kotaja
- Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology Unit, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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31
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Wang C, Xu J, Luo S, Huang J, Ji D, Qiu X, Song X, Cao X, Niu C, Zeng X, Zhang Z, Ma Y, Chen J, Chen D, Zhong X, Wei Y. Parental Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Bisphenol-A Bis(diphenyl phosphate) Impairs Vascular Development in Offspring through DNA/RNA Methylation-Dependent Transmission. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:16176-16189. [PMID: 37847870 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol-A bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BDP) has been increasingly detected in indoor environmental and human samples. Little is known about its developmental toxicity, particularly the intergenerational effects of parental exposure. In this study, adult zebrafish were exposed to BDP at 30-30,000 ng/L for 28 days, with results showing that exposure did not cause a transfer of BDP or its metabolites to offspring. Vascular morphometric profiling revealed that parental exposure to BDP at 30 and 300 ng/L exerted significant effects on the vascular development of offspring, encompassing diverse alterations in multiple types of blood vessels. N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing of larvae in the 300 ng/L group revealed 378 hypomethylated and 350 hypermethylated m6A peaks that were identified in mRNA transcripts of genes crucial for vascular development, including the Notch/Vegf signaling pathway. Concomitant changes in 5 methylcytosine (m5C) DNA methylation and gene expression of m6A modulators (alkbh5, kiaa1429, and ythdf1) were observed in both parental gonads and offspring exposed to BDP. These results reveal that parental exposure to low concentrations of BDP caused offspring vascular disorders by interfering with DNA and RNA methylation, uncovering a unique DNA-RNA modification pattern in the intergenerational transmission of BDP's developmental toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Jinkun Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shili Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jiajing Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Di Ji
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xuelin Qiu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xin Song
- School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaolian Cao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Congying Niu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiangyu Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhuyi Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ya Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Junzhou Chen
- School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Da Chen
- School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiali Zhong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yanhong Wei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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Beil J, Perner J, Pfaller L, Gérard MA, Piaia A, Doelemeyer A, Wasserkrug Naor A, Martin L, Piequet A, Dubost V, Chibout SD, Moggs J, Terranova R. Unaltered hepatic wound healing response in male rats with ancestral liver injury. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6353. [PMID: 37816736 PMCID: PMC10564731 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41998-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The possibility that ancestral environmental exposure could result in adaptive inherited effects in mammals has been long debated. Numerous rodent models of transgenerational responses to various environmental factors have been published but due to technical, operational and resource burden, most still await independent confirmation. A previous study reported multigenerational epigenetic adaptation of the hepatic wound healing response upon exposure to the hepatotoxicant carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in male rats. Here, we comprehensively investigate the transgenerational effects by repeating the original CCl4 multigenerational study with increased power, pedigree tracing, F2 dose-response and suitable randomization schemes. Detailed pathology evaluations do not support adaptive phenotypic suppression of the hepatic wound healing response or a greater fitness of F2 animals with ancestral liver injury exposure. However, transcriptomic analyses identified genes whose expression correlates with ancestral liver injury, although the biological relevance of this apparent transgenerational transmission at the molecular level remains to be determined. This work overall highlights the need for independent evaluation of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance paradigms in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Beil
- Novartis, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Lena Pfaller
- Novartis, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - Lori Martin
- Novartis, Biomedical Research, East-Hanover, NJ, USA
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Wild MA, Taylor KR, Nilsson EE, Beck D, Skinner MK. Systemic epigenome-wide association study of elk treponeme-associated hoof disease. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15378. [PMID: 37717058 PMCID: PMC10505176 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42546-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) is an emerging disease of elk (Cervus canadensis) in the U.S. Pacific West. Because environmental epigenetics is the primary molecular process that mediates environmental factor impacts on a host organism and disease, the role of epigenetics in TAHD etiology was examined. The current study was designed to examine potential effects of TAHD on systemic epigenetic modifications in infected elk over a range of TAHD lesion severity. Leg tendons that contain predominantly fibroblast connective tissue cells were used to isolate fibroblast cells for epigenetic analysis in unaffected and TAHD-positive male and female Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk. Differential DNA methylation regions (DMRs) between the unaffected and TAHD-positive elk were identified for both female and male elk. The presence of TAHD was associated with alteration of the connective tissue cell epigenetics, and DMR associated genes identified. Therefore, the infected elk were found to have a systemic epigenetic alteration that was associated with the disease, despite pathology being generally limited to feet. If the elk germline epigenetics is altered then generational transmission of susceptibility to TAHD may impact subsequent generations through epigenetic inheritance. This first study of epigenetic changes associated with disease in elk suggests that TAHD promotes a systemic effect on the elk epigenetics which could exert health impacts on the elk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Wild
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Kyle R Taylor
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
- Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Eric E Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Daniel Beck
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA.
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Chen X, Shi C, He M, Xiong S, Xia X. Endoplasmic reticulum stress: molecular mechanism and therapeutic targets. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:352. [PMID: 37709773 PMCID: PMC10502142 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01570-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) functions as a quality-control organelle for protein homeostasis, or "proteostasis". The protein quality control systems involve ER-associated degradation, protein chaperons, and autophagy. ER stress is activated when proteostasis is broken with an accumulation of misfolded and unfolded proteins in the ER. ER stress activates an adaptive unfolded protein response to restore proteostasis by initiating protein kinase R-like ER kinase, activating transcription factor 6, and inositol requiring enzyme 1. ER stress is multifaceted, and acts on aspects at the epigenetic level, including transcription and protein processing. Accumulated data indicates its key role in protein homeostasis and other diverse functions involved in various ocular diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, achromatopsia, cataracts, ocular tumors, ocular surface diseases, and myopia. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying the aforementioned ocular diseases from an ER stress perspective. Drugs (chemicals, neurotrophic factors, and nanoparticles), gene therapy, and stem cell therapy are used to treat ocular diseases by alleviating ER stress. We delineate the advancement of therapy targeting ER stress to provide new treatment strategies for ocular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyi Chen
- Eye Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chaoran Shi
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Meihui He
- Eye Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Siqi Xiong
- Eye Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Xiaobo Xia
- Eye Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Di Pietrantonio N, Cappellacci I, Mandatori D, Baldassarre MPA, Pandolfi A, Pipino C. Role of Epigenetics and Metabolomics in Predicting Endothelial Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2300172. [PMID: 37616517 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a worldwide health problem and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in T2D patients, making the prevention of CVD onset a major priority. It is therefore crucial to optimize diagnosis and treatment to reduce this burden. Endothelial dysfunction is one of the most important prognostic factors for CVD progression, thus novel approaches to identify the early phase of endothelial dysfunction may lead to specific preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of CVD. Nowadays, multiomics approaches have provided unprecedented opportunities to stratify T2D patients into endotypes, improve therapeutic treatment and outcome and amend the survival prediction. Among omics strategies, epigenetics and metabolomics are gaining increasing interest. Recently, a dynamic correlation between metabolic pathways and gene expression through chromatin remodeling, such as DNA methylation, has emerged, indicating new perspectives on the regulatory networks impacting cellular processes. Thus, a better understanding of epigenetic-metabolite relationships can provide insight into the physiological processes altered early in the endothelium that ultimately head to disease development. Here, recent studies on epigenetics and metabolomics related to CVD prevention potentially useful to identify disease biomarkers, as well as new therapies hopefully targeting the early phase of endothelial dysfunction are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Di Pietrantonio
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology-CAST, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cappellacci
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology-CAST, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
| | - Domitilla Mandatori
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology-CAST, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
| | - Maria Pompea Antonia Baldassarre
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology-CAST, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
| | - Assunta Pandolfi
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology-CAST, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
| | - Caterina Pipino
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology-CAST, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, 66100, Italy
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Gershoni M. Transgenerational transmission of environmental effects in livestock in the age of global warming. Cell Stress Chaperones 2023; 28:445-454. [PMID: 36715961 PMCID: PMC10468476 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-023-01325-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent decades provide mounting evidence for the continual increase in global temperatures, now termed "global warming," to the point of drastic worldwide change in the climate. Climatic change is a long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns, including increased frequency and intensity of extreme environmental events such as heat waves accompanied by extreme temperatures and high humidity. Climate change and global warming put several challenges to the livestock industry by directly affecting the animal's production, reproduction, health, and welfare. The broad impact of global warming, and in particular heat stress, on-farm animals' performance has been comprehensively studied. It has been estimated that the US livestock industry's loss caused by heat stress is up to $2.4 billion annually. However, the long-term intergenerational and transgenerational effects of climatic change and global warming on farm animals are sparse. Transgenerational effects, which are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, can affect the animal's performance regardless of its immediate environment by altering its phenotypic expression to fit its ancestors' environment. In many animal species, environmental effects are epigenetically encoded within a narrow time interval during the organism's gametogenesis, and these epigenetic modifications can then be intergenerationally transmitted. Several epigenetic mechanisms mediate intergenerational transmission of environmental effects, typically in a parent-dependent manner. Therefore, exposure of the animal to an extreme climatic event and other environmental stressors during gametogenesis can undergo epigenetic stabilization in the germline and be passed to the offspring. As a result, the offspring might express a phenotype adjusted to fit the stressors experienced by their ancestors, regardless of their direct environment. The purpose of this perspective is to review current evidence for intergenerational and transgenerational transmission of environmental stress effects, specifically in the context of global warming and climate change, and to offer viewpoints on the possible impacts on the livestock industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Gershoni
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, 7505101, Rishon LeZion, Israel.
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37
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Jones SK, McCarthy DM, Stanwood GD, Schatschneider C, Bhide PG. Learning and memory deficits produced by aspartame are heritable via the paternal lineage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14326. [PMID: 37652922 PMCID: PMC10471780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41213-2] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposures produce heritable traits that can linger in the population for one or two generations. Millions of individuals consume substances such as artificial sweeteners daily that are declared safe by regulatory agencies without evaluation of their potential heritable effects. We show that consumption of aspartame, an FDA-approved artificial sweetener, daily for up to 16-weeks at doses equivalent to only 7-15% of the FDA recommended maximum daily intake value (equivalent to 2-4 small, 8 oz diet soda drinks per day) produces significant spatial learning and memory deficits in mice. Moreover, the cognitive deficits are transmitted to male and female descendants along the paternal lineage suggesting that aspartame's adverse cognitive effects are heritable, and that they are more pervasive than current estimates, which consider effects in the directly exposed individuals only. Traditionally, deleterious environmental exposures of pregnant and nursing women are viewed as risk factors for the health of future generations. Environmental exposures of men are not considered to pose similar risks. Our findings suggest that environmental exposures of men can produce adverse impact on cognitive function in future generations and demonstrate the need for considering heritable effects via the paternal lineage as part of the regulatory evaluations of artificial sweeteners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Jones
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Deirdre M McCarthy
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Gregg D Stanwood
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Christopher Schatschneider
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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38
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Chakraborty S, Anand S, Coe S, Reh B, Bhandari RK. The PCOS-NAFLD Multidisease Phenotype Occurred in Medaka Fish Four Generations after the Removal of Bisphenol A Exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:12602-12619. [PMID: 37581432 PMCID: PMC10469501 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
As a heterogeneous reproductive disorder, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can be caused by genetic, diet, and environmental factors. Bisphenol A (BPA) can induce PCOS and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to direct exposure; however, whether these phenotypes persist in future unexposed generations is not currently understood. In a previous study, we observed that transgenerational NAFLD persisted in female medaka for five generations (F4) after exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration (10 μg/L) of BPA. Here, we demonstrate PCOS in the same F4 generation female medaka that developed NAFLD. The ovaries contained immature follicles, restricted follicular progression, and degenerated follicles, which are characteristics of PCOS. Untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed 17 biomarkers in the ovary of BPA lineage fish, whereas transcriptomic analysis revealed 292 genes abnormally expressed, which were similar to human patients with PCOS. Metabolomic-transcriptomic joint pathway analysis revealed activation of the cancerous pathway, arginine-proline metabolism, insulin signaling, AMPK, and HOTAIR regulatory pathways, as well as upstream regulators esr1 and tgf signaling in the ovary. The present results suggest that ancestral BPA exposure can lead to PCOS phenotypes in the subsequent unexposed generations and warrant further investigations into potential health risks in future generations caused by initial exposure to EDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Chakraborty
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro 27412 North Carolina, United
States
| | - Santosh Anand
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro 27412 North Carolina, United
States
| | - Seraiah Coe
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro 27412 North Carolina, United
States
| | - Beh Reh
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro 27412 North Carolina, United
States
| | - Ramji Kumar Bhandari
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro 27412 North Carolina, United
States
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39
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Wu X, Wu X, Xie W. Activation, decommissioning, and dememorization: enhancers in a life cycle. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:673-688. [PMID: 37221124 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal regulation of cell type-specific gene expression is essential to convert a zygote into a complex organism that contains hundreds of distinct cell types. A class of cis-regulatory elements called enhancers, which have the potential to enhance target gene transcription, are crucial for precise gene expression programs during development. Following decades of research, many enhancers have been discovered and how enhancers become activated has been extensively studied. However, the mechanisms underlying enhancer silencing are less well understood. We review current understanding of enhancer decommissioning and dememorization, both of which enable enhancer silencing. We highlight recent progress from genome-wide perspectives that have revealed the life cycle of enhancers and how its dynamic regulation underlies cell fate transition, development, cell regeneration, and epigenetic reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotong Wu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xi Wu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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40
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Craddock J, Jiang J, Patrick SM, Mutambirwa SBA, Stricker PD, Bornman MSR, Jaratlerdsiri W, Hayes VM. Alterations in the Epigenetic Machinery Associated with Prostate Cancer Health Disparities. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3462. [PMID: 37444571 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is driven by acquired genetic alterations, including those impacting the epigenetic machinery. With African ancestry as a significant risk factor for aggressive disease, we hypothesize that dysregulation among the roughly 656 epigenetic genes may contribute to prostate cancer health disparities. Investigating prostate tumor genomic data from 109 men of southern African and 56 men of European Australian ancestry, we found that African-derived tumors present with a longer tail of epigenetic driver gene candidates (72 versus 10). Biased towards African-specific drivers (63 versus 9 shared), many are novel to prostate cancer (18/63), including several putative therapeutic targets (CHD7, DPF3, POLR1B, SETD1B, UBTF, and VPS72). Through clustering of all variant types and copy number alterations, we describe two epigenetic PCa taxonomies capable of differentiating patients by ancestry and predicted clinical outcomes. We identified the top genes in African- and European-derived tumors representing a multifunctional "generic machinery", the alteration of which may be instrumental in epigenetic dysregulation and prostate tumorigenesis. In conclusion, numerous somatic alterations in the epigenetic machinery drive prostate carcinogenesis, but African-derived tumors appear to achieve this state with greater diversity among such alterations. The greater novelty observed in African-derived tumors illustrates the significant clinical benefit to be derived from a much needed African-tailored approach to prostate cancer healthcare aimed at reducing prostate cancer health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Craddock
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa
| | - Jue Jiang
- Ancestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Sean M Patrick
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa
| | - Shingai B A Mutambirwa
- Department of Urology, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, Medunsa 0208, South Africa
| | - Phillip D Stricker
- Department of Urology, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - M S Riana Bornman
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa
| | - Weerachai Jaratlerdsiri
- Ancestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Vanessa M Hayes
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa
- Ancestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4GJ, UK
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41
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Li S, Wu H, Chen M, Tollefsbol TO. Paternal Combined Botanicals Contribute to the Prevention of Estrogen Receptor-Negative Mammary Cancer in Transgenic Mice. J Nutr 2023; 153:1959-1973. [PMID: 37146973 PMCID: PMC10375510 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.05.001] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parental nutritional interventions have considerably affected gametogenesis and embryogenesis, leading to the differential susceptibility of offspring to chronic diseases such as cancer. Moreover, combinatorial bioactive diets are more efficacious in ameliorating epigenetic aberrations in tumorigenesis. OBJECTIVES We sought to investigate the transgenerational influence and epigenetic regulation of paternal sulforaphane (SFN)-rich broccoli sprouts (BSp) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)-rich green tea polyphenols (GTPs) consumption in the prevention of estrogen receptor-negative [ER(-)] mammary cancer in transgenic mice. METHODS Human breast cancer cells were used to detect cell viability and epigenetic-related gene expression after treatment with EGCG and/or SFN. Twenty-four C3 or HER2/neu males were randomly assigned into 4 groups and treated with control, 26% BSp (w/w) in food, 0.5% GTPs (w/v) in drinking water or combined BSp and GTPs for 7 wk before mating. Tumor growth of nontreated female pups was monitored weekly for 19 wk (C3) and 25 wk (HER2/neu). Tumor- and epigenetic-related protein expression and enzyme activities in mammary tumors were measured. Sperms were isolated from treated males for RNA sequencing and reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing analysis. Data were analyzed with a 2-factor or 3-factor analysis of variance. RESULTS EGCG and SFN inhibited breast cancer cell growth via epigenetic regulation. Combined BSp and GTPs synergistically (combination index < 1) suppressed tumor growth over time (P < 0.001) in 2 mouse models. Key tumor-related proteins were found differentially expressed (P < 0.05) along with epigenetic regulations in offspring mammary tumors. The transcriptome profile of sperm derived from dietary-treated males revealed differentially expressed genes correlated with spermatogenesis and breast cancer progression. DNA methylomes of the sperm and further integrated analysis with transcriptomes indicate that DNA methylation alone may not contribute to sufficient regulation in dietary-treated sperm pronucleus, leading to offspring tumor suppression. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, paternal consumption of combined BSp and GTPs shows potential for preventing ER(-) mammary cancer through transgenerational effects. J Nutr 2023;xx:xx-xx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizhao Li
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
| | - Huixin Wu
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Trygve O Tollefsbol
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States; O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States; Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States; Integrative Center for Aging Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States; Comprehensive Diabetes Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States; University Wide Microbiome Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
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42
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Wang X, Li W, Feng X, Li J, Liu GE, Fang L, Yu Y. Harnessing male germline epigenomics for the genetic improvement in cattle. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:76. [PMID: 37277852 PMCID: PMC10242889 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00874-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm is essential for successful artificial insemination in dairy cattle, and its quality can be influenced by both epigenetic modification and epigenetic inheritance. The bovine germline differentiation is characterized by epigenetic reprogramming, while intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can influence the offspring's development through the transmission of epigenetic features to the offspring via the germline. Therefore, the selection of bulls with superior sperm quality for the production and fertility traits requires a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanism and more accurate identifications of epigenetic biomarkers. We have comprehensively reviewed the current progress in the studies of bovine sperm epigenome in terms of both resources and biological discovery in order to provide perspectives on how to harness this valuable information for genetic improvement in the cattle breeding industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Konge Larsen ApS, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xia Feng
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianbing Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Ying Yu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Ben Maamar M, Wang Y, Nilsson EE, Beck D, Yan W, Skinner MK. Transgenerational sperm DMRs escape DNA methylation erasure during embryonic development and epigenetic inheritance. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2023; 9:dvad003. [PMID: 37346491 PMCID: PMC10281242 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvad003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Germline transmission of epigenetic information is a critical component of epigenetic inheritance. Previous studies have suggested that an erasure of DNA methylation is required to develop stem cells in the morula embryo. An exception involves imprinted genes that escape this DNA methylation erasure. Transgenerational differential DNA methylation regions (DMRs) have been speculated to be imprinted-like and escape this erasure. The current study was designed to assess if morula embryos escape the erasure of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-induced transgenerational sperm DMR methylation. Observations demonstrate that the majority (98%) of transgenerational sperm DMR sites retain DNA methylation and are not erased, so appearing similar to imprinted-like sites. Interestingly, observations also demonstrate that the majority of low-density CpG genomic sites had a significant increase in DNA methylation in the morula embryo compared to sperm. This is in contrast to the previously observed DNA methylation erasure of higher-density CpG sites. The general erasure of DNA methylation during embryogenesis appears applicable to high-density DNA methylation sites (e.g. CpG islands) but neither to transgenerational DMR methylation sites nor to low-density CpG deserts, which constitute the vast majority of the genome's DNA methylation sites. The role of epigenetics during embryogenesis appears more dynamic than the simple erasure of DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millissia Ben Maamar
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Yue Wang
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - Eric E Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Daniel Beck
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Wei Yan
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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44
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Niu Z, Mohazzab-Hosseinian S, Breton CV. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: Perspectives and challenges. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 151:1474-1476. [PMID: 36893860 PMCID: PMC10795545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongzheng Niu
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif
| | - Sahra Mohazzab-Hosseinian
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif
| | - Carrie V Breton
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif.
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45
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Abadjieva D, Georgiev B, Gerzilov V, Tsvetkova I, Taushanova P, Todorova K, Hayrabedyan S. Machine Learning Approach for Muscovy Duck ( Cairina moschata) Semen Quality Assessment. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101596. [PMID: 37238026 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a comprehensive approach for assessing fresh ejaculate from Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) drakes to fulfil the requirements of artificial insemination in farm practices. The approach combines sperm kinetics (CASA) with non-kinetic parameters, such as vitality, enzyme activities (alkaline phosphatase (AP), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and γ-glutamyl-transferase (GGT)), and total DNA methylation as training features for a set of machine learning (ML) models designed to enhance the predictive capacity of sperm parameters. Samples were classified based on their progressive motility and DNA methylation features, exhibiting significant differences in total and progressive motility, curvilinear velocity (VCL), velocity of the average path (VAP), linear velocity (VSL), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), beat-cross frequency (BCF), and live normal sperm cells in favour of fast motility ones. Additionally, there were significant differences in enzyme activities for AP and CK, with correlations to LDH and GGT levels. Although motility showed no correlation with total DNA methylation, ALH, wobble of the curvilinear trajectory (WOB), and VCL were significantly different in the newly introduced classification for "suggested good quality", where both motility and methylation were high. The performance differences observed while training various ML classifiers using different feature subsets highlight the importance of DNA methylation for achieving more accurate sample quality classification, even though there is no correlation between motility and DNA methylation. The parameters ALH, VCL, triton extracted LDH, and VAP were top-ranking for "suggested good quality" predictions by the neural network and gradient boosting models. In conclusion, integrating non-kinetic parameters into machine-learning-based sample classification offers a promising approach for selecting kinetically and morphologically superior duck sperm samples that might otherwise be hindered by a predominance of lowly methylated cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desislava Abadjieva
- Department of Immunoneuroendocrinology, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bul. Tzarigradsko Shosse 73, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Boyko Georgiev
- Department of Immunoneuroendocrinology, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bul. Tzarigradsko Shosse 73, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Vasko Gerzilov
- Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University, 12, Mendeleev Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Ilka Tsvetkova
- Reproductive OMICS Laboratory, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bul. Tzarigradsko Shosse 73, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Paulina Taushanova
- Department of Immunoneuroendocrinology, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bul. Tzarigradsko Shosse 73, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Krassimira Todorova
- Reproductive OMICS Laboratory, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bul. Tzarigradsko Shosse 73, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Soren Hayrabedyan
- Reproductive OMICS Laboratory, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bul. Tzarigradsko Shosse 73, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Pierron F, Daffe G, Daramy F, Heroin D, Barré A, Bouchez O, Clérendeau C, Romero-Ramirez A, Nikolski M. Transgenerational endocrine disruptor effects of cadmium in zebrafish and contribution of standing epigenetic variation to adaptation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 455:131579. [PMID: 37163897 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Evidence has emerged that environmentally-induced epigenetic changes can have long-lasting effects on gene transcription across generations. These recent findings highlight the need to investigate the transgenerational impacts of pollutants to assess their long term effects on populations. In this study, we investigated the transgenerational effect of cadmium on zebrafish across 4 generations. A first whole methylome approach carried out on fish of the first two generations led us to focus our investigations on the estradiol receptor alpha gene (esr1). We observed a sex-dependent transgenerational inheritance of Cd-induced DNA methylation changes up to the last generation. These changes were associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were themselves at the origin of the creation or deletion of methylation sites. Thus, Cd-induced genetic selection gave rise to DNA methylation changes. We also analyzed the transcription level of various sections of esr1 as well as estrogen responsive genes. While Cd triggered transgenerational disorders, Cd-induced epigenetic changes in esr1 contributed to the rapid transgenerational adaptation of fish to Cd. Our results provide insight into the processes underpinning rapid adaptation and highlight the need to maintain genetic diversity within natural populations to bolster the resilience of species faced with the global environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Pierron
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France.
| | - Guillemine Daffe
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INRAE, La Rochelle Univ., UMS 2567 POREA, F-33615 Pessac, France
| | - Flore Daramy
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Débora Heroin
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Aurélien Barré
- Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Bioinformatics Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Olivier Bouchez
- INRAE, US 1426, GeT-PlaGe, Genotoul, Castanet-Tolosan, 31326, France
| | | | | | - Macha Nikolski
- Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Bioinformatics Center, Bordeaux, France; Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IBGC, UMR 5095, Bordeaux 33077, France
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47
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Baccarelli A, Dolinoy DC, Walker CL. A precision environmental health approach to prevention of human disease. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2449. [PMID: 37117186 PMCID: PMC10147599 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37626-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Human health is determined by the interaction of our environment with the genome, epigenome, and microbiome, which shape the transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic landscape of cells and tissues. Precision environmental health is an emerging field leveraging environmental and system-level ('omic) data to understand underlying environmental causes of disease, identify biomarkers of exposure and response, and develop new prevention and intervention strategies. In this article we provide real-life illustrations of the utility of precision environmental health approaches, identify current challenges in the field, and outline new opportunities to promote health through a precision environmental health framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Dana C Dolinoy
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Cheryl Lyn Walker
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Kim J, Choi J. Trans- and Multigenerational Effects of Isothiazolinone Biocide CMIT/MIT on Genotoxicity and Epigenotoxicity in Daphnia magna. TOXICS 2023; 11:388. [PMID: 37112615 PMCID: PMC10140887 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11040388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The mixture of 5-chloro-2-methylisothiazol-3(2H)-one and 2-methylisothiazol-3(2H)-one, CMIT/MIT, is an isothiazolinone biocide that is consistently detected in aquatic environments because of its broad-spectrum usage in industrial fields. Despite concerns about ecotoxicological risks and possible multigenerational exposure, toxicological information on CMIT/MIT is very limited to human health and within-generational toxicity. Furthermore, epigenetic markers altered by chemical exposure can be transmitted over generations, but the role of these changes in phenotypic responses and toxicity with respect to trans- and multigenerational effects is poorly understood. In this study, the toxicity of CMIT/MIT on Daphnia magna was evaluated by measuring various endpoints (mortality, reproduction, body size, swimming behavior, and proteomic expression), and its trans- and multigenerational effects were investigated over four consecutive generations. The genotoxicity and epigenotoxicity of CMIT/MIT were examined using a comet assay and global DNA methylation measurements. The results show deleterious effects on various endpoints and differences in response patterns according to different exposure histories. Parental effects were transgenerational or recovered after exposure termination, while multigenerational exposure led to acclimatory/defensive responses. Changes in DNA damage were closely associated with altered reproduction in daphnids, but their possible relationship with global DNA methylation was not found. Overall, this study provides ecotoxicological information on CMIT/MIT relative to multifaceted endpoints and aids in understanding multigenerational phenomena under CMIT/MIT exposure. It also emphasizes the consideration of exposure duration and multigenerational observations in evaluating ecotoxicity and the risk management of isothiazolinone biocides.
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Kefayati F, Karimi Babaahmadi A, Mousavi T, Hodjat M, Abdollahi M. Epigenotoxicity: a danger to the future life. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2023; 58:382-411. [PMID: 36942370 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2023.2190713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Environmental toxicants can regulate gene expression in the absence of DNA mutations via epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs' (ncRNAs). Here, all three epigenetic modifications for seven important categories of diseases and the impact of eleven main environmental factors on epigenetic modifications were discussed. Epigenetic-related mechanisms are among the factors that could explain the root cause of a wide range of common diseases. Its overall impression on the development of diseases can help us diagnose and treat diseases, and besides, predict transgenerational and intergenerational effects. This comprehensive article attempted to address the relationship between environmental factors and epigenetic modifications that cause diseases in different categories. The studies main gap is that the precise role of environmentally-induced epigenetic alterations in the etiology of the disorders is unknown; thus, still more well-designed researches need to be accomplished to fill this gap. The present review aimed to first summarize the adverse effect of certain chemicals on the epigenome that may involve in the onset of particular disease based on in vitro and in vivo models. Subsequently, the possible adverse epigenetic changes that can lead to many human diseases were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Kefayati
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atoosa Karimi Babaahmadi
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Taraneh Mousavi
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahshid Hodjat
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Dental Research Center, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Abdollahi
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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50
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Al-Griw MA, Balog HN, Shaibi T, Elmoaket MF, AbuGamja ISA, AlBadawi AB, Shamlan G, Alfarga A, Eskandrani AA, Alnajeebi AM, Babteen NA, Alansari WS, Alghazeer R. Therapeutic potential of vitamin D against bisphenol A-induced spleen injury in Swiss albino mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280719. [PMID: 36893148 PMCID: PMC9997876 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous plasticizer, is capable of producing oxidative splenic injury, and ultimately led to spleen pathology. Further, a link between VitD levels and oxidative stress was reported. Hence the role of VitD in BPA-induced oxidative splenic injury was investigated in this study. Sixty male and female Swiss albino mice (3.5 weeks old) were randomly divided into control and treated groups 12 mice in each (six males and six females). The control groups were further divided into sham (no treatment) and vehicle (sterile corn oil), whereas the treatment group was divided into VitD (2,195 IU/kg), BPA (50 μg/kg), and BPA+VitD (50 μg/kg + 2,195 IU/kg) groups. For six weeks, the animals were dosed intraperitoneally (i.p). One week later, at 10.5 weeks old, mice were sacrificed for biochemical and histological analyses. Findings showed BPA triggered neurobehavioral abnormalities and spleen injury with increased apoptotic indices (e.g. DNA fragmentation) in both sexes. A significant increase was found in lipid peroxidation marker, MDA in splenic tissue, and leukocytosis. Conversely, VitD treatment altered this scenario into motor performance preservation, reducing oxidative splenic injury with a decrease in the percent apoptotic index. This protection was significantly correlated with preserving leukocyte counts and reduced MDA levels in both genders. It can be concluded from the above findings that VitD treatment has an ameliorative effect on oxidative splenic injury induced by BPA, highlighting the continuous crosstalk between oxidative stress and the VitD signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A. Al-Griw
- Department of Histology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Hanan N. Balog
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Taher Shaibi
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | | | | | - Ahlam Bashir AlBadawi
- Tripoli Medical Center, Hematology Department, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Ghalia Shamlan
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ammar Alfarga
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Areej A. Eskandrani
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Afnan M. Alnajeebi
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nouf A. Babteen
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wafa S. Alansari
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rabia Alghazeer
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
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