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Rice RC, Gil DV, Baratta AM, Frawley RR, Hill SY, Farris SP, Homanics GE. Inter- and transgenerational heritability of preconception chronic stress or alcohol exposure: Translational outcomes in brain and behavior. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100603. [PMID: 38234394 PMCID: PMC10792982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress and alcohol (ethanol) use are highly interrelated and can change an individual's behavior through molecular adaptations that do not change the DNA sequence, but instead change gene expression. A recent wealth of research has found that these nongenomic changes can be transmitted across generations, which could partially account for the "missing heritability" observed in genome-wide association studies of alcohol use disorder and other stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we summarize the molecular and behavioral outcomes of nongenomic inheritance of chronic stress and ethanol exposure and the germline mechanisms that could give rise to this heritability. In doing so, we outline the need for further research to: (1) Investigate individual germline mechanisms of paternal, maternal, and biparental nongenomic chronic stress- and ethanol-related inheritance; (2) Synthesize and dissect cross-generational chronic stress and ethanol exposure; (3) Determine cross-generational molecular outcomes of preconception ethanol exposure that contribute to alcohol-related disease risk, using cancer as an example. A detailed understanding of the cross-generational nongenomic effects of stress and/or ethanol will yield novel insight into the impact of ancestral perturbations on disease risk across generations and uncover actionable targets to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Rice
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniela V. Gil
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Annalisa M. Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Remy R. Frawley
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shirley Y. Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sean P. Farris
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gregg E. Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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2
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Han S, Luo Y, Liu B, Guo T, Qin D, Luo F. Dietary flavonoids prevent diabetes through epigenetic regulation: advance and challenge. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023; 63:11925-11941. [PMID: 35816298 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2097637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The pathophysiology of diabetes has been studied extensively in various countries, but effective prevention and treatment methods are still insufficient. In recent years, epigenetics has received increasing attention from researchers in exploring the etiology and treatment of diabetes. DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs play critical roles in the occurrence, maintenance, and progression of diabetes and its complications. Therefore, preventing or reversing the epigenetic alterations that occur during the development of diabetes may reduce the individual and societal burden of the disease. Dietary flavonoids serve as natural epigenetic modulators for the discovery of biomarkers for diabetes prevention and the development of alternative therapies. However, there is limited knowledge about the potential beneficial effects of flavonoids on the epigenetics of diabetes. In this review, the multidimensional epigenetic effects of different flavonoid subtypes in diabetes were summarized. Furthermore, it was discussed that parental flavonoid diets might reduce diabetes incidence in offspring, which represent a promising opportunity to prevent diabetes in the future. Future work will depend on exploring anti-diabetic effects of different flavonoids with different epigenetic regulation mechanisms and clinical trials.Highlights• "Epigenetic therapy" could reduce the burden of diabetic patients• "Epigenetic diet" ameliorates diabetes• Targeting epigenetic regulations by dietary flavonoids in the diabetes prevention• Dietary flavonoids prevent diabetes via transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Han
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Forestry Edible Resources Safety and Processing, National Research Center of Rice Deep Processing and Byproducts, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Clinic Medicine, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Central South Food Science Institute of Grain and Oil Co., Ltd., Hunan Grain Group Co., Ltd, Changsha, China
| | - Tianyi Guo
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Forestry Edible Resources Safety and Processing, National Research Center of Rice Deep Processing and Byproducts, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Dandan Qin
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Forestry Edible Resources Safety and Processing, National Research Center of Rice Deep Processing and Byproducts, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Feijun Luo
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Forestry Edible Resources Safety and Processing, National Research Center of Rice Deep Processing and Byproducts, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
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3
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Murashov AK, Pak ES, Mar J, O’Brien K, Fisher-Wellman K, Bhat KM. Paternal Western diet causes transgenerational increase in food consumption in Drosophila with parallel alterations in the offspring brain proteome and microRNAs. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22966. [PMID: 37227156 PMCID: PMC10234493 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300239rr] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence indicate that ancestral diet might play an important role in determining offspring's metabolic traits. However, it is not yet clear whether ancestral diet can affect offspring's food choices and feeding behavior. In the current study, taking advantage of Drosophila model system, we demonstrate that paternal Western diet (WD) increases offspring food consumption up to the fourth generation. Paternal WD also induced alterations in F1 offspring brain proteome. Using enrichment analyses of pathways for upregulated and downregulated proteins, we found that upregulated proteins had significant enrichments in terms related to translation and translation factors, whereas downregulated proteins displayed enrichments in small molecule metabolic processes, TCA cycles, and electron transport chain (ETC). Using MIENTURNET miRNA prediction tool, dme-miR-10-3p was identified as the top conserved miRNA predicted to target proteins regulated by ancestral diet. RNAi-based knockdown of miR-10 in the brain significantly increased food consumption, implicating miR-10 as a potential factor in programming feeding behavior. Together, these findings suggest that ancestral nutrition may influence offspring feeding behavior through alterations in miRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander K. Murashov
- Department of Physiology & East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Elena S. Pak
- Department of Physiology & East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Jordan Mar
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
| | - Kevin O’Brien
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Kelsey Fisher-Wellman
- Department of Physiology & East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Krishna M. Bhat
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
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4
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East CN, Miller S, Page M, Wherry LR. Multigenerational Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net: Early Life Exposure to Medicaid and the Next Generation's Health. THE AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW 2023; 113:98-135. [PMID: 37168104 PMCID: PMC10168672 DOI: 10.1257/aer.20210937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
We examine multi-generational impacts of positive in utero health interventions using a new research design that exploits sharp increases in prenatal Medicaid eligibility that occurred in some states. Our analyses are based on U.S. Vital Statistics Natality files, which enables linkages between individuals' early life Medicaid exposure and the next generation's health at birth. We find evidence that the health benefits associated with treated generations' early life program exposure extend to later offspring. Our results suggest that the returns on early life health investments may be substantively underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe N East
- Department of Economics, University of Colorado Denver
| | | | - Marianne Page
- Department of Economics, University of California, Davis
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5
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Zacchini F, Sampino S, Zietek M, Chan A. Delayed parenthood and its influence on offspring health: What have we learned from the mouse model. Biol Reprod 2021; 106:58-65. [PMID: 34725675 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Delayed parenthood is constantly increasing worldwide due to various socio-economic factors. In the last decade, a growing number of epidemiological studies have suggested a link between advanced parental age and an increased risk of diseases in the offspring. Also, poor reproductive outcome has been described in pregnancies conceived by aged parents. Similarly, animal studies showed that aging negatively affects gametes, early embryonic development, pregnancy progression and the postnatal phenotype of resulting offspring. However, how and to what extent parental age is a risk factor for the health of future generations is still subject to debate. Notwithstanding the limitation of an animal model, the mouse model represents a useful tool to understand not only the influence of parental age on offspring phenotype but also the biological mechanisms underlying the poor reproductive outcome and the occurrence of diseases in the descendants. The present review aims at i) providing an overview of the current knowledge from mouse model about the risks associated with conception at advanced age (e.g. neurodevelopmental and metabolic disorders), ii) highlighting the candidate biological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, and iii) discussing on how murine-derived data can be relevant to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Zacchini
- Percuros BV, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Wolfson Center for Age Related Diseases, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvestre Sampino
- Department of Experimental Embryology, IGAB PAS, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Marta Zietek
- Department of Experimental Embryology, IGAB PAS, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Alan Chan
- Percuros BV, Leiden, The Netherlands
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6
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Tregenza T, Rodríguez-Muñoz R, Boonekamp JJ, Hopwood PE, Sørensen JG, Bechsgaard J, Settepani V, Hegde V, Waldie C, May E, Peters C, Pennington Z, Leone P, Munk EM, Greenrod STE, Gosling J, Coles H, Gruffydd R, Capria L, Potter L, Bilde T. Evidence for genetic isolation and local adaptation in the field cricket Gryllus campestris. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1624-1636. [PMID: 34378263 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how species can thrive in a range of environments is a central challenge for evolutionary ecology. There is strong evidence for local adaptation along large-scale ecological clines in insects. However, potential adaptation among neighbouring populations differing in their environment has been studied much less. We used RAD sequencing to quantify genetic divergence and clustering of ten populations of the field cricket Gryllus campestris in the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain, and an outgroup on the inland plain. Our populations were chosen to represent replicate high and low altitude habitats. We identified genetic clusters that include both high and low altitude populations indicating that the two habitat types do not hold ancestrally distinct lineages. Using common-garden rearing experiments to remove environmental effects, we found evidence for differences between high and low altitude populations in physiological and life-history traits. As predicted by the local adaptation hypothesis, crickets with parents from cooler (high altitude) populations recovered from periods of extreme cooling more rapidly than those with parents from warmer (low altitude) populations. Growth rates also differed between offspring from high and low altitude populations. However, contrary to our prediction that crickets from high altitudes would grow faster, the most striking difference was that at high temperatures, growth was fastest in individuals from low altitudes. Our findings reveal that populations a few tens of kilometres apart have independently evolved adaptations to their environment. This suggests that local adaptation in a range of traits may be commonplace even in mobile invertebrates at scales of a small fraction of species' distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Tregenza
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | | | - Jelle J Boonekamp
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul E Hopwood
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Jesper Givskov Sørensen
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jesper Bechsgaard
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Virginia Settepani
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Vinayaka Hegde
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Callum Waldie
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Emma May
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Caleb Peters
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Zinnia Pennington
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Paola Leone
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Emil M Munk
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Samuel T E Greenrod
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Joe Gosling
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Harry Coles
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Rhodri Gruffydd
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Loris Capria
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Laura Potter
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Trine Bilde
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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7
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Lou XY, Hou TT, Liu SY, Xu HM, Lin F, Tang X, MacLeod SL, Cleves MA, Hobbs CA. Innovative approach to identify multigenomic and environmental interactions associated with birth defects in family-based hybrid designs. Genet Epidemiol 2021; 45:171-189. [PMID: 32996630 PMCID: PMC8495752 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22363] [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: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Genes, including those with transgenerational effects, work in concert with behavioral, environmental, and social factors via complex biological networks to determine human health. Understanding complex relationships between causal factors underlying human health is an essential step towards deciphering biological mechanisms. We propose a new analytical framework to investigate the interactions between maternal and offspring genetic variants or their surrogate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and environmental factors using family-based hybrid study design. The proposed approach can analyze diverse genetic and environmental factors and accommodate samples from a variety of family units, including case/control-parental triads, and case/control-parental dyads, while minimizing potential bias introduced by population admixture. Comprehensive simulations demonstrated that our innovative approach outperformed the log-linear approach, the best available method for case-control family data. The proposed approach had greater statistical power and was capable to unbiasedly estimate the maternal and child genetic effects and the effects of environmental factors, while controlling the Type I error rate against population stratification. Using our newly developed approach, we analyzed the associations between maternal and fetal SNPs and obstructive and conotruncal heart defects, with adjustment for demographic and lifestyle factors and dietary supplements. Fourteen and 11 fetal SNPs were associated with obstructive and conotruncal heart defects, respectively. Twenty-seven and 17 maternal SNPs were associated with obstructive and conotruncal heart defects, respectively. In addition, maternal body mass index was a significant risk factor for obstructive defects. The proposed approach is a powerful tool for interrogating the etiological mechanism underlying complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yang Lou
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ting-Ting Hou
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shou-Ye Liu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Ming Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Tang
- The US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Mario A. Cleves
- Department of Pediatrics, Morsani College of Medicine, Health Informatics Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Charlotte A. Hobbs
- Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
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8
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Singh RS, Singh KK, Singh SM. Origin of Sex-Biased Mental Disorders: An Evolutionary Perspective. J Mol Evol 2021; 89:195-213. [PMID: 33630117 PMCID: PMC8116267 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-021-09999-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism or sex bias in diseases and mental disorders have two biological causes: sexual selection and sex hormones. We review the role of sexual selection theory and bring together decades of molecular studies on the variation and evolution of sex-biased genes and provide a theoretical basis for the causes of sex bias in disease and health. We present a Sexual Selection-Sex Hormone theory and show that male-driven evolution, including sexual selection, leads to: (1) increased male vulnerability due to negative pleiotropic effects associated with male-driven sexual selection and evolution; (2) increased rates of male-driven mutations and epimutations in response to early fitness gains and at the cost of late fitness; and (3) enhanced female immunity due to antagonistic responses to mutations that are beneficial to males but harmful to females, reducing female vulnerability to diseases and increasing the thresholds for disorders such as autism. Female-driven evolution, such as reproduction-related fluctuation in female sex hormones in association with stress and social condition, has been shown to be associated with increased risk of certain mental disorders such as major depression disorder in women. Bodies have history, cells have memories. An evolutionary framework, such as the Sexual Selection–Sex Hormone theory, provides a historical perspective for understanding how the differences in the sex-biased diseases and mental disorders have evolved over time. It has the potential to direct the development of novel preventive and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama S Singh
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
| | - Karun K Singh
- Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.,Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Shiva M Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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9
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Gualtieri CT. Genomic Variation, Evolvability, and the Paradox of Mental Illness. Front Psychiatry 2021; 11:593233. [PMID: 33551865 PMCID: PMC7859268 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.593233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Twentieth-century genetics was hard put to explain the irregular behavior of neuropsychiatric disorders. Autism and schizophrenia defy a principle of natural selection; they are highly heritable but associated with low reproductive success. Nevertheless, they persist. The genetic origins of such conditions are confounded by the problem of variable expression, that is, when a given genetic aberration can lead to any one of several distinct disorders. Also, autism and schizophrenia occur on a spectrum of severity, from mild and subclinical cases to the overt and disabling. Such irregularities reflect the problem of missing heritability; although hundreds of genes may be associated with autism or schizophrenia, together they account for only a small proportion of cases. Techniques for higher resolution, genomewide analysis have begun to illuminate the irregular and unpredictable behavior of the human genome. Thus, the origins of neuropsychiatric disorders in particular and complex disease in general have been illuminated. The human genome is characterized by a high degree of structural and behavioral variability: DNA content variation, epistasis, stochasticity in gene expression, and epigenetic changes. These elements have grown more complex as evolution scaled the phylogenetic tree. They are especially pertinent to brain development and function. Genomic variability is a window on the origins of complex disease, neuropsychiatric disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders in particular. Genomic variability, as it happens, is also the fuel of evolvability. The genomic events that presided over the evolution of the primate and hominid lineages are over-represented in patients with autism and schizophrenia, as well as intellectual disability and epilepsy. That the special qualities of the human genome that drove evolution might, in some way, contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders is a matter of no little interest.
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10
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Al-Griw MA, Alghazeer RO, Salama NM, Lwaleed BA, Eskandrani AA, Alansari WS, Alnajeebi AM, Babteen NA, Shamlan G, Elnfati AH. Paternal bisphenol A exposure induces testis and sperm pathologies in mice offspring: Possibly due to oxidative stress? Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:948-955. [PMID: 33424387 PMCID: PMC7783794 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine and metabolic disruptor, is widely used to manufacture polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Accumulating evidence suggests that paternal BPA exposure adversely affects male germlines and results in atypical reproductive phenotypes that might persist for generations to come. Our study investigated this exposure on testicular architecture and sperm quality in mouse offspring, and characterised underlying molecular mechanism(s). A total of 18 immature male Swiss albino mice (3.5 weeks old) were randomly divided into three groups and treated as follows: Group I, no treatment (sham control); Group II, sterile corn oil only (vehicle control); Group III, BPA (400 μg/kg) in sterile corn oil. At 9.5 weeks old, F0 males were mated with unexposed females. F0 offspring (F1 generation) were monitored for postnatal development for 10 weeks. At 11.5 weeks old, the animals were sacrificed to examine testicular architecture, sperm parameters, including DNA integrity, and oxidative stress biomarkers. Results showed that BPA significantly induced changes in the body and testis weights of the F0 and F1 generation BPA lineages compared to F0 and F1 generation control lineages. A decrease in sperm count and motility with further, increased sperm abnormalities, no or few sperm DNA alterations and elevated levels of MDA, PC and NO were recorded. Similar effects were found in BPA exposed F0 males, but were more pronounced in the F0 offspring. In addition, BPA caused alterations in the testicular architecture. These pathological changes extended transgenerationally to F1 generation males’ mice, but the pathological changes were more pronounced in the F1 generation. Our findings demonstrate that the biological and health BPA impacts do not end in paternal adults, but are passed on to offspring generations. Hence, linking observed testis and sperm abnormalities in the F1 generation to BPA exposure of their parental line was evident in this work. The findings also illustrate that oxidative stress appears to be a molecular component of the testis and sperm pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Al-Griw
- Department of Histology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli 13203, Libya
| | - Rabia O Alghazeer
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Naser M Salama
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Bashir A Lwaleed
- School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Areej A Eskandrani
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wafa S Alansari
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, 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
| | - Ghalia Shamlan
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul Hakim Elnfati
- Department of Histology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli 13203, Libya
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11
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Lurbe E, Ingelfinger J. Developmental and Early Life Origins of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: Novel Findings and Implications. Hypertension 2021; 77:308-318. [PMID: 33390043 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.120.14592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The intent of this review is to critically consider the data that support the concept of programming and its implications. Birth weight and growth trajectories during childhood are associated with cardiometabolic disease in adult life. Both extremes, low and high birth weight coupled with postnatal growth increase the early presence of cardiometabolic risk factors and vascular imprinting, crucial elements of this framework. Data coming from epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiota added relevant information and contribute to better understanding of mechanisms as well as development of biomarkers helping to move forward to take actions. Research has reached a stage in which sufficiently robust data calls for new initiatives focused on early life. Prevention starting early in life is likely to have a very large impact on reducing disease incidence and its associated effects at the personal, economic, and social levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Empar Lurbe
- From the Pediatric Department, Consorcio Hospital General, University of Valencia (E.L.)
- CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (E.L.)
| | - Julie Ingelfinger
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Mass General Hospital for Children, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (J.I.)
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12
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Stjernfelt KJ, von Stedingk K, Wiebe T, Hjorth L, Kristoffersson U, Stenmark-Askmalm M, Olsson H, Øra I. Increased Cancer Risk in Families with Pediatric Cancer Is Associated with Gender, Age, Diagnosis, and Degree of Relation to the Child. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020; 29:2171-2179. [PMID: 32856606 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-20-0322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of cancer risk among relatives of children with cancer beyond parents and siblings are limited. We have investigated the cancer risk up to the third degree of relation in families with pediatric cancer to reveal patterns of inheritance. METHODS A single-center cohort of 757 patients with pediatric cancer was linked to the Swedish National Population Register, resulting in 16,137 relatives up to the third degree of relation. All relatives were matched to the Swedish Cancer Register, and standard incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated to define relatives at risk. RESULTS Children and adults up to the third degree of relation had increased cancer risk, with SIRs of 1.48 (P = 0.01) and 1.07 (P < 0.01), respectively. The SIRs for first- and third-degree adult relatives were 1.22 and 1.10, respectively, but no increased risk was observed in second-degree relatives. Male relatives had a higher risk than females, especially when related to a girl and when the child had leukemia. The risk was mainly increased for lung, prostate, and gastrointestinal cancer. When excluding 29 families of children with known pathogenic germline variants, the increased risk remained. CONCLUSIONS Relatives to children with cancer up to third degree of relation have an increased cancer risk. Known pathogenic germline variants do not explain this increased risk. IMPACT The overall increased cancer risk among relatives of children with cancer in this population-based cohort strengthens the importance of surveillance programs for families with pediatric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl-Johan Stjernfelt
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Kristoffer von Stedingk
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Oncogenomics, University Medical Center AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Wiebe
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Lars Hjorth
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ulf Kristoffersson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Stenmark-Askmalm
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Håkan Olsson
- Department of Oncology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Øra
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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13
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Yeshurun S, Hannan AJ. Transgenerational epigenetic influences of paternal environmental exposures on brain function and predisposition to psychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2019. [PMID: 29520039 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0039-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, striking new evidence has demonstrated non-genetic inheritance of acquired traits associated with parental environmental exposures. In particular, this transgenerational modulation of phenotypic traits is of direct relevance to psychiatric disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders. Here we review the recent progress in this field, with an emphasis on acquired traits of psychiatric illnesses transmitted epigenetically via the male lineage. We discuss the transgenerational effects of paternal exposure to stress vs. positive stimuli, such as exercise, and discuss their impact on the behavioral, affective and cognitive characteristics of their progeny. Furthermore, we review the recent evidence suggesting that these transgenerational effects are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, including changes in DNA methylation and small non-coding RNAs in the sperm. We discuss the urgent need for more research exploring transgenerational epigenetic effects in animal models and human populations. These future studies may identify epigenetic mechanisms as potential contributors to the 'missing heritability' observed in genome-wide association studies of psychiatric illnesses and other human disorders. This exciting new field of transgenerational epigenomics will facilitate the development of novel strategies to predict, prevent and treat negative epigenetic consequences on offspring health, and psychiatric disorders in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomo Yeshurun
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. .,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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14
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Vendrell X, Escribà MJ. The model of "genetic compartments": a new insight into reproductive genetics. J Assist Reprod Genet 2019; 36:363-369. [PMID: 30421342 PMCID: PMC6439105 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-018-1366-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, we are witnessing revolutionary advances in the analytical power of genetic tools. An enormous quantity of data can now be obtained from samples; however, the translation of genetic findings to the general status of individuals, or their offspring, should be done with caution. This is especially relevant in the reproductive context, where the concepts of "transmission" and "inheritability" of a trait are crucial. Against this background, we offer new insight based on a systemic view of genetic constitution in the compartmentalized organism, that is, the human body. This model considers the coexistence of "different" genomes in the same individual and the repercussion of this on reproductive efficacy and offspring. Herein, we review the major differences between somatic, germinal, embryonic, and fetal/placental genomes and their contribution to the next generation and its reproductive efficacy. The major novelty of our approach is the holistic interaction between microsystems within a macrosystem (i.e., the reproductive system). This panoramic model allows us to sketch the future implications of genetic results in function of the origin (compartment) of the sample: peripheral blood or other somatic tissues, gametes, zygotes, preimplantation embryos, fetus, or placenta. We believe this perspective can be of great use in the context of reproductive genetic counseling.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Vendrell
- Reproductive Genetics Unit, Sistemas Genómicos, Parc Tecnològic de Paterna, G. Marconi 6, 46980, València, Spain.
| | - M J Escribà
- IVF Laboratory, IVIRMA-Valencia, Plaça de la Policia Local, 3, 46015, València, Spain
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15
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Niiranen TJ, McCabe EL, Larson MG, Henglin M, Lakdawala NK, Vasan RS, Cheng S. Risk for hypertension crosses generations in the community: a multi-generational cohort study. Eur Heart J 2018; 38:2300-2308. [PMID: 28430902 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehx134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims Parental hypertension is known to predict high blood pressure (BP) in children. However, the extent to which risk for hypertension is conferred across multiple generations, notwithstanding the impact of environmental factors, is unclear. Our objective was therefore to evaluate the degree to which risk for hypertension extends across multiple generations of individuals in the community. Methods and results We studied three generations of Framingham Heart Study participants with standardized blood pressure measurements performed at serial examinations spanning 5 decades (1948 through 2005): First Generation (n = 1809), Second Generation (n = 2631), and Third Generation (n = 3608, mean age 39 years, 53% women). To capture a more precise estimate of conferrable risk, we defined early-onset hypertension (age <55 years) as the primary exposure. In multinomial logistic regression models adjusting for standard risk factors as well as physical activity and daily intake of dietary sodium, risk for hypertension in the Third Generation was conferred simultaneously by presence of early-onset hypertension in parents [OR 2.10 (95% CI, 1.66-2.67), P < 0.001] as well as in grandparents [OR 1.33 (95% CI, 1.12-1.58), P < 0.01]. Conclusion Early-onset hypertension in grandparents raises the risk for hypertension in grandchildren, even after adjusting for early-onset hypertension in parents and lifestyle factors. These results suggest that a substantial familial predisposition for hypertension exists, and this predisposition is not identical when assessed from one generation to the next. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying transgenerational risk for hypertension and its clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teemu J Niiranen
- Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, 00271 Helsinki, Finland.,National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702, USA
| | - Elizabeth L McCabe
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Martin G Larson
- National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Mir Henglin
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Neal K Lakdawala
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ramachandran S Vasan
- National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702, USA.,Section of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, USA.,Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 88 East Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Susan Cheng
- National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702, USA.,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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16
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Courtney Jones SK, Byrne PG. What role does heritability play in transgenerational phenotypic responses to captivity? Implications for managing captive populations. Zoo Biol 2017; 36:397-406. [DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie K. Courtney Jones
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions; School of Biological Sciences; University of Wollongong; Wollongong Australia
| | - Phillip G. Byrne
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions; School of Biological Sciences; University of Wollongong; Wollongong Australia
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17
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Navarro G, Franco N, Martínez-Pinilla E, Franco R. The Epigenetic Cytocrin Pathway to the Nucleus. Epigenetic Factors, Epigenetic Mediators, and Epigenetic Traits. A Biochemist Perspective. Front Genet 2017; 8:179. [PMID: 29230234 PMCID: PMC5711780 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A single word, Epigenetics, underlies one exciting subject in today's Science, with different sides and with interactions with philosophy. The apparent trivial description includes everything in between genotype and phenotype that occurs for a given unique DNA sequence/genome. This Perspective article first presents an historical overview and the reasons for the lack of consensus in the field, which derives from different interpretations of the diverse operative definitions of Epigenetics. In an attempt to reconcile the different views, we propose a novel concept, the “cytocrin system.” Secondly, the article questions the inheritability requirement and makes emphasis in the epigenetic mechanisms, known or to be discovered, that provide hope for combating human diseases. Hopes in cancer are at present in deep need of deciphering mechanisms to support ad hoc therapeutic approaches. Better perspectives are for diseases of the central nervous system, in particular to combat neurodegeneration and/or cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease. Neurons are post-mitotic cells and, therefore, epigenetic targets to prevent neurodegeneration should operate in non-dividing diseased cells. Accordingly, epigenetic-based human therapy may not need to count much on transmissible potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Pharmacy School, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Eva Martínez-Pinilla
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias, Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Rafael Franco
- Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Chappell GA, Israel JW, Simon JM, Pott S, Safi A, Eklund K, Sexton KG, Bodnar W, Lieb JD, Crawford GE, Rusyn I, Furey TS. Variation in DNA-Damage Responses to an Inhalational Carcinogen (1,3-Butadiene) in Relation to Strain-Specific Differences in Chromatin Accessibility and Gene Transcription Profiles in C57BL/6J and CAST/EiJ Mice. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2017; 125:107006. [PMID: 29038090 PMCID: PMC5944832 DOI: 10.1289/ehp1937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The damaging effects of exposure to environmental toxicants differentially affect genetically distinct individuals, but the mechanisms contributing to these differences are poorly understood. Genetic variation affects the establishment of the gene regulatory landscape and thus gene expression, and we hypothesized that this contributes to the observed heterogeneity in individual responses to exogenous cellular insults. OBJECTIVES We performed an in vivo study of how genetic variation and chromatin organization may dictate susceptibility to DNA damage, and influence the cellular response to such damage, caused by an environmental toxicant. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured DNA damage, messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) expression, and genome-wide chromatin accessibility in lung tissue from two genetically divergent inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J and CAST/EiJ, both in unexposed mice and in mice exposed to a model DNA-damaging chemical, 1,3-butadiene. RESULTS Our results showed that unexposed CAST/EiJ and C57BL/6J mice have very different chromatin organization and transcription profiles in the lung. Importantly, in unexposed CAST/EiJ mice, which acquired relatively less 1,3-butadiene-induced DNA damage, we observed increased transcription and a more accessible chromatin landscape around genes involved in detoxification pathways. Upon chemical exposure, chromatin was significantly remodeled in the lung of C57BL/6J mice, a strain that acquired higher levels of 1,3-butadiene-induced DNA damage, around the same genes, ultimately resembling the molecular profile of CAST/EiJ. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that strain-specific changes in chromatin and transcription in response to chemical exposure lead to a "compensation" for underlying genetic-driven interindividual differences in the baseline chromatin and transcriptional state. This work represents an example of how chemical and environmental exposures can be evaluated to better understand gene-by-environment interactions, and it demonstrates the important role of chromatin response in transcriptomic changes and, potentially, in deleterious effects of exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1937.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A Chappell
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station , Texas, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer W Israel
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeremy M Simon
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sebastian Pott
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alexias Safi
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Karl Eklund
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kenneth G Sexton
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Wanda Bodnar
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jason D Lieb
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gregory E Crawford
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ivan Rusyn
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station , Texas, USA
| | - Terrence S Furey
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine , Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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19
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Vinci G, Buffat C, Simoncini S, Boubred F, Ligi I, Dumont F, Le Bonniec B, Fournier T, Vaiman D, Dignat-George F, Simeoni U. Gestational age-related patterns of AMOT methylation are revealed in preterm infant endothelial progenitors. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186321. [PMID: 29036193 PMCID: PMC5643051 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Preterm birth is associated with altered angiogenesis and with increased risk of cardiovascular dysfunction and hypertension at adulthood. We previously demonstrated that in preterm newborns circulating cord blood endothelial progenitor cells (ECFC), responsible for angio/vasculogenesis, are reduced in number and display altered angiogenic properties. Altered angiogenic function was associated with a decreased expression of pro-angiogenic genes, among which the AMOT gene which is a strong positive regulator of angiogenesis. Such dysregulation may be related to epigenetic factors. In this study we analyse the methylation profiling of the AMOT gene during development, through a comparative analysis of the cord blood ECFC of preterm newborns and their term counterpart. Methods We used both cloning-sequencing and pyrosequencing experiments to perform a comparative analysis of the DNA methylation profile of the promoter CpG island of AMOT gene in the cord blood ECFC of 16 preterm newborns (28–35 weeks gestational age-GA) and 15 term newborns (>37 weeks GA). Results Twenty nine clones (obtained from 2 term newborns) and forty clones (obtained from 3 preterm newborns) were sequenced. The AMOT gene methylation rate was significantly higher in preterm compared to term newborns (4.5% versus 2.5% respectively: χ2 = 3.84; P = 1.8 10−02). Bisulfite pyrosequencing identified four CpG dinucleotides with significantly higher methylation levels in preterm newborns. This CpG-targeted methylation significantly decreased with increasing gestational age. Conclusions These findings highlight importance of pro-angiogenic AMOT gene methylation in ECFC, suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms may control the regulation of angiogenesis during development. Therefore they pave the way to specific short term and long term complications of preterm birth by altered angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Vinci
- Cochin Institute, Inserm U1016, CNRS 8104, Université Paris Descartes, 27 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, Paris, France
- UMR-S1139 Inserm, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Christophe Buffat
- Department of Neonatology Hôpital La Conception, 147 Boulevard Baille, Marseille, France
| | - Stéphanie Simoncini
- UMR 1076 INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, Marseille, France
| | - Farid Boubred
- Department of Neonatology Hôpital La Conception, 147 Boulevard Baille, Marseille, France
- UMR 1076 INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, Marseille, France
| | - Isabelle Ligi
- Department of Neonatology Hôpital La Conception, 147 Boulevard Baille, Marseille, France
- UMR 1076 INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, Marseille, France
| | - Florent Dumont
- IPSIT—Institut Paris-Saclay d'Innovation Thérapeutique UPSud—UFR Pharmacie, 5 rue J.B. Clément, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Bernard Le Bonniec
- UMR_S1140 Inserm, Université Paris Descartes; Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Fournier
- UMR-S1139 Inserm, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Cochin Institute, Inserm U1016, CNRS 8104, Université Paris Descartes, 27 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, Paris, France
| | | | - Umberto Simeoni
- Division of Pediatrics and DOHaD Laboratory, CHUV and Université de Lausanne, rue du Bugnon 46, Lausanne, Switzerland
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20
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Al-Griw MA, Treesh SA, Alghazeer RO, Regeai SO. Environmentally toxicant exposures induced intragenerational transmission of liver abnormalities in mice. Open Vet J 2017; 7:244-253. [PMID: 28884077 PMCID: PMC5579565 DOI: 10.4314/ovj.v7i3.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental toxicants such as chemicals, heavy metals, and pesticides have been shown to promote transgenerational inheritance of abnormal phenotypes and/or diseases to multiple subsequent generations following parental and/or ancestral exposures. This study was designed to examine the potential transgenerational action of the environmental toxicant trichloroethane (TCE) on transmission of liver abnormality, and to elucidate the molecular etiology of hepatocyte cell damage. A total of thirty two healthy immature female albino mice were randomly divided into three equal groups as follows: a sham group, which did not receive any treatment; a vehicle group, which received corn oil alone, and TCE treated group (3 weeks, 100 μg/kg i.p., every 4th day). The F0 and F1 generation control and TCE populations were sacrificed at the age of four months, and various abnormalities histpathologically investigated. Cell death and oxidative stress indices were also measured. The present study provides experimental evidence for the inheritance of environmentally induced liver abnormalities in mice. The results of this study show that exposure to the TCE promoted adult onset liver abnormalities in F0 female mice as well as unexposed F1 generation offspring. It is the first study to report a transgenerational liver abnormalities in the F1 generation mice through maternal line prior to gestation. This finding was based on careful evaluation of liver histopathological abnormalities, apoptosis of hepatocytes, and measurements of oxidative stress biomarkers (lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and nitric oxide) in control and TCE populations. There was an increase in liver histopathological abnormalities, cell death, and oxidative lipid damage in F0 and F1 hepatic tissues of TCE treated group. In conclusion, this study showed that the biological and health impacts of environmental toxicant TCE do not end in maternal adults, but are passed on to offspring generations. Hence, linking observed liver abnormality in the offspring to environmental exposure of their parental line. This study also illustrated that oxidative stress and apoptosis appear to be a molecular component of the hepatocyte cell injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Al-Griw
- Developmental Biology Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Soad A Treesh
- Department of Histology and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Rabia O Alghazeer
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
| | - Sassia O Regeai
- Developmental Biology Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
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21
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Greene CS, Himmelstein DS. Genetic Association-Guided Analysis of Gene Networks for the Study of Complex Traits. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 9:179-84. [PMID: 27094199 DOI: 10.1161/circgenetics.115.001181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Casey S Greene
- From the Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (C.S.G.); and Biological and Medical Informatics, University of California, San Francisco (D.S.H.).
| | - Daniel S Himmelstein
- From the Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (C.S.G.); and Biological and Medical Informatics, University of California, San Francisco (D.S.H.)
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22
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Skinner MK, Guerrero-Bosagna C, Haque MM. Environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of sperm epimutations promote genetic mutations. Epigenetics 2016; 10:762-71. [PMID: 26237076 PMCID: PMC4622673 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2015.1062207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A variety of environmental factors have been shown to induce the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation. This involves the germline transmission of epigenetic information between generations. Exposure specific transgenerational sperm epimutations have been previously observed. The current study was designed to investigate the potential role genetic mutations have in the process, using copy number variations (CNV). In the first (F1) generation following exposure, negligible CNV were identified; however, in the transgenerational F3 generation, a significant increase in CNV was observed in the sperm. The genome-wide locations of differential DNA methylation regions (epimutations) and genetic mutations (CNV) were investigated. Observations suggest the environmental induction of the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of sperm epimutations promote genome instability, such that genetic CNV mutations are acquired in later generations. A combination of epigenetics and genetics is suggested to be involved in the transgenerational phenotypes. The ability of environmental factors to promote epigenetic inheritance that subsequently promotes genetic mutations is a significant advance in our understanding of how the environment impacts disease and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Skinner
- a Center for Reproductive Biology; School of Biological Sciences; Washington State University ; Pullman , WA USA
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23
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Tillo D, Mukherjee S, Vinson C. Inheritance of Cytosine Methylation. J Cell Physiol 2016; 231:2346-52. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Desiree Tillo
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
| | - Sanjit Mukherjee
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
| | - Charles Vinson
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
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24
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Bönisch C, Irmler M, Brachthäuser L, Neff F, Bamberger MT, Marschall S, Hrabě de Angelis M, Beckers J. Dexamethasone treatment alters insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels in male mice as observed in DIO but does not lead to alterations of metabolic phenotypes in the offspring. Mamm Genome 2015; 27:17-28. [PMID: 26662513 PMCID: PMC4731435 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-015-9616-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance (EI) of metabolic phenotypes via the paternal lineage has been shown in rodent models of diet-induced obesity (DIO). However, the factors involved in soma-to-germline information transfer remain elusive. Here, we address the role of alterations in insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels for EI of metabolic phenotypes by treating C57BL/6NTac male mice (F0) with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone and generating offspring (F1) either by in vitro fertilization or by natural fecundation. Dexamethasone treatment slightly alters F0 body composition by increasing fat mass and decreasing lean mass, and significantly improves glucose tolerance. Moreover, it increases insulin and leptin levels and reduces adiponectin levels in F0 fathers as observed in mouse models of DIO. However, these paternal changes of metabolic hormones do not alter metabolic parameters, such as body weight, body composition and glucose homeostasis in male and female F1 mice even when these are challenged with a high-fat diet. Accordingly, sperm transcriptomes are not altered by dexamethasone treatment. Our results suggest that neither increased glucocorticoid, insulin, and leptin levels, nor decreased adiponectin levels in fathers are sufficient to confer soma-to-germline information transfer in EI of obesity via the paternal lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Bönisch
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Irmler
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Laura Brachthäuser
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Frauke Neff
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Mareike T Bamberger
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Susan Marschall
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabě de Angelis
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Experimental Genetics, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Beckers
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
- Chair of Experimental Genetics, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising, Germany.
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
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25
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Robey RB, Weisz J, Kuemmerle NB, Salzberg AC, Berg A, Brown DG, Kubik L, Palorini R, Al-Mulla F, Al-Temaimi R, Colacci A, Mondello C, Raju J, Woodrick J, Scovassi AI, Singh N, Vaccari M, Roy R, Forte S, Memeo L, Salem HK, Amedei A, Hamid RA, Williams GP, Lowe L, Meyer J, Martin FL, Bisson WH, Chiaradonna F, Ryan EP. Metabolic reprogramming and dysregulated metabolism: cause, consequence and/or enabler of environmental carcinogenesis? Carcinogenesis 2015; 36 Suppl 1:S203-31. [PMID: 26106140 PMCID: PMC4565609 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Revised: 02/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental contributions to cancer development are widely accepted, but only a fraction of all pertinent exposures have probably been identified. Traditional toxicological approaches to the problem have largely focused on the effects of individual agents at singular endpoints. As such, they have incompletely addressed both the pro-carcinogenic contributions of environmentally relevant low-dose chemical mixtures and the fact that exposures can influence multiple cancer-associated endpoints over varying timescales. Of these endpoints, dysregulated metabolism is one of the most common and recognizable features of cancer, but its specific roles in exposure-associated cancer development remain poorly understood. Most studies have focused on discrete aspects of cancer metabolism and have incompletely considered both its dynamic integrated nature and the complex controlling influences of substrate availability, external trophic signals and environmental conditions. Emerging high throughput approaches to environmental risk assessment also do not directly address the metabolic causes or consequences of changes in gene expression. As such, there is a compelling need to establish common or complementary frameworks for further exploration that experimentally and conceptually consider the gestalt of cancer metabolism and its causal relationships to both carcinogenesis and the development of other cancer hallmarks. A literature review to identify environmentally relevant exposures unambiguously linked to both cancer development and dysregulated metabolism suggests major gaps in our understanding of exposure-associated carcinogenesis and metabolic reprogramming. Although limited evidence exists to support primary causal roles for metabolism in carcinogenesis, the universality of altered cancer metabolism underscores its fundamental biological importance, and multiple pleiomorphic, even dichotomous, roles for metabolism in promoting, antagonizing or otherwise enabling the development and selection of cancer are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Brooks Robey
- Research and Development Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, VT 05009, USA, Departments of Medicine and of Physiology and Neurobiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03756, USA,
| | - Judith Weisz
- Departments of Gynecology and Pathology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Nancy B Kuemmerle
- Research and Development Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, VT 05009, USA, Departments of Medicine and of
| | - Anna C Salzberg
- Departments of Gynecology and Pathology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Arthur Berg
- Departments of Gynecology and Pathology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Dustin G Brown
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University/Colorado School of Public Health, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Laura Kubik
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Roberta Palorini
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, 20126, Italy, SYSBIO Center for Systems Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
| | - Fahd Al-Mulla
- Department of Pathology, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
| | | | - Annamaria Colacci
- Center for Environmental Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment, Environmental Protection and Health Prevention Agency, Bologna, 40126, Italy
| | - Chiara Mondello
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Council, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Jayadev Raju
- Toxicology Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A0K9, Canada
| | - Jordan Woodrick
- Molecular Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20057 USA
| | - A Ivana Scovassi
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Council, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Neetu Singh
- Advanced Molecular Science Research Centre, King George's Medical University, Lucknow Uttar Pradesh 226003, India
| | - Monica Vaccari
- Center for Environmental Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment, Environmental Protection and Health Prevention Agency, Bologna, 40126, Italy
| | - Rabindra Roy
- Molecular Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20057 USA
| | - Stefano Forte
- Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, Viagrande 95029, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Memeo
- Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, Viagrande 95029, Italy
| | - Hosni K Salem
- Urology Department, kasr Al-Ainy School of Medicine, Cairo University, El Manial, Cairo, 12515, Egypt
| | - Amedeo Amedei
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, Firenze, 50134, Italy
| | - Roslida A Hamid
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia
| | - Graeme P Williams
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6UB, UK
| | - Leroy Lowe
- Centre for Biophotonics, LEC, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK, Getting to Know Cancer, Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 1X5, Canada, and
| | - Joel Meyer
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Francis L Martin
- Centre for Biophotonics, LEC, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - William H Bisson
- Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Environmental Health Science Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Ferdinando Chiaradonna
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, 20126, Italy, SYSBIO Center for Systems Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
| | - Elizabeth P Ryan
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University/Colorado School of Public Health, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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26
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Singh AK, Bashir T, Sailer C, Gurumoorthy V, Ramakrishnan AM, Dhanapal S, Grossniklaus U, Baskar R. Parental age affects somatic mutation rates in the progeny of flowering plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 168:247-57. [PMID: 25810093 PMCID: PMC4424033 DOI: 10.1104/pp.15.00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
In humans, it is well known that the parental reproductive age has a strong influence on mutations transmitted to their progeny. Meiotic nondisjunction is known to increase in older mothers, and base substitutions tend to go up with paternal reproductive age. Hence, it is clear that the germinal mutation rates are a function of both maternal and paternal ages in humans. In contrast, it is unknown whether the parental reproductive age has an effect on somatic mutation rates in the progeny, because these are rare and difficult to detect. To address this question, we took advantage of the plant model system Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), where mutation detector lines allow for an easy quantitation of somatic mutations, to test the effect of parental age on somatic mutation rates in the progeny. Although we found no significant effect of parental age on base substitutions, we found that frameshift mutations and transposition events increased in the progeny of older parents, an effect that is stronger through the maternal line. In contrast, intrachromosomal recombination events in the progeny decrease with the age of the parents in a parent-of-origin-dependent manner. Our results clearly show that parental reproductive age affects somatic mutation rates in the progeny and, thus, that some form of age-dependent information, which affects the frequency of double-strand breaks and possibly other processes involved in maintaining genome integrity, is transmitted through the gametes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai 600 036, India (A.K.S., T.B., V.G., A.M.R., S.D., R.B.); andInstitute of Plant Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland (C.S., U.G.)
| | - Tufail Bashir
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai 600 036, India (A.K.S., T.B., V.G., A.M.R., S.D., R.B.); andInstitute of Plant Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland (C.S., U.G.)
| | - Christian Sailer
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai 600 036, India (A.K.S., T.B., V.G., A.M.R., S.D., R.B.); andInstitute of Plant Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland (C.S., U.G.)
| | - Viswanathan Gurumoorthy
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai 600 036, India (A.K.S., T.B., V.G., A.M.R., S.D., R.B.); andInstitute of Plant Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland (C.S., U.G.)
| | - Anantha Maharasi Ramakrishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai 600 036, India (A.K.S., T.B., V.G., A.M.R., S.D., R.B.); andInstitute of Plant Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland (C.S., U.G.)
| | - Shanmuhapreya Dhanapal
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai 600 036, India (A.K.S., T.B., V.G., A.M.R., S.D., R.B.); andInstitute of Plant Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland (C.S., U.G.)
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai 600 036, India (A.K.S., T.B., V.G., A.M.R., S.D., R.B.); andInstitute of Plant Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland (C.S., U.G.)
| | - Ramamurthy Baskar
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai 600 036, India (A.K.S., T.B., V.G., A.M.R., S.D., R.B.); andInstitute of Plant Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland (C.S., U.G.)
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27
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De la Fuente IM. Elements of the cellular metabolic structure. Front Mol Biosci 2015; 2:16. [PMID: 25988183 PMCID: PMC4428431 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2015.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A large number of studies have demonstrated the existence of metabolic covalent modifications in different molecular structures, which are able to store biochemical information that is not encoded by DNA. Some of these covalent mark patterns can be transmitted across generations (epigenetic changes). Recently, the emergence of Hopfield-like attractor dynamics has been observed in self-organized enzymatic networks, which have the capacity to store functional catalytic patterns that can be correctly recovered by specific input stimuli. Hopfield-like metabolic dynamics are stable and can be maintained as a long-term biochemical memory. In addition, specific molecular information can be transferred from the functional dynamics of the metabolic networks to the enzymatic activity involved in covalent post-translational modulation, so that determined functional memory can be embedded in multiple stable molecular marks. The metabolic dynamics governed by Hopfield-type attractors (functional processes), as well as the enzymatic covalent modifications of specific molecules (structural dynamic processes) seem to represent the two stages of the dynamical memory of cellular metabolism (metabolic memory). Epigenetic processes appear to be the structural manifestation of this cellular metabolic memory. Here, a new framework for molecular information storage in the cell is presented, which is characterized by two functionally and molecularly interrelated systems: a dynamic, flexible and adaptive system (metabolic memory) and an essentially conservative system (genetic memory). The molecular information of both systems seems to coordinate the physiological development of the whole cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildefonso M. De la Fuente
- Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine “López-Neyra,” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasGranada, Spain
- Department of Mathematics, University of the Basque Country, UPV/Euskal Herriko UnibertsitateaLeioa, Spain
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28
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Holásková I, Franko J, Goodman RL, Arnold AP, Schafer R. The XX Sex Chromosome Complement is Required in Male and Female Mice for Enhancement of Immunity Induced by Exposure to 3,4-Dichloropropionanilide. Am J Reprod Immunol 2015; 74:136-47. [PMID: 25765220 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM The chemical propanil enhances antibody responses to a heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae (HKSP) vaccine. The enhanced response is dependent on gonads in females, but independent of gonads in males. The sex differences in the immune response may be due to sexual differentiation of the immune system or sex chromosome complement. METHOD OF STUDY To test the hypothesis that the immune system is sexually differentiated, newborn C57BL/6 pups were treated with testosterone propionate (TP) or placebo. The role of sex chromosome complement was investigated using the 4-core genotypes (FCG) model of XXF and XYF gonadal females (ovaries), and XXM and XYM gonadal males (testes). For some experiments, mice were gonadectomized or sham gonadectomized. All mice were vaccinated with HKSP, treated with propanil, and the antibody response determined at day seven. RESULTS Neonatal TP did not alter the response to HKSP. In FCG mice, propanil significantly enhanced the immune response in XXF females and XXM males, but not in XYF females or XYM males. CONCLUSION The immune system of females was not masculinized by neonatal TP treatment. Sex chromosome complement significantly contributes to the sexually dimorphic immune response after propanil exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Holásková
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | | | - Robert L Goodman
- Department of Physiology and Molecular Pharmacology, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rosana Schafer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
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29
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Rawi R, El Anbari M, Bensmail H. Model selection emphasises the importance of non-chromosomal information in genetic studies. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117014. [PMID: 25626013 PMCID: PMC4308103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Ever since the case of the missing heritability was highlighted some years ago, scientists have been investigating various possible explanations for the issue. However, none of these explanations include non-chromosomal genetic information. Here we describe explicitly how chromosomal and non-chromosomal modifiers collectively influence the heritability of a trait, in this case, the growth rate of yeast. Our results show that the non-chromosomal contribution can be large, adding another dimension to the estimation of heritability. We also discovered, combining the strength of LASSO with model selection, that the interaction of chromosomal and non-chromosomal information is essential in describing phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reda Rawi
- Computational Science and Engineering Center, Qatar Computing Research Institute, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohamed El Anbari
- Computational Science and Engineering Center, Qatar Computing Research Institute, Doha, Qatar
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar
| | - Halima Bensmail
- Computational Science and Engineering Center, Qatar Computing Research Institute, Doha, Qatar
- * E-mail:
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30
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Gluckman PD, Low FM, Buklijas T, Hanson MA, Beedle AS. How evolutionary principles improve the understanding of human health and disease. Evol Appl 2015; 4:249-63. [PMID: 25567971 PMCID: PMC3352556 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00164.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2010] [Accepted: 09/19/2010] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
An appreciation of the fundamental principles of evolutionary biology provides new insights into major diseases and enables an integrated understanding of human biology and medicine. However, there is a lack of awareness of their importance amongst physicians, medical researchers, and educators, all of whom tend to focus on the mechanistic (proximate) basis for disease, excluding consideration of evolutionary (ultimate) reasons. The key principles of evolutionary medicine are that selection acts on fitness, not health or longevity; that our evolutionary history does not cause disease, but rather impacts on our risk of disease in particular environments; and that we are now living in novel environments compared to those in which we evolved. We consider these evolutionary principles in conjunction with population genetics and describe several pathways by which evolutionary processes can affect disease risk. These perspectives provide a more cohesive framework for gaining insights into the determinants of health and disease. Coupled with complementary insights offered by advances in genomic, epigenetic, and developmental biology research, evolutionary perspectives offer an important addition to understanding disease. Further, there are a number of aspects of evolutionary medicine that can add considerably to studies in other domains of contemporary evolutionary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Gluckman
- Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Felicia M Low
- Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tatjana Buklijas
- Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mark A Hanson
- Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Mailpoint 887, Southampton General Hospital Southampton, UK
| | - Alan S Beedle
- Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
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31
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Affiliation(s)
- David Roofeh
- a Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Divya Tumuluru
- b Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - Sona Shilpakar
- b Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
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32
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Geurts AM, Mattson DL, Liu P, Cabacungan E, Skelton MM, Kurth TM, Yang C, Endres BT, Klotz J, Liang M, Cowley AW. Maternal diet during gestation and lactation modifies the severity of salt-induced hypertension and renal injury in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. Hypertension 2014; 65:447-55. [PMID: 25452472 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.114.04179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Environmental exposure of parents or early in life may affect disease development in adults. We found that hypertension and renal injury induced by a high-salt diet were substantially attenuated in Dahl SS/JrHsdMcwiCrl (SS/Crl) rats that had been maintained for many generations on the grain-based 5L2F diet compared with SS/JrHsdMcwi rats (SS/Mcw) maintained on the casein-based AIN-76A diet (mean arterial pressure, 116±9 versus 154±25 mm Hg; urinary albumin excretion, 23±12 versus 170±80 mg/d). RNAseq analysis of the renal outer medulla identified 129 and 82 genes responding to a high-salt diet uniquely in SS/Mcw and SS/Crl rats, respectively, along with minor genetic differences between the SS substrains. The 129 genes responding to salt in the SS/Mcw strain included numerous genes with homologs associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or renal disease in human. To narrow the critical window of exposure, we performed embryo-transfer experiments in which single-cell embryos from 1 colony (SS/Mcw or SS/Crl) were transferred to surrogate mothers from the other colony, with parents and surrogate mothers maintained on their respective original diet. All offspring were fed the AIN-76A diet after weaning. Salt-induced hypertension and renal injury were substantially exacerbated in rats developed from SS/Crl embryos transferred to SS/Mcw surrogate mothers. Conversely, salt-induced hypertension and renal injury were significantly attenuated in rats developed from SS/Mcw embryos transferred to SS/Crl surrogate mothers. Together, the data suggest that maternal diet during the gestational-lactational period has substantial effects on the development of salt-induced hypertension and renal injury in adult SS rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aron M Geurts
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
| | - David L Mattson
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Pengyuan Liu
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Erwin Cabacungan
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Meredith M Skelton
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Theresa M Kurth
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Chun Yang
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Bradley T Endres
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Jason Klotz
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Mingyu Liang
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
| | - Allen W Cowley
- From the Departments of Physiology (A.M.G., D.L.M., P.L., M.M.S., T.M.K., C.Y., B.T.E., J.K., M.L., A.W.C.), Pediatrics (E.C.), and Cardiovascular Research Center (A.M.G.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
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Gore AC, Martien KM, Gagnidze K, Pfaff D. Implications of prenatal steroid perturbations for neurodevelopment, behavior, and autism. Endocr Rev 2014; 35:961-91. [PMID: 25211453 PMCID: PMC4234775 DOI: 10.1210/er.2013-1122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prenatal brain develops under the influence of an ever-changing hormonal milieu that includes endogenous fetal gonadal and adrenal hormones, placental and maternal hormones, and exogenous substances with hormonal activity that can cross the placental barrier. This review discusses the influences of endogenous fetal and maternal hormones on normal brain development and potential consequences of pathophysiological hormonal perturbations to the developing brain, with particular reference to autism. We also consider the effects of hormonal pharmaceuticals used for assisted reproduction, the maintenance of pregnancy, the prevention of congenital adrenal hypertrophy, and hormonal contraceptives continued into an unanticipated pregnancy, among others. These treatments, although in some instances life-saving, may have unintended consequences on the developing fetuses. Additional concern is raised by fetal exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals encountered universally by pregnant women from food/water containers, contaminated food, household chemicals, and other sources. What are the potential outcomes of prenatal steroid perturbations on neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders, including autism-spectrum disorders? Our purposes here are 1) to summarize some consequences of steroid exposures during pregnancy for the development of brain and behavior in the offspring; 2) to summarize what is known about the relationships between exposures and behavior, including autism spectrum disorders; 3) to discuss the molecular underpinnings of such effects, especially molecular epigenetic mechanisms of prenatal steroid manipulations, a field that may explain effects of direct exposures, and even transgenerational effects; and 4) for all of these, to add cautionary notes about their interpretation in the name of scientific rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (K.M.M.), Lexington, Massachusetts, 02421; and Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior (K.G., D.P.), Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021
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Abstract
At fertilization, the gametes endow the embryo with a genomic blueprint, the integrity of which is affected by the age and environmental exposures of both parents. Recent studies reveal that parental history and experiences also exert effects through epigenomic information not contained in the DNA sequence, including variations in sperm and oocyte cytosine methylation and chromatin patterning, noncoding RNAs, and mitochondria. Transgenerational epigenetic effects interact with conditions at conception to program the developmental trajectory of the embryo and fetus, ultimately affecting the lifetime health of the child. These insights compel us to revise generally held notions to accommodate the prospect that biological parenting commences well before birth, even prior to conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Lane
- The Robinson Research Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, The University of Adelaide, Level 3, Medical School, South Adelaide, SA, 5005 Australia
| | - Rebecca L Robker
- The Robinson Research Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, The University of Adelaide, Level 3, Medical School, South Adelaide, SA, 5005 Australia
| | - Sarah A Robertson
- The Robinson Research Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, The University of Adelaide, Level 3, Medical School, South Adelaide, SA, 5005 Australia.
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Abstract
Genome‐wide SNP analyses have identified genomic variants associated with adult human height. However, these only explain a fraction of human height variation, suggesting that significant information might have been systematically missed by SNP sequencing analysis. A candidate for such non‐SNP‐linked information is DNA methylation. Regulation by DNA methylation requires the presence of CpG islands in the promoter region of candidate genes. Seventy two of 87 (82.8%), height‐associated genes were indeed found to contain CpG islands upstream of the transcription start site (USC CpG island searcher; validation: UCSC Genome Browser), which were shown to correlate with gene regulation. Consistent with this, DNA hypermethylation modules were detected in 42 height‐associated genes, versus 1.5% of control genes (P = 8.0199e−17), as were dynamic methylation changes and gene imprinting. Epigenetic heredity thus appears to be a determinant of adult human height. Major findings in mouse models and in human genetic diseases support this model. Modulation of DNA methylation are candidate to mediate environmental influence on epigenetic traits. This may help to explain progressive height changes over multiple generations, through trans‐generational heredity of progressive DNA methylation patterns. Epigenetic heredity appears to be a determinant of adult human height. Major findings in mouse models and in human genetic diseases support this model. Modulation of DNA methylation is candidate to mediate environmental influence on epigenetic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Simeone
- Unit of Cancer Pathology, Department of Neuroscience and Imaging and CeSI, University "G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti Scalo, Italy
| | - Saverio Alberti
- Unit of Cancer Pathology, Department of Neuroscience and Imaging and CeSI, University "G. d'Annunzio" Foundation, Chieti Scalo, Italy
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Interactions between chromosomal and nonchromosomal elements reveal missing heritability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:7719-22. [PMID: 24825890 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1407126111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The measurement of any nonchromosomal genetic contribution to the heritability of a trait is often confounded by the inability to control both the chromosomal and nonchromosomal information in a population. We have designed a unique system in yeast where we can control both sources of information so that the phenotype of a single chromosomal polymorphism can be measured in the presence of different cytoplasmic elements. With this system, we have shown that both the source of the mitochondrial genome and the presence or absence of a dsRNA virus influence the phenotype of chromosomal variants that affect the growth of yeast. Moreover, by considering this nonchromosomal information that is passed from parent to offspring and by allowing chromosomal and nonchromosomal information to exhibit nonadditive interactions, we are able to account for much of the heritability of growth traits. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of including all sources of heritable information in genetic studies and suggest a possible avenue of attack for finding additional missing heritability.
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Abstract
Discoveries over the past decade portend a paradigm shift in molecular biology. Evidence suggests that RNA is not only functional as a messenger between DNA and protein but also involved in the regulation of genome organization and gene expression, which is increasingly elaborate in complex organisms. Regulatory RNA seems to operate at many levels; in particular, it plays an important part in the epigenetic processes that control differentiation and development. These discoveries suggest a central role for RNA in human evolution and ontogeny. Here, we review the emergence of the previously unsuspected world of regulatory RNA from a historical perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin V Morris
- School of Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; and Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - John S Mattick
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; the School of Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences, and St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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Haenisch B, Fröhlich H, Herms S, Molderings GJ. Evidence for contribution of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of systemic mast cell activation disease. Immunogenetics 2014; 66:287-97. [PMID: 24622794 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-014-0768-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Recently, evidence was provided for common familial occurrence of systemic mast cell activation disease (MCAD), i.e., mast cell disorders characterized by aberrant release of mast cell mediators and/or accumulation of pathological mast cells in potentially any tissue. Since there is accumulating evidence that epigenetic processes may have transgenerational consequences, the aim of the present study was to investigate by two different experimental approaches whether epigenetic effects may contribute to the familial occurrence of MCAD. (1) High throughput profiling of the methylation status of the genomic DNA in leukocytes from MCAD patients in comparison to healthy subjects revealed for the first time an association of MCAD with alterations in DNA methylation comprising genes encoding proteins crucially involved in DNA/RNA repair and processing, apoptosis, cell activity, and exocytosis/cell communication. A set of 195 differentially methylated CpG sites could be regarded as candidates for a MCAD signature at the methylation level of the DNA. (2) In a cohort of MCAD patients, a correlation between age at symptom onset and year of birth (reflecting different generations) was observed suggesting the presence of the phenomenon of anticipation. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that epigenetic processes could substantially contribute to the transgenerational transmission of MCAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta Haenisch
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
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Saab BJ, Mansuy IM. Neurobiological disease etiology and inheritance: an epigenetic perspective. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:94-101. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.089995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic marks in mammals are essential to properly control the activity of the genome. They are dynamically regulated during development and adulthood, and can be modulated by environmental factors throughout life. Changes in the epigenetic profile of a cell can be positive and favor the expression of advantageous genes such as those linked to cell signaling and tumor suppression. However, they can also be detrimental and alter the functions of important genes, thereby leading to disease. Recent evidence has further highlighted that some epigenetic marks can be maintained across meiosis and be transmitted to the subsequent generation to reprogram developmental and cellular features. This short review describes current knowledge on the potential impact of epigenetic processes activated by environmental factors on the inheritance of neurobiological disease risk. In addition, the potential adaptive value of epigenetic inheritance, and relevant current and future questions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bechara J. Saab
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M. Mansuy
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Bókkon I, Vas JP, Császár N, Lukács T. Challenges to free will: transgenerational epigenetic information, unconscious processes, and vanishing twin syndrome. Rev Neurosci 2014; 25:163-75. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2013-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Lehoczky JA, Thomas PE, Patrie KM, Owens KM, Villarreal LM, Galbraith K, Washburn J, Johnson CN, Gavino B, Borowsky AD, Millen KJ, Wakenight P, Law W, Van Keuren ML, Gavrilina G, Hughes ED, Saunders TL, Brihn L, Nadeau JH, Innis JW. A novel intergenic ETnII-β insertion mutation causes multiple malformations in polypodia mice. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003967. [PMID: 24339789 PMCID: PMC3854779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse early transposon insertions are responsible for ∼10% of spontaneous mutant phenotypes. We previously reported the phenotypes and genetic mapping of Polypodia, (Ppd), a spontaneous, X-linked dominant mutation with profound effects on body plan morphogenesis. Our new data shows that mutant mice are not born in expected Mendelian ratios secondary to loss after E9.5. In addition, we refined the Ppd genetic interval and discovered a novel ETnII-β early transposon insertion between the genes for Dusp9 and Pnck. The ETn inserted 1.6 kb downstream and antisense to Dusp9 and does not disrupt polyadenylation or splicing of either gene. Knock-in mice engineered to carry the ETn display Ppd characteristic ectopic caudal limb phenotypes, showing that the ETn insertion is the Ppd molecular lesion. Early transposons are actively expressed in the early blastocyst. To explore the consequences of the ETn on the genomic landscape at an early stage of development, we compared interval gene expression between wild-type and mutant ES cells. Mutant ES cell expression analysis revealed marked upregulation of Dusp9 mRNA and protein expression. Evaluation of the 5′ LTR CpG methylation state in adult mice revealed no correlation with the occurrence or severity of Ppd phenotypes at birth. Thus, the broad range of phenotypes observed in this mutant is secondary to a novel intergenic ETn insertion whose effects include dysregulation of nearby interval gene expression at early stages of development. Mobile genetic elements, particularly early transposons (ETn), cause malformations by inserting within genes leading to disruption of exons, splicing or polyadenylation. Few mutagenic early transposon insertions have been found outside genes and the effects of such insertions on surrounding gene regulation is poorly understood. We discovered a novel intergenic ETnII-β insertion in the mouse mutant Polypodia (Ppd). We reproduced the mutant phenotype after engineering the mutation in wild-type cells with homologous recombination, proving that this early transposon insertion is Ppd. Mutant mice are not born in expected Mendelian ratios secondary to loss after E9.5. Embryonic stem cells from mutant mice show upregulated transcription of an adjacent gene, Dusp9. Thus, at an early and critical stage of development, dysregulated gene transcription is one consequence of the insertion mutation. DNA methylation of the ETn 5′ LTR is not correlated with phenotypic outcome in mutant mice. Polypodia is an example of an intergenic mobile element insertion in mice causing dramatic morphogenetic defects and fetal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Lehoczky
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Peedikayil E. Thomas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kevin M. Patrie
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kailey M. Owens
- Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Lisa M. Villarreal
- Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Galbraith
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Joe Washburn
- Biomedical Research Core Facilities, DNA Sequencing Core Lab, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Craig N. Johnson
- Biomedical Research Core Facilities, DNA Sequencing Core Lab, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Bryant Gavino
- Murine Molecular Constructs Laboratory-MMCL Mouse Biology Program, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Alexander D. Borowsky
- University of California, Davis, Center for Comparative Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Kathleen J. Millen
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Paul Wakenight
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - William Law
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Margaret L. Van Keuren
- Transgenic Animal Model Core Lab, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Galina Gavrilina
- Transgenic Animal Model Core Lab, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth D. Hughes
- Transgenic Animal Model Core Lab, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Thomas L. Saunders
- Transgenic Animal Model Core Lab, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Lesil Brihn
- Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Joseph H. Nadeau
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey W. Innis
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Hisano M, Erkek S, Dessus-Babus S, Ramos L, Stadler MB, Peters AHFM. Genome-wide chromatin analysis in mature mouse and human spermatozoa. Nat Protoc 2013; 8:2449-70. [DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2013.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Tsang KM, Croen LA, Torres AR, Kharrazi M, Delorenze GN, Windham GC, Yoshida CK, Zerbo O, Weiss LA. A genome-wide survey of transgenerational genetic effects in autism. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76978. [PMID: 24204716 PMCID: PMC3811986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of parental genotype or parent-offspring genetic interaction are well established in model organisms for a variety of traits. However, these transgenerational genetic models are rarely studied in humans. We have utilized an autism case-control study with 735 mother-child pairs to perform genome-wide screening for maternal genetic effects and maternal-offspring genetic interaction. We used simple models of single locus parent-child interaction and identified suggestive results (P<10−4) that cannot be explained by main effects, but no genome-wide significant signals. Some of these maternal and maternal-child associations were in or adjacent to autism candidate genes including: PCDH9, FOXP1, GABRB3, NRXN1, RELN, MACROD2, FHIT, RORA, CNTN4, CNTNAP2, FAM135B, LAMA1, NFIA, NLGN4X, RAPGEF4, and SDK1. We attempted validation of potential autism association under maternal-specific models using maternal-paternal comparison in family-based GWAS datasets. Our results suggest that further study of parental genetic effects and parent-child interaction in autism is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Tsang
- Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Lisa A. Croen
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony R. Torres
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| | - Martin Kharrazi
- Genetic Disease Screening Program, California Department of Health Services, Richmond, California, United States of America
| | - Gerald N. Delorenze
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Gayle C. Windham
- Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control, California Department of Health Services, Richmond, California, United States of America
| | - Cathleen K. Yoshida
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Ousseny Zerbo
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Lauren A. Weiss
- Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Niculescu MD. Pregestational nutrition and the epigenetic landscape in next generations: still an almost virgin land to be explored. Epigenomics 2013; 5:13-5. [PMID: 23414313 DOI: 10.2217/epi.12.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mihai D Niculescu
- Department of Nutrition & UNC Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA.
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Kohl JV. Nutrient-dependent/pheromone-controlled adaptive evolution: a model. SOCIOAFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 3:20553. [PMID: 24693353 PMCID: PMC3960065 DOI: 10.3402/snp.v3i0.20553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2013] [Revised: 04/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prenatal migration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurosecretory neurons allows nutrients and human pheromones to alter GnRH pulsatility, which modulates the concurrent maturation of the neuroendocrine, reproductive, and central nervous systems, thus influencing the development of ingestive behavior, reproductive sexual behavior, and other behaviors. METHODS THIS MODEL DETAILS HOW CHEMICAL ECOLOGY DRIVES ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION VIA: (1) ecological niche construction, (2) social niche construction, (3) neurogenic niche construction, and (4) socio-cognitive niche construction. This model exemplifies the epigenetic effects of olfactory/pheromonal conditioning, which alters genetically predisposed, nutrient-dependent, hormone-driven mammalian behavior and choices for pheromones that control reproduction via their effects on luteinizing hormone (LH) and systems biology. RESULTS Nutrients are metabolized to pheromones that condition behavior in the same way that food odors condition behavior associated with food preferences. The epigenetic effects of olfactory/pheromonal input calibrate and standardize molecular mechanisms for genetically predisposed receptor-mediated changes in intracellular signaling and stochastic gene expression in GnRH neurosecretory neurons of brain tissue. For example, glucose and pheromones alter the hypothalamic secretion of GnRH and LH. A form of GnRH associated with sexual orientation in yeasts links control of the feedback loops and developmental processes required for nutrient acquisition, movement, reproduction, and the diversification of species from microbes to man. CONCLUSION An environmental drive evolved from that of nutrient ingestion in unicellular organisms to that of pheromone-controlled socialization in insects. In mammals, food odors and pheromones cause changes in hormones such as LH, which has developmental affects on pheromone-controlled sexual behavior in nutrient-dependent reproductively fit individuals across species of vertebrates.
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Kiani J, Grandjean V, Liebers R, Tuorto F, Ghanbarian H, Lyko F, Cuzin F, Rassoulzadegan M. RNA-mediated epigenetic heredity requires the cytosine methyltransferase Dnmt2. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003498. [PMID: 23717211 PMCID: PMC3662642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA–mediated transmission of phenotypes is an important way to explain non-Mendelian heredity. We have previously shown that small non-coding RNAs can induce hereditary epigenetic variations in mice and act as the transgenerational signalling molecules. Two prominent examples for these paramutations include the epigenetic modulation of the Kit gene, resulting in altered fur coloration, and the modulation of the Sox9 gene, resulting in an overgrowth phenotype. We now report that expression of the Dnmt2 RNA methyltransferase is required for the establishment and hereditary maintenance of both paramutations. Our data show that the Kit paramutant phenotype was not transmitted to the progeny of Dnmt2−/− mice and that the Sox9 paramutation was also not established in Dnmt2−/− embryos. Similarly, RNA from Dnmt2-negative Kit heterozygotes did not induce the paramutant phenotype when microinjected into Dnmt2-deficient fertilized eggs and microinjection of the miR-124 microRNA failed to induce the characteristic giant phenotype. In agreement with an RNA–mediated mechanism of inheritance, no change was observed in the DNA methylation profiles of the Kit locus between the wild-type and paramutant mice. RNA bisulfite sequencing confirmed Dnmt2-dependent tRNA methylation in mouse sperm and also indicated Dnmt2-dependent cytosine methylation in Kit RNA in paramutant embryos. Together, these findings uncover a novel function of Dnmt2 in RNA–mediated epigenetic heredity. The possibility of a mode of inheritance distinct from the Mendelian model has been considered since the early days of genetics. Only recently, however, suitable experimental models were created. We now see the development of new experimental systems detecting non-Mendelian inheritance in a variety of organisms, from worms to mice. We have previously shown that RNA molecules act as transgenerational inducers of epigenetic variations in mice. We are currently using Mendelian genetics to dissect the factors involved in RNA–mediated transgenerational signalling. By showing an absolute requirement for Dnmt2 in this process, our study extends our knowledge of this still somewhat enigmatic protein. We confirmed that RNA rather than DNA methylation by the protein is involved in epigenetic heredity, and our genetic results indicate a requirement during an early step in the reproductive process, between parental gametogenesis and the preimplantation stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jafar Kiani
- University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, UFR Sciences, Nice, France
- Inserm UMR1091, CNRS UMR7277, Nice, France
| | - Valérie Grandjean
- University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, UFR Sciences, Nice, France
- Inserm UMR1091, CNRS UMR7277, Nice, France
| | - Reinhard Liebers
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Francesca Tuorto
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hossein Ghanbarian
- University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, UFR Sciences, Nice, France
- Inserm UMR1091, CNRS UMR7277, Nice, France
| | - Frank Lyko
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - François Cuzin
- University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, UFR Sciences, Nice, France
- Inserm UMR1091, CNRS UMR7277, Nice, France
| | - Minoo Rassoulzadegan
- University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, UFR Sciences, Nice, France
- Inserm UMR1091, CNRS UMR7277, Nice, France
- * E-mail:
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Monoallelic chromatin conformation flanking long-range silenced domains in cancer-derived and normal cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63190. [PMID: 23696799 PMCID: PMC3655995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic inactivation of chromatin plays an important role in determining cell phenotype in both normal and cancer cells, but our knowledge is still incomplete with respect to any potential monoallelic nature of the phenomenon. We have genotyped DNA isolated from chromatin of two colorectal cancer-derived lines and a culture of normal human intestinal epithelial cells (HIEC), which was immunoprecipitated with antibodies to acetylated vs. methylated histone H3K9, and presented the data as B allele frequency differences over multiple single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) moving window averages. [B allele is an arbitrary term defined as one of the two alleles at any given SNP, named A and B]. Three different validation tests confirmed that peaks exhibiting differences represented monoallelic domains. These complementary tests confirmed the following: 1) genes in the regions of high B allele frequency difference were expressed monoallelically; 2) in normal cells all five imprinting control regions which carried heterozygous SNPs were characterized by B allele difference peaks; and 3) the haplotypes in the B allele difference peaks were faithfully maintained in the chromatin immunoprecipitated with the respective antibodies. In both samples most of the monoallelic domains were found at the boundaries between regions of open and closed chromatin. With respect to the cancer line, this supports the established concept of conformation spreading, but the results from the normal cells were unexpected. Since these cells were polyclonal, the monoallelic structures were probably not determined by random choice as occurs in X-inactivation, so we propose that epigenetic inactivation in some domains may be heritable and polymorphic in normal human cells.
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Abstract
The ability of the immune system to protect the body from attack by foreign antigens is essential for human survival. The immune system can, however, start to attack the body's own organs. An autoimmune response against components of the thyroid gland affects 2-5% of the general population. Considerable familial clustering is also observed in autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). Teasing out the genetic contribution to AITD over the past 40 years has helped unravel how immune disruption leads to disease onset. Breakthroughs in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the past decade have facilitated screening of a greater proportion of the genome, leading to the identification of a before unimaginable number of AITD susceptibility loci. This Review will focus on the new susceptibility loci identified by GWAS, what insights these loci provide about the pathogenesis of AITD and how genetic susceptibility loci shared between different autoimmune diseases could help explain disease co-clustering within individuals and families. This Review also discusses where future efforts should be focused to translate this step forward in our understanding of the genetic contribution to AITD into a better understanding of disease presentation and progression, and improved therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Simmonds
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R. Adams
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Richard R. Meehan
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Grossniklaus U, Kelly WG, Ferguson-Smith AC, Pembrey M, Lindquist S. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: how important is it? Nat Rev Genet 2013; 14:228-35. [PMID: 23416892 PMCID: PMC4066847 DOI: 10.1038/nrg3435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Much attention has been given to the idea of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, but fundamental questions remain regarding how much takes place and the impact that this might have on organisms. We asked five leading researchers in this area--working on a range of model organisms and in human disease--for their views on these topics. Their responses highlight the mixture of excitement and caution that surrounds transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the wide gulf between species in terms of our knowledge of the mechanisms that may be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ueli Grossniklaus
- Institute of Plant Biology and Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - William G. Kelly
- Biology Department, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
| | - Anne C. Ferguson-Smith
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience and the Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK.
| | - Marcus Pembrey
- Clinical and Molecular Genetics Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, School of Social and Community Medicine, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK.
| | - Susan Lindquist
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nine Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
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