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Benincasa G, Napoli C, DeMeo DL. Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Network Medicine Perspective. Matern Child Health J 2024; 28:617-630. [PMID: 38409452 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-023-03886-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The ability to identify early epigenetic signatures underlying the inheritance of cardiovascular risk, including trans- and intergenerational effects, may help to stratify people before cardiac symptoms occur. METHODS Prospective and retrospective cohorts and case-control studies focusing on DNA methylation and maternal/paternal effects were searched in Pubmed from 1997 to 2023 by using the following keywords: DNA methylation, genomic imprinting, and network analysis in combination with transgenerational/intergenerational effects. RESULTS Maternal and paternal exposures to traditional cardiovascular risk factors during critical temporal windows, including the preconceptional period or early pregnancy, may perturb the plasticity of the epigenome (mainly DNA methylation) of the developing fetus especially at imprinted loci, such as the insulin-like growth factor type 2 (IGF2) gene. Thus, the epigenome is akin to a "molecular archive" able to memorize parental environmental insults and predispose an individual to cardiovascular diseases onset in later life. Direct evidence for human transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (at least three generations) of cardiovascular risk is lacking but it is supported by epidemiological studies. Several blood-based association studies showed potential intergenerational epigenetic effects (single-generation studies) which may mediate the transmittance of cardiovascular risk from parents to offspring. DISCUSSION In this narrative review, we discuss some relevant examples of trans- and intergenerational epigenetic associations with cardiovascular risk. In our perspective, we propose three network-oriented approaches which may help to clarify the unsolved issues regarding transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of cardiovascular risk and provide potential early biomarkers for primary prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuditta Benincasa
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences (DAMSS), University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudio Napoli
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences (DAMSS), University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138, Naples, Italy.
| | - Dawn L DeMeo
- Channing Division of Network Medicine and the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Zhou H, Ren S, Yang Y, Qin Y, Guo T, Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Ma L. Transgenerational toxicity induced by maternal AFB 1 exposure in Caenorhabditis elegans associated with underlying epigenetic regulations. Food Chem Toxicol 2024; 187:114599. [PMID: 38490352 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2024.114599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), usually seriously contaminates in grain and oil foods or feed, displayed significant acute and chronic toxic effects in human and animal populations. However, little is known about the transgenerational toxic effects induced by a maternal AFB1 intake at a lower dose on offspring. In our study, only parental wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans was exposed to AFB1 (0-8 μg/ml) and the following three filial generations were grown on AFB1-free NGM. Results showed that the toxic effects of AFB1 on the growth (body length) and reproduction (brood size, generation time and morphology of gonad arm) can be transmitted through generations. Moreover, the levels of MMP and ATP were irreversibly inhibited in the filial generations. By using RNomics and molecular biology techniques, we found that steroid biosynthesis, phagosome, valine/leucine/isoleucine biosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation (p < 0.05) were the core signaling pathways to exert the transgenerational toxic effects on nematodes. Also, notably increased histone methylation level at H3K36me3 was observed in the first generation. Taken together, our study demonstrated that AFB1 has notable transgenerational toxic effects, which were resulted from the complex regulatory network of various miRNAs, mRNAs and epigenetic modification in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Zhou
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Speciality Food Co-Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Citrus Fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400712, China.
| | - Sirui Ren
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yulian Yang
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yuxian Qin
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Ting Guo
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yuhao Zhang
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Speciality Food Co-Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Liang Ma
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Speciality Food Co-Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Citrus Fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400712, China; Key Laboratory of Condiment Supervision Technology for State Market Regulation, Chongqing, 401121, China.
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Henriques CM, Ferreira MG. Telomere length is an epigenetic trait - Implications for the use of telomerase-deficient organisms to model human disease. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050581. [PMID: 38441152 PMCID: PMC10941657 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomere length, unlike most genetic traits, is epigenetic, in the sense that it is not fully coded by the genome. Telomeres vary in length and randomly assort to the progeny leaving some individuals with longer and others with shorter telomeres. Telomerase activity counteracts this by extending telomeres in the germline and during embryogenesis but sizeable variances remain in telomere length. This effect is exacerbated by the absence of fully active telomerase. Telomerase heterozygous animals (tert+/-) have reduced telomerase activity and their telomeres fail to be elongated to wild-type average length, meaning that - with every generation - they decrease. After a given number of successive generations of telomerase-insufficient crosses, telomeres become critically short and cause organismal defects that, in humans, are known as telomere biology disorders. Importantly, these defects also occur in wild-type (tert+/+) animals derived from such tert+/- incrosses. Despite these tert+/+ animals being proficient for telomerase, they have shorter than average telomere length and, although milder, develop phenotypes that are similar to those of telomerase mutants. Here, we discuss the impact of this phenomenon on human pathologies associated with telomere length, provide a brief overview of telomere biology across species and propose specific measures for working with telomerase-deficient zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina M. Henriques
- The Bateson Centre, MRC-Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Research Into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA) and Healthy Lifespan Institute (HELSI), School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Miguel Godinho Ferreira
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Université Côte d‘Azur, 06107 Nice, France
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Cheng C, Wu Y, Huang Y, Xue Q, Wang Y, Liao F, Wang X, Miao C. Epigenetic modification and exosome effects on autophagy in osteoarthritis. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 218:115930. [PMID: 37979704 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that leads to joint pain and stiffness and is one of the leading causes of disability and pain worldwide. Autophagy is a highly conserved self-degradation process, and its abnormal function is closely related to human diseases, including OA. Abnormal autophagy regulates cell aging, matrix metalloproteinase metabolism, and reactive oxygen metabolism, which are key in the occurrence and development of OA. There is evidence that drugs directly or indirectly targeting autophagy significantly hinder the progress of OA. In addition, the occurrence and development of autophagy in OA are regulated by many factors, including epigenetic modification, exosomes, crucial autophagy molecules, and signaling pathway regulation. Autophagy, as a new therapeutic target for OA, has widely influenced the pathological mechanism of OA. However, determining how autophagy affects OA pathology and its use in the treatment and diagnosis of targets still need further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yajie Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yurong Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Qiuyun Xue
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Faxue Liao
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China.
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- Department of Humanistic Nursing, School of Nursing, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Chenggui Miao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Institute of Rheumatism, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.
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Fallet M, Wilson R, Sarkies P. Cisplatin exposure alters tRNA-derived small RNAs but does not affect epimutations in C. elegans. BMC Biol 2023; 21:276. [PMID: 38031056 PMCID: PMC10688063 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01767-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The individual lifestyle and environment of an organism can influence its phenotype and potentially the phenotype of its offspring. The different genetic and non-genetic components of the inheritance system and their mutual interactions are key mechanisms to generate inherited phenotypic changes. Epigenetic changes can be transmitted between generations independently from changes in DNA sequence. In Caenorhabditis elegans, epigenetic differences, i.e. epimutations, mediated by small non-coding RNAs, particularly 22G-RNAs, as well as chromatin have been identified, and their average persistence is three to five generations. In addition, previous research showed that some epimutations had a longer duration and concerned genes that were enriched for multiple components of xenobiotic response pathways. These results raise the possibility that environmental stresses might change the rate at which epimutations occur, with potential significance for adaptation. RESULTS In this work, we explore this question by propagating C. elegans lines either in control conditions or in moderate or high doses of cisplatin, which introduces genotoxic stress by damaging DNA. Our results show that cisplatin has a limited effect on global small non-coding RNA epimutations and epimutations in gene expression levels. However, cisplatin exposure leads to increased fluctuations in the levels of small non-coding RNAs derived from tRNA cleavage. We show that changes in tRNA-derived small RNAs may be associated with gene expression changes. CONCLUSIONS Our work shows that epimutations are not substantially altered by cisplatin exposure but identifies transient changes in tRNA-derived small RNAs as a potential source of variation induced by genotoxic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Fallet
- Department of Biochemistry, Evolutionary Epigenetics Group, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, 70182, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Rachel Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry, Evolutionary Epigenetics Group, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Peter Sarkies
- Department of Biochemistry, Evolutionary Epigenetics Group, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
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Crisóstomo L, Oliveira PF, Alves MG. A systematic scientometric review of paternal inheritance of acquired metabolic traits. BMC Biol 2023; 21:255. [PMID: 37953286 PMCID: PMC10641967 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01744-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The concept of the inheritance of acquired traits, a foundational principle of Lamarck's evolutionary theory, has garnered renewed attention in recent years. Evidence for this phenomenon remained limited for decades but gained prominence with the Överkalix cohort study in 2002. This study revealed a link between cardiovascular disease incidence and the food availability experienced by individuals' grandparents during their slow growth periods, reigniting interest in the inheritance of acquired traits, particularly in the context of non-communicable diseases. This scientometric analysis and systematic review comprehensively explores the current landscape of paternally transmitted acquired metabolic traits. RESULTS Utilizing Scopus Advanced search and meticulous screening, we included mammalian studies that document the inheritance or modification of metabolic traits in subsequent generations of unexposed descendants. Our inclusive criteria encompass intergenerational and transgenerational studies, as well as multigenerational exposures. Predominantly, this field has been driven by a select group of researchers, potentially shaping the design and focus of existing studies. Consequently, the literature primarily comprises transgenerational rodent investigations into the effects of ancestral exposure to environmental pollutants on sperm DNA methylation. The complexity and volume of data often lead to multiple or redundant publications. This practice, while understandable, may obscure the true extent of the impact of ancestral exposures on the health of non-exposed descendants. In addition to DNA methylation, studies have illuminated the role of sperm RNAs and histone marks in paternally acquired metabolic disorders, expanding our understanding of the mechanisms underlying epigenetic inheritance. CONCLUSIONS This review serves as a comprehensive resource, shedding light on the current state of research in this critical area of science, and underscores the need for continued exploration to uncover the full spectrum of paternally mediated metabolic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Crisóstomo
- Departmento de Anatomia, UMIB - Unidade Multidisciplinar de Investigação Biomédica, ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade Do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Pedro F Oliveira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marco G Alves
- Departmento de Anatomia, UMIB - Unidade Multidisciplinar de Investigação Biomédica, ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade Do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm), Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
- Unit of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
- Institute of Biomedicine - iBiMED and Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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Zhou T, Wang X, Kong J, Yu L, Xie H, Wang F, Xu S, Shuai Z, Zhou Q, Pan F. PRICKLE1 gene methylation and abnormal transcription in Chinese patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Immunobiology 2023; 228:152742. [PMID: 37742487 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2023.152742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common inflammatory arthritis without a reliable biomarker. The role of methylation and mRNA expression of PRICKLE1 promoter in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis remains unclear. METHODS A two-stage case-control design was used to detect the characteristics of methyl group and transcriptome of PRICKLE1 gene in Ankylosing spondylitis. The methylation degree of PRICKLE1 gene promoter region was tested by phosphate-sequencing, and further analyzed whether there was significant difference in methylation level of PRICKLE1 gene. The expression levels of PRICKLE1 mRNA in 50 AS patients and 50 healthy controls were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). RESULTS Compared with healthy control group, the intensity of methylation in 4 ponds of PRICKLE1 in patients with Ankylosing spondylitis was low, and the mRNA levels were overexpressed (P = 0.017). ROC results showed that the sensitivity of PRICKLE1 was 68.67% and specificity was 71.43%. CONCLUSION There is a significant change in the concentration of serum PRICKLE1 mRNAin patients with Ankylosing spondylitis, and the degree of gene methylation is significantly reduced, suggesting that PRICKLE1 gene maybe involved in the pathogenesis of Ankylosing spondylitis, which may be useful for predicting the occurrence of AS and finding new early screening indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Zhou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; The Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Xinqi Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; The Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Jiangping Kong
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; The Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Lingxiang Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; The Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Huimin Xie
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; The Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Feier Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; The Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Shenqian Xu
- Department of Hospital Management Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Zongwen Shuai
- Department of Hospital Management Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 678#, Furong Road, 230601 Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Faming Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; The Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China.
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Xue Y, Gong Y, Li X, Peng F, Ding G, Zhang Z, Shi J, Savul IS, Xu Y, Chen Q, Han L, Mao S, Sun Z. Sex differences in paternal arsenic-induced intergenerational metabolic effects are mediated by estrogen. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:165. [PMID: 37691128 PMCID: PMC10493026 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01121-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene-environment interactions contribute to metabolic disorders such as diabetes and dyslipidemia. In addition to affecting metabolic homeostasis directly, drugs and environmental chemicals can cause persistent alterations in metabolic portfolios across generations in a sex-specific manner. Here, we use inorganic arsenic (iAs) as a prototype drug and chemical to dissect such sex differences. METHODS After weaning, C57BL/6 WT male mice were treated with 250 ppb iAs in drinking water (iAsF0) or normal water (conF0) for 6 weeks and then bred with 15-week-old, non-exposed females for 3 days in cages with only normal water (without iAs), to generate iAsF1 or conF1 mice, respectively. F0 females and all F1 mice drank normal water without iAs all the time. RESULTS We find that exposure of male mice to 250 ppb iAs leads to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in F1 female offspring (iAsF1-F), with almost no change in blood lipid profiles. In contrast, F1 males (iAsF1-M) show lower liver and blood triglyceride levels than non-exposed control, with improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. The liver of F1 offspring shows sex-specific transcriptomic changes, with hepatocyte-autonomous alternations of metabolic fluxes in line with the sex-specific phenotypes. The iAsF1-F mice show altered levels of circulating estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone. Ovariectomy or liver-specific knockout of estrogen receptor α/β made F1 females resemble F1 males in their metabolic responses to paternal iAs exposure. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that disrupted reproductive hormone secretion in alliance with hepatic estrogen signaling accounts for the sex-specific intergenerational effects of paternal iAs exposure, which shed light on the sex disparities in long-term gene-environment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfeng Xue
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
- National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Center for Ruminant Nutrition and Feed Technology Research, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yingyun Gong
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Li
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fei Peng
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Guolian Ding
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Junchao Shi
- Molecular Medicine Program, Department of Human Genetics, and Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ilma Saleh Savul
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yong Xu
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qi Chen
- Molecular Medicine Program, Department of Human Genetics, and Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shengyong Mao
- National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Center for Ruminant Nutrition and Feed Technology Research, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Zheng Sun
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Hoffmann LB, McVicar EA, Harris RV, Collar-Fernández C, Clark MB, Hannan AJ, Pang TY. Increased paternal corticosterone exposure influences offspring behaviour and expression of urinary pheromones. BMC Biol 2023; 21:186. [PMID: 37667240 PMCID: PMC10478242 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01678-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that paternal stress prior to conception can influence the innate behaviours of their offspring. The evolutionary impacts of such intergenerational effects are therefore of considerable interest. Our group previously showed in a model of daily stress that glucocorticoid treatment of adult male mouse breeders prior to conception leads to increased anxiety-related behaviours in male offspring. Here, we aimed to understand the transgenerational effects of paternal stress exposure on the social behaviour of progeny and its potential influence on reproductive success. RESULTS We assessed social parameters including social reward, male attractiveness and social dominance, in the offspring (F1) and grand-offspring (F2). We report that paternal corticosterone treatment was associated with increased display of subordination towards other male mice. Those mice were unexpectedly more attractive to female mice while expressing reduced levels of the key rodent pheromone Darcin, contrary to its conventional role in driving female attraction. We investigated the epigenetic regulation of major urinary protein (Mup) expression by performing the first Oxford Nanopore direct methylation of sperm DNA in a mouse model of stress, but found no differences in Mup genes that could be attributed to corticosterone-treatment. Furthermore, no overt differences of the prefrontal cortex transcriptome were found in F1 offspring, implying that peripheral mechanisms are likely contributing to the phenotypic differences. Interestingly, no phenotypic differences were observed in the F2 grand-offspring. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings highlight the potential of moderate paternal stress to affect intergenerational (mal)adaptive responses, informing future studies of adaptiveness in rodents, humans and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas B Hoffmann
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Evangeline A McVicar
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Rebekah V Harris
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Coralina Collar-Fernández
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael B Clark
- Centre for Stem Cell Systems, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Terence Y Pang
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Zeid D, Toussaint AB, Dressler CC, Schumacher SP, Do C, Desalvo H, Selamawi D, Bongiovanni AR, Mayberry HL, Carr GV, Wimmer ME. Paternal morphine exposure in rats reduces social play in adolescent male progeny without affecting drug-taking behavior in juvenile males or female offspring. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 126:103877. [PMID: 37385516 PMCID: PMC10528482 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing opioid addiction crisis necessitates the identification of novel risk factors to improve prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder. Parental opioid exposure has recently emerged as a potential regulator of offspring vulnerability to opioid misuse, in addition to heritable genetic liability. An understudied aspect of this "missing heritability" is the developmental presentation of these cross-generational phenotypes. This is an especially relevant question in the context of inherited addiction-related phenotypes, given the prominent role of developmental processes in the etiology of psychiatric disorders. Paternal morphine self-administration was previously shown to alter the sensitivity to the reinforcing and antinociceptive properties of opioids in the next generation. Here, phenotyping was expanded to include the adolescent period, with a focus on endophenotypes related to opioid use disorders and pain. Paternal morphine exposure did not alter heroin or cocaine self-administration in male and female juvenile progeny. Further, baseline sensory reflexes related to pain were unaltered in morphine-sired adolescent rats of either sex. However, morphine-sired adolescent males exhibited a reduction in social play behavior. Our findings suggest that, in morphine-sired male offspring, paternal opioid exposure does not affect opioid intake during adolescence, suggesting that this phenotype does not emerge until later in life. Altered social behaviors in male morphine-sired adolescents indicate that the changes in drug-taking behavior in adults sired by morphine-exposed sires may be due to more complex factors not yet fully assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Zeid
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Andre B Toussaint
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, United States of America
| | - Carmen C Dressler
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Samuel P Schumacher
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Chau Do
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Heather Desalvo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Danait Selamawi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Angela R Bongiovanni
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Hannah L Mayberry
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Gregory V Carr
- Lieber Institute of Brain Development, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Mathieu E Wimmer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America.
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11
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Gershoni M. Transgenerational transmission of environmental effects in livestock in the age of global warming. Cell Stress Chaperones 2023; 28:445-454. [PMID: 36715961 PMCID: PMC10468476 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-023-01325-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent decades provide mounting evidence for the continual increase in global temperatures, now termed "global warming," to the point of drastic worldwide change in the climate. Climatic change is a long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns, including increased frequency and intensity of extreme environmental events such as heat waves accompanied by extreme temperatures and high humidity. Climate change and global warming put several challenges to the livestock industry by directly affecting the animal's production, reproduction, health, and welfare. The broad impact of global warming, and in particular heat stress, on-farm animals' performance has been comprehensively studied. It has been estimated that the US livestock industry's loss caused by heat stress is up to $2.4 billion annually. However, the long-term intergenerational and transgenerational effects of climatic change and global warming on farm animals are sparse. Transgenerational effects, which are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, can affect the animal's performance regardless of its immediate environment by altering its phenotypic expression to fit its ancestors' environment. In many animal species, environmental effects are epigenetically encoded within a narrow time interval during the organism's gametogenesis, and these epigenetic modifications can then be intergenerationally transmitted. Several epigenetic mechanisms mediate intergenerational transmission of environmental effects, typically in a parent-dependent manner. Therefore, exposure of the animal to an extreme climatic event and other environmental stressors during gametogenesis can undergo epigenetic stabilization in the germline and be passed to the offspring. As a result, the offspring might express a phenotype adjusted to fit the stressors experienced by their ancestors, regardless of their direct environment. The purpose of this perspective is to review current evidence for intergenerational and transgenerational transmission of environmental stress effects, specifically in the context of global warming and climate change, and to offer viewpoints on the possible impacts on the livestock industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Gershoni
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, 7505101, Rishon LeZion, Israel.
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12
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Bak ST, Haupt-Jorgensen M, Dudele A, Wegener G, Wang T, Nielsen AL, Lund S. The anti-inflammatory agent 5-ASA reduces the level of specific tsRNAs in sperm cells of high-fat fed C57BL/6J mouse sires and improves glucose tolerance in female offspring. J Diabetes Complications 2023; 37:108563. [PMID: 37499293 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2023.108563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The prevalence of obesity and associated comorbidities have increased to epidemic proportions globally. Paternal obesity is an independent risk factor for developing obesity and type 2 diabetes in the following generation, and growing evidence suggests epigenetic inheritance as a mechanism for this predisposition. How and why obesity induces epigenetic changes in sperm cells remain to be clarified in detail. Yet, recent studies show that alterations in sperm content of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) can transmit the effects of paternal obesity to offspring. Obesity is closely associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. Thus, we evaluated whether the anti-inflammatory agent 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) could intervene in the transmission of epigenetic inheritance of paternal obesity by reducing the inflammatory state in obese fathers. METHODS Male C57BL/6JBomTac mice were either fed a high-fat diet or a high-fat diet with 5-ASA for ten weeks before mating. The offspring metabolic phenotype was evaluated, and spermatozoa from sires were isolated for assessment of specific tsRNAs levels. RESULTS 5-ASA intervention reduced the levels of Glu-CTC tsRNAs in sperm cells and improved glucose tolerance in female offspring fed a chow diet. Paternal high-fat diet-induced obesity per se had only a moderate impact on the metabolic phenotype of both male and female offspring in our setting. CONCLUSION The results indicate that the low-grade inflammatory response associated with obesity may be an important factor in epigenetic inheritance of paternal obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Haupt-Jorgensen
- The Bartholin Institute, Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
| | - Anete Dudele
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gregers Wegener
- Department of Clinial Medicine, Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tobias Wang
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Zoophysiology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Sten Lund
- Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark; Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
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13
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Liu T, Du D, Zhao R, Xie Q, Dong Z. Gut microbes influence the development of central nervous system disorders through epigenetic inheritance. Microbiol Res 2023; 274:127440. [PMID: 37343494 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and Alzheimer's disease (AD), affect quality of life of patients and pose significant economic and social burdens worldwide. Due to their obscure and complex pathogeneses, current therapies for these diseases have limited efficacy. Over the past decade, the gut microbiome has been shown to exhibit direct and indirect influences on the structure and function of the CNS, affecting multiple pathological pathways. In addition to the direct interactions between the gut microbiota and CNS, the gut microbiota and their metabolites can regulate epigenetic processes, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and regulation of non-coding RNAs. In this review, we discuss the tripartite relationship among gut microbiota, epigenetic inheritance, and CNS disorders. We suggest that gut microbes and their metabolites influence the pathogenesis of CNS disorders at the epigenetic level, which may inform the development of effective therapeutic strategies for CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyou Liu
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610072, PR China
| | - Dongru Du
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610072, PR China
| | - Rui Zhao
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610072, PR China
| | - Qinglian Xie
- Department of Outpatient, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Zaiquan Dong
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, PR China.
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14
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Wang X, Li W, Feng X, Li J, Liu GE, Fang L, Yu Y. Harnessing male germline epigenomics for the genetic improvement in cattle. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:76. [PMID: 37277852 PMCID: PMC10242889 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00874-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm is essential for successful artificial insemination in dairy cattle, and its quality can be influenced by both epigenetic modification and epigenetic inheritance. The bovine germline differentiation is characterized by epigenetic reprogramming, while intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can influence the offspring's development through the transmission of epigenetic features to the offspring via the germline. Therefore, the selection of bulls with superior sperm quality for the production and fertility traits requires a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanism and more accurate identifications of epigenetic biomarkers. We have comprehensively reviewed the current progress in the studies of bovine sperm epigenome in terms of both resources and biological discovery in order to provide perspectives on how to harness this valuable information for genetic improvement in the cattle breeding industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Konge Larsen ApS, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xia Feng
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianbing Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Ying Yu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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15
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Kachhawaha AS, Mishra S, Tiwari AK. Epigenetic control of heredity. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci 2023; 198:25-60. [PMID: 37225323 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics is the field of science that deals with the study of changes in gene function that do not involve changes in DNA sequence and are heritable while epigenetics inheritance is the process of transmission of epigenetic modifications to the next generation. It can be transient, intergenerational, or transgenerational. There are various epigenetic modifications involving mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA expression, all of which are inheritable. In this chapter, we summarize the information on epigenetic inheritance, its mechanism, inheritance studies on various organisms, factors affecting epigenetic modifications and their inheritance, and the role of epigenetic inheritance in the heritability of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Singh Kachhawaha
- Laboratory of Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology, School of Forensic Sciences, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Sarita Mishra
- Laboratory of Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology, School of Forensic Sciences, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Anand Krishna Tiwari
- Genetics & Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology & Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
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16
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Dufault RJ, Crider RA, Deth RC, Schnoll R, Gilbert SG, Lukiw WJ, Hitt AL. Higher rates of autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in American children: Are food quality issues impacting epigenetic inheritance? World J Clin Pediatr 2023; 12:25-37. [PMID: 37034430 PMCID: PMC10075020 DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v12.i2.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the United States, schools offer special education services to children who are diagnosed with a learning or neurodevelopmental disorder and have difficulty meeting their learning goals. Pediatricians may play a key role in helping children access special education services. The number of children ages 6-21 in the United States receiving special education services increased 10.4% from 2006 to 2021. Children receiving special education services under the autism category increased 242% during the same period. The demand for special education services for children under the developmental delay and other health impaired categories increased by 184% and 83% respectively. Although student enrollment in American schools has remained stable since 2006, the percentage distribution of children receiving special education services nearly tripled for the autism category and quadrupled for the developmental delay category by 2021. Allowable heavy metal residues remain persistent in the American food supply due to food ingredient manufacturing processes. Numerous clinical trial data indicate heavy metal exposures and poor diet are the primary epigenetic factors responsible for the autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder epidemics. Dietary heavy metal exposures, especially inorganic mercury and lead may impact gene behavior across generations. In 2021, the United States Congress found heavy metal residues problematic in the American food supply but took no legislative action. Mandatory health warning labels on select foods may be the only way to reduce dietary heavy metal exposures and improve child learning across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee J Dufault
- Department of Research, Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, Naalehu, HI 96772, United States
- College of Graduate Health Studies, A.T. Still University, Kirksville, MO 63501, United States
| | - Raquel A Crider
- Department of Research, Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, Naalehu, HI 96772, United States
| | - Richard C Deth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, United States
| | - Roseanne Schnoll
- Department of Research, Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, Naalehu, HI 96772, United States
- Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College of CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States
| | - Steven G Gilbert
- Department of Research, Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, Naalehu, HI 96772, United States
- Department of Research, Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders, Seattle, WA 98105, United States
| | - Walter J Lukiw
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
| | - Amanda L Hitt
- Food Integrity Campaign, Government Accountability Project, Columbia, WA 20006, United States
- Department of Legal, Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, Naalehu, HI 96772, United States
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17
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Toussaint AB, Ellis AS, Bongiovanni AR, Peterson DR, Bavley CC, Karbalaei R, Mayberry HL, Bhakta S, Dressler CC, Imperio CG, Maurer JJ, Schmidt HD, Chen C, Bland K, Liu-Chen LY, Wimmer ME. Paternal morphine exposure enhances morphine self-administration and induces region-specific neural adaptations in reward-related brain regions of male offspring. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.03.522600. [PMID: 36711571 PMCID: PMC9881847 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.03.522600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Background A growing body of preclinical studies report that preconceptional experiences can have a profound and long-lasting impact on adult offspring behavior and physiology. However, less is known about paternal drug exposure and its effects on reward sensitivity in the next generation. Methods Adult male rats self-administered morphine for 65 days; controls received saline. Sires were bred to drug-naïve dams to produce first-generation (F1) offspring. Morphine, cocaine, and nicotine self-administration were measured in adult F1 progeny. Molecular correlates of addiction-like behaviors were measured in reward-related brain regions of drug naïve F1 offspring. Results Male, but not female offspring produced by morphine-exposed sires exhibited dose-dependent increased morphine self-administration and increased motivation to earn morphine infusions under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. This phenotype was drug-specific as self-administration of cocaine, nicotine, and sucrose were not altered by paternal morphine history. The male offspring of morphine-exposed sires also had increased expression of mu-opioid receptors in the ventral tegmental area but not in the nucleus accumbens. Conclusions Paternal morphine exposure increased morphine addiction-like behavioral vulnerability in male but not female progeny. This phenotype is likely driven by long-lasting neural adaptations within the reward neural brain pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre B Toussaint
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alexandra S Ellis
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Angela R Bongiovanni
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Drew R Peterson
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Charlotte C Bavley
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Reza Karbalaei
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hannah L Mayberry
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shivam Bhakta
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Carmen C Dressler
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Caesar G Imperio
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John J Maurer
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Heath D Schmidt
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chongguang Chen
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Neural Sciences. Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathryn Bland
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Neural Sciences. Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lee-Yuan Liu-Chen
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Neural Sciences. Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mathieu E Wimmer
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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18
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Tan X, Luo J, Ding X, Li H. Preconception paternal mental disorders and child health: Mechanisms and interventions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104976. [PMID: 36435393 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mental illness is a significant global health issue with a steady prevalence. High heritability is suspected, but genome-wide association studies only identified a small number of risk genes associated with mental disorders. This 'missing inheritance' can be partially explained by epigenetic heredity. Evidence from numerous animal models and human studies supports the possibility that preconception paternal mental health influences their offspring's mental health via nongenetic means. Here, we review two potential pathways, including sperm epigenetics and seminal plasma components. The current review highlights the role of sperm epigenetics and explores epigenetic message origination and susceptibility to chronic stress. Meanwhile, possible spatiotemporal windows and events that induce sexually dimorphic modes and effects of paternal stress transmission are inferred in this review. Additionally, we discuss emerging interventions that could potentially block the intergenerational transmission of paternal psychiatric disorders and reduce the incidence of mental illness. Understanding the underlying mechanisms by which preconception paternal stress impacts offspring health is critical for identifying strategies supporting healthy development and successfully controlling the prevalence of mental illness.
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19
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Jeremias G, Veloso T, Gonçalves FJM, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Pereira JL, Asselman J. Multigenerational DNA methylation responses to copper exposure in Daphnia: Potential targets for epigenetic biomarkers? Chemosphere 2022; 308:136231. [PMID: 36055596 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are moving to the forefront of environmental sciences, as environmentally induced epigenetic changes shape biological responses to chemical contamination. This work focused on Daphnia as a representative of potentially threatened freshwater biota, aiming to gain an insight into the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in their response and eventual adaptation to metal contamination. Copper-induced DNA methylation changes, their potential transgenerational inheritance, and life-history traits were assessed. Organisms with different histories of past exposure to copper were exposed to toxic levels of the element for one generation (F0) and then monitored for three subsequent unexposed generations (F1, F2, and F3). Overall, methylation changes targeted important genes for counteracting the effects of metals and oxidative stress, including dynein light chain, ribosomal kinase and nuclear fragile X mental retardation-interacting protein. Also, contrasting overall and gene-specific methylation responses were observed in organisms differing in their history of exposure to copper, with different transgenerational methylation responses being also identified among the two groups, without apparent life-history costs. Taken together, these results demonstrate the capacity of copper to promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance in a manner related explicitly to history of exposure, thereby supporting the development and incorporation of epigenetic biomarkers in risk assessment frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Jeremias
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Telma Veloso
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Portugal; CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Fernando J M Gonçalves
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Joana Luísa Pereira
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Jana Asselman
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Bluebridge Building, Ostend Science Park 1, 8400, Ostend, Belgium
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20
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Mishra PK, Kumari R, Bhargava A, Bunkar N, Chauhan P, Tiwari R, Shandilya R, Srivastava RK, Singh RD. Prenatal exposure to environmental pro-oxidants induces mitochondria-mediated epigenetic changes: a cross-sectional pilot study. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:74133-74149. [PMID: 35633452 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21059-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria play a central role in maintaining cellular and metabolic homeostasis during vital development cycles of foetal growth. Optimal mitochondrial functions are important not only to sustain adequate energy production but also for regulated epigenetic programming. However, these organelles are subtle targets of environmental exposures, and any perturbance in the defined mitochondrial machinery during the developmental stage can lead to the re-programming of the foetal epigenetic landscape. As these modifications can be transferred to subsequent generations, we herein performed a cross-sectional study to have an in-depth understanding of this intricate phenomenon. The study was conducted with two arms: whereas the first group consisted of in utero pro-oxidant exposed individuals and the second group included controls. Our results showed higher levels of oxidative mtDNA damage and associated integrated stress response among the exposed individuals. These disturbances were found to be closely related to the observed discrepancies in mitochondrial biogenesis. The exposed group showed mtDNA hypermethylation and changes in allied mitochondrial functioning. Altered expression of mitomiRs and their respective target genes in the exposed group indicated the possibilities of a disturbed mitochondrial-nuclear cross talk. This was further confirmed by the modified activity of the mitochondrial stress regulators and pro-inflammatory mediators among the exposed group. Importantly, the disturbed DNMT functioning, hypermethylation of nuclear DNA, and higher degree of post-translational histone modifications established the existence of aberrant epigenetic modifications in the exposed individuals. Overall, our results demonstrate the first molecular insights of in utero pro-oxidant exposure associated changes in the mitochondrial-epigenetic axis. Although, our study might not cement an exposure-response relationship for any particular environmental pro-oxidant, but suffice to establish a dogma of mito-epigenetic reprogramming at intrauterine milieu with chronic illness, a hitherto unreported interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradyumna Kumar Mishra
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India.
| | - Roshani Kumari
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Arpit Bhargava
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Neha Bunkar
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Prachi Chauhan
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Rajnarayan Tiwari
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
| | - Ruchita Shandilya
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Radha Dutt Singh
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, 462030, India
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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21
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Lee B, Cyrill SL, Lee W, Melchiotti R, Andiappan AK, Poidinger M, Rötzschke O. Analysis of archaic human haplotypes suggests that 5hmC acts as an epigenetic guide for NCO recombination. BMC Biol 2022; 20:173. [PMID: 35927700 PMCID: PMC9354366 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01353-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Non-crossover (NCO) refers to a mechanism of homologous recombination in which short tracks of DNA are copied between homologue chromatids. The allelic changes are typically restricted to one or few SNPs, which potentially allow for the gradual adaptation and maturation of haplotypes. It is assumed to be a stochastic process but the analysis of archaic and modern human haplotypes revealed a striking variability in local NCO recombination rates. Methods NCO recombination rates of 1.9 million archaic SNPs shared with Denisovan hominids were defined by a linkage study and correlated with functional and genomic annotations as well as ChIP-Seq data from modern humans. Results We detected a strong correlation between NCO recombination rates and the function of the respective region: low NCO rates were evident in introns and quiescent intergenic regions but high rates in splice sites, exons, 5′- and 3′-UTRs, as well as CpG islands. Correlations with ChIP-Seq data from ENCODE and other public sources further identified epigenetic modifications that associated directly with these recombination events. A particularly strong association was observed for 5-hydroxymethylcytosine marks (5hmC), which were enriched in virtually all of the functional regions associated with elevated NCO rates, including CpG islands and ‘poised’ bivalent regions. Conclusion Our results suggest that 5hmC marks may guide the NCO machinery specifically towards functionally relevant regions and, as an intermediate of oxidative demethylation, may open a pathway for environmental influence by specifically targeting recently opened gene loci. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01353-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernett Lee
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency of Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Drive, Singapore, 138648, Singapore.,Present address: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Samantha Leeanne Cyrill
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency of Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Drive, Singapore, 138648, Singapore.,Present address: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, NY, 11724, Cold Spring Harbor, USA
| | - Wendy Lee
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency of Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Drive, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Rossella Melchiotti
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency of Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Drive, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Anand Kumar Andiappan
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency of Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Drive, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Michael Poidinger
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency of Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Drive, Singapore, 138648, Singapore.,Present address: Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Olaf Rötzschke
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency of Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Drive, Singapore, 138648, Singapore.
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22
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Cheuquemán C, Maldonado R. Non-coding RNAs and chromatin: key epigenetic factors from spermatogenesis to transgenerational inheritance. Biol Res 2021; 54:41. [PMID: 34930477 PMCID: PMC8686607 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-021-00364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular fate and gene expression patterns are modulated by different epigenetic factors including non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and chromatin organization. Both factors are dynamic throughout male germ cell differentiation on the seminiferous tubule, despite the transcriptional inactivation in the last stages of spermatogenesis. Sperm maturation during the caput-to-cauda transit on the epididymis involves changes in chromatin organization and the soma-to-germ line transference of ncRNAs that are essential to obtain a functional sperm for fertilization and embryo development. Here, the male environment (diseases, drugs, mental stress) is crucial to modulate these epigenetic factors throughout sperm maturation, affecting the corresponding offspring. Paternal transgenerational inheritance has been directly related to sperm epigenetic changes, most of them associated with variations in the ncRNA content and chromatin marks. Our aim is to give an overview about how epigenetics, focused on ncRNAs and chromatin, is pivotal to understand spermatogenesis and sperm maturation, and how the male environment impacts the sperm epigenome modulating the offspring gene expression pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Cheuquemán
- Núcleo de Ciencias Biológicas, Dirección de Núcleos Transversales, Facultad de estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Temuco, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Maldonado
- Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
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Seroussi U, Li C, Sundby AE, Lee TL, Claycomb JM, Saltzman AL. Mechanisms of epigenetic regulation by C. elegans nuclear RNA interference pathways. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:142-154. [PMID: 34876343 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a highly conserved gene regulatory phenomenon whereby Argonaute/small RNA (AGO/sRNA) complexes target transcripts by antisense complementarity to modulate gene expression. While initially appreciated as a cytoplasmic process, RNAi can also occur in the nucleus where AGO/sRNA complexes are recruited to nascent transcripts. Nuclear AGO/sRNA complexes recruit co-factors that regulate transcription by inhibiting RNA Polymerase II, modifying histones, compacting chromatin and, in some organisms, methylating DNA. C. elegans has a longstanding history in unveiling the mechanisms of RNAi and has become an outstanding model to delineate the mechanisms underlying nuclear RNAi. In this review we highlight recent discoveries in the field of nuclear RNAi in C. elegans and the roles of nuclear RNAi in the regulation of gene expression, chromatin organization, genome stability, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Seroussi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chengyin Li
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Adam E Sundby
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tammy L Lee
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julie M Claycomb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Arneet L Saltzman
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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24
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Luviano N, Lopez M, Gawehns F, Chaparro C, Arimondo PB, Ivanovic S, David P, Verhoeven K, Cosseau C, Grunau C. The methylome of Biomphalaria glabrata and other mollusks: enduring modification of epigenetic landscape and phenotypic traits by a new DNA methylation inhibitor. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:48. [PMID: 34702322 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-021-00422-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background 5-Methylcytosine (5mC) is an important epigenetic mark in eukaryotes. Little information about its role exists for invertebrates. To investigate the contribution of 5mC to phenotypic variation in invertebrates, alteration of methylation patterns needs to be produced. Here, we apply new non-nucleoside DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) to introduce aleatory changes into the methylome of mollusk species. Results Flavanone inhibitor Flv1 was efficient in reducing 5mC in the freshwater snails Biomphalaria glabrata and Physa acuta, and to a lesser degree, probably due to lower stability in sea water, in the oyster Crassostrea gigas. Flv1 has no toxic effects and significantly decreased the 5mC level in the treated B. glabrata and in its offspring. Drug treatment triggers significant variation in the shell height in both generations. A reduced representation bisulfite-sequencing method called epiGBS corroborates hypomethylation effect of Flv1 in both B. glabrata generations and identifies seven Differential Methylated Regions (DMR) out of 32 found both in Flv1-exposed snails and its progeny, from which 5 were hypomethylated, demonstrating a multigenerational effect. By targeted bisulfite sequencing, we confirmed hypomethylation in a locus and show that it is associated with reduced gene expression. Conclusions Flv1 is a new and efficient DNMTi that can be used to induce transient and heritable modifications of the epigenetic landscape and phenotypic traits in mollusks, a phylum of the invertebrates in which epigenetics is understudied. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13072-021-00422-7.
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25
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Alvarez M, Bleich A, Donohue K. Genetic differences in the temporal and environmental stability of transgenerational environmental effects. Evolution 2021; 75:2773-2790. [PMID: 34586633 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Environments influence the expression of phenotypes of individuals, their progeny, and even their grandprogeny. The duration of environmental effects and how they are modified by subsequent environments are predicted to be targets of natural selection in variable environments. However, little is known about the genetic basis of the temporal persistence of environmental effects and their stability of expression across subsequent environments, or even the extent to which natural genotypes differ in these attributes of environmental effects. We factorially manipulated the thermal environment experienced in three successive generations, to quantify the temporal persistence and environmental stability of temperature effects in contrasting genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that genotypes differed in the manner in which environmental effects dissipated across successive generations, the manner in which responses to ancestral environments were stably expressed in present environments, the manner in which ancestral environments altered responses to present environments, and in the manner in which ancestral environments altered fitness in present conditions. Genetic variation exists in nature for these trait-specific environmental responses, suggesting that the temporal persistence and stability of environmental effects in variable environments have the potential to evolve in response to natural selection imposed by different environments and sequences of environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Bleich
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Kathleen Donohue
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
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26
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Linquist S, Fullerton B. Transposon dynamics and the epigenetic switch hypothesis. Theor Med Bioeth 2021; 42:137-154. [PMID: 34919173 PMCID: PMC8938347 DOI: 10.1007/s11017-021-09548-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The recent explosion of interest in epigenetics is often portrayed as the dawning of a scientific revolution that promises to transform biomedical science along with developmental and evolutionary biology. Much of this enthusiasm surrounds what we call the epigenetic switch hypothesis, which regards certain examples of epigenetic inheritance as an adaptive organismal response to environmental change. This interpretation overlooks an alternative explanation in terms of coevolutionary dynamics between parasitic transposons and the host genome. This raises a question about whether epigenetics researchers tend to overlook transposon dynamics more generally. To address this question, we surveyed a large sample of scientific publications on the topics of epigenetics and transposons over the past fifty years. We found that enthusiasm for epigenetics is often inversely related to interest in transposon dynamics across the four disciplines we examined. Most surprising was a declining interest in transposons within biomedical science and cellular and molecular biology over the past two decades. Also notable was a delayed and relatively muted enthusiasm for epigenetics within evolutionary biology. An analysis of scientific abstracts from the past twenty-five years further reveals systematic differences among disciplines in their uses of the term epigenetic, especially with respect to heritability commitments and functional interpretations. Taken together, these results paint a nuanced picture of the rise of epigenetics and the possible neglect of transposon dynamics, especially among biomedical scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Linquist
- Department of Philosophy, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Brady Fullerton
- Department of Philosophy, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Moreira L, Costa C, Pires J, Teixeira JP, Fraga S. How can exposure to engineered nanomaterials influence our epigenetic code? A review of the mechanisms and molecular targets. Mutat Res Rev Mutat Res 2021; 788:108385. [PMID: 34893164 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2021.108385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that engineered nanomaterials (ENM) can induce epigenetic modifications. In this review, we provide an overview of the epigenetic modulation of gene expression induced by ENM used in a variety of applications: titanium dioxide (TiO2), silver (Ag), gold (Au), silica (SiO2) nanoparticles and carbon-based nanomaterials (CNM). Exposure to these ENM can trigger alterations in cell patterns of DNA methylation, post-transcriptional histone modifications and expression of non-coding RNA. Such effects are dependent on ENM dose and physicochemical properties including size, shape and surface chemistry, as well as on the cell/organism sensitivity. The genes affected are mostly involved in the regulation of the epigenetic machinery itself, as well as in apoptosis, cell cycle, DNA repair and inflammation related pathways, whose long-term alterations might lead to the onset or progression of certain pathologies. In addition, some DNA methylation patterns may be retained as a form of epigenetic memory. Prenatal exposure to ENM may impair the normal development of the offspring by transplacental effects and/or putative transmission of epimutations in imprinting genes. Thus, understanding the impact of ENM on the epigenome is of paramount importance and epigenetic evaluation must be considered when assessing the risk of ENM to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Moreira
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal; EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal.
| | - Carla Costa
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal; EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal.
| | - Joana Pires
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal; EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto (ICBAS-UP), Porto, Portugal.
| | - João Paulo Teixeira
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal; EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal.
| | - Sónia Fraga
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal; EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal.
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Wu HY, Cheng Y, Jin LY, Zhou Y, Pang HY, Zhu H, Yan CC, Yan YS, Yu JE, Sheng JZ, Huang HF. Paternal obesity impairs hepatic gluconeogenesis of offspring by altering Igf2/H19 DNA methylation. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 529:111264. [PMID: 33811969 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the past four decades, the global prevalence of obesity has increased rapidly in all age ranges. Emerging evidence suggests that paternal lifestyle and environmental exposure have a crucial role in the health of offspring. Therefore, the current study investigated the impact of paternal obesity on the metabolic profile of offspring in a male mouse model of obesity. Female offspring of obese fathers fed a high-fat diet (HFD) (60% kcal fat) showed hyperglycemia because of enhanced gluconeogenesis and elevated expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), which is a key enzyme involved in the regulation of gluconeogenesis. Methylation of the Igf2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) was dysregulated in the liver of offspring, and the sperm, of HFD fathers, suggesting that epigenetic changes in germ cells contribute to this father-offspring transmission. In addition, we explored whether H19 might regulate hepatic gluconeogenesis. Our results showed that overexpression of H19 in Hepa1-6 cells enhanced the expression of PEPCK and gluconeogenesis by promoting nuclear retention of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1), which is involved in the transcriptional regulation of Pepck. Thus, the current study suggests that paternal exposure to HFD impairs the gluconeogenesis of offspring via altered Igf2/H19 DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Yan Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi Cheng
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lu-Yang Jin
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yin Zhou
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hai-Yan Pang
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cao-Chong Yan
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi-Shang Yan
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jia-En Yu
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian-Zhong Sheng
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - He-Feng Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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Piferrer F, Anastasiadi D. Do the Offspring of Sex Reversals Have Higher Sensitivity to Environmental Perturbations? Sex Dev 2021; 15:134-147. [PMID: 33910195 DOI: 10.1159/000515192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex determination systems in vertebrates vary along a continuum from genetic (GSD) to environmental sex determination (ESD). Individuals that show a sexual phenotype opposite to their genotypic sex are called sex reversals. Aside from genetic elements, temperature, sex steroids, and exogenous chemicals are common factors triggering sex reversal, a phenomenon that may occur even in strict GSD species. In this paper, we review the literature on instances of sex reversal in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. We focus on the offspring of sex-reversed parents in the instances that they can be produced, and show that in all cases studied the offspring of these sex-reversed parents exhibit a higher sensitivity to environmental perturbations than the offspring of non-sex-reversed parents. We suggest that the inheritance of this sensitivity, aside from possible genetic factors, is likely to be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, since these mechanisms are responsive to environmental cues, and epigenetic modifications can be transmitted to the subsequent generations. Species with a chromosomal GSD system with environmental sensitivity and availability of genetic sex markers should be employed to further test whether offspring of sex-reversed parents have greater sensitivity to environmental perturbations. Future studies could also benefit from detailed whole-genome data in order to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Finally, we discuss the consequences of such higher sensitivity in the context of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesc Piferrer
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dafni Anastasiadi
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Nelson, New Zealand
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Gui Y, Yuan S. Epigenetic regulations in mammalian spermatogenesis: RNA-m 6A modification and beyond. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4893-4905. [PMID: 33835194 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03823-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence shows that m6A, one of the most abundant RNA modifications in mammals, is involved in the entire process of spermatogenesis, including mitosis, meiosis, and spermiogenesis. "Writers" catalyze m6A formation on stage-specific transcripts during male germline development, while "erasers" remove m6A modification to maintain a balance between methylation and demethylation. The different functions of RNA-m6A transcripts depend on their recognition by "readers". m6A modification mediates RNA metabolism, including mRNA splicing, translation, and degradation, as well as the maturity and biosynthesis of non-coding RNAs. Sperm RNA profiles are easily affected by environmental exposure and can even be inherited for several generations, similar to epigenetic inheritance. Here, we review and summarize the critical role of m6A in different developmental stages of male germ cells, to understand of the mechanisms and epigenetic regulation of m6A modifications. In addition, we also outline and discuss the important role of non-coding RNAs in spermatogenesis and RNA modifications in epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqian Gui
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shuiqiao Yuan
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. .,Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
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Hoyer-Fender S. Transgenerational effect of drug-mediated inhibition of LSD1 on eye pigment expression in Drosophila. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:62. [PMID: 33228645 PMCID: PMC7684728 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00330-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Drosophila melanogaster mutant white-mottled is a well-established model for position-effect variegation (PEV). Transposition of the euchromatic white gene into the vicinity of the pericentric heterochromatin caused variegated expression of white due to heterochromatin spreading. The establishment of the euchromatin-heterochromatin boundary and spreading of silencing is regulated by mutually exclusive histone modifications, i.e. the methylations of histone H3 at lysine 9 and lysine 4. Demethylation of H3K4, catalysed by lysine-specific demethylase LSD1, is required for subsequent methylation of H3K9 to establish heterochromatin. LSD1 is therefore essential for heterochromatin formation and spreading. We asked whether drug-mediated inhibition of LSD affects the expression of white and if this induced change can be transmitted to those generations that have never been exposed to the triggering signal, i.e. transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Results We used the lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1)-inhibitor Tranylcypromine to investigate its effect on eye colour expression in consecutive generations by feeding the parental and F1 generations of the Drosophila melanogaster mutant white-mottled. Quantitative Western blotting revealed that Tranylcypromine inhibits H3K4-demethylation both in vitro in S2 cells as well as in embryos when used as feeding additive. Eye colour expression in male flies was determined by optical measurement of pigment extracts and qRT-PCR of white gene expression. Flies raised in the presence of Tranylcypromine and its solvent DMSO showed increased eye pigment expression. Beyond that, eye pigment expression was also affected in consecutive generations including F3, which is the first generation without contact with the inhibitor. Conclusions Our results show that feeding of Tranylcypromine and DMSO caused desilencing of white in treated flies of generation F1. Consecutive generations, raised on standard food without further supplements, are also affected by the drug-induced alteration of histone modifications. Although eye pigment expression eventually returned to the basal state, the observed long-lasting effect points to a memory capacity of previous epigenomes. Furthermore, our results indicate that food compounds potentially affect chromatin modification and hence gene expression and that the alteration is putatively inherited not only parentally but transgenerationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigrid Hoyer-Fender
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology-Developmental Biology, GZMB, Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, Göttingen, Germany.
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Agarwal G, Kudapa H, Ramalingam A, Choudhary D, Sinha P, Garg V, Singh VK, Patil GB, Pandey MK, Nguyen HT, Guo B, Sunkar R, Niederhuth CE, Varshney RK. Epigenetics and epigenomics: underlying mechanisms, relevance, and implications in crop improvement. Funct Integr Genomics 2020; 20:739-61. [PMID: 33089419 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-020-00756-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics is defined as changes in gene expression that are not associated with changes in DNA sequence but due to the result of methylation of DNA and post-translational modifications to the histones. These epigenetic modifications are known to regulate gene expression by bringing changes in the chromatin state, which underlies plant development and shapes phenotypic plasticity in responses to the environment and internal cues. This review articulates the role of histone modifications and DNA methylation in modulating biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as crop improvement. It also highlights the possibility of engineering epigenomes and epigenome-based predictive models for improving agronomic traits.
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Tikhodeyev ON. The evolutionary role of the environment: back to Lamarck and Darwin, not to Darwinism. Sci Total Environ 2020; 738:140241. [PMID: 32605778 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Oleg N Tikhodeyev
- Department of Genetics & Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, University emb. 7/9, Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia.
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Rompala GR, Ferguson C, Homanics GE. Coincubation of sperm with epididymal extracellular vesicle preparations from chronic intermittent ethanol-treated mice is sufficient to impart anxiety-like and ethanol-induced behaviors to adult progeny. Alcohol 2020; 87:111-120. [PMID: 32445808 PMCID: PMC7484209 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported that paternal preconception chronic ethanol exposure in mice imparts adult male offspring with reduced ethanol drinking preference and consumption, increased ethanol sensitivity, and attenuated stress responsivity. That same chronic ethanol exposure paradigm was later revealed to affect the sperm epigenome by altering the abundance of several small noncoding RNAs, a mechanism that mediates the intergenerational effects of numerous paternal environmental exposures. Although recent studies have revealed that the unique RNA signature of sperm is shaped during maturation in the epididymis via extracellular vesicles (EVs), formal demonstration that EVs mediate the effects of paternal preconception perturbations is lacking. Therefore, in the current study we tested the hypothesis that epididymal EV preparations are sufficient to induce intergenerational effects of paternal preconception ethanol exposure on offspring. To test this hypothesis, sperm from ethanol-naïve donors were incubated with epididymal EV preparations from chronic ethanol (Ethanol EV-donor) or control-treated (Control EV-donor) mice prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer. Progeny were examined for ethanol- and stress-related behaviors in adulthood. Ethanol EV-donors imparted reduced body weight at weaning and imparted modestly increased limited access ethanol intake to male offspring. Ethanol-EV donors also imparted increased basal anxiety-like behavior and reduced sensitivity to ethanol-induced anxiolysis to female offspring. Although Ethanol EV-donor treatment did not recapitulate the ethanol- or stress-related intergenerational effects of paternal ethanol following natural mating, these results demonstrate that coincubation of sperm with epididymal EV preparations is sufficient to impart intergenerational effects of ethanol through the male germline. This mechanism may generalize to the intergenerational effects of a wide variety of paternal preconception perturbations.
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Tikhodeyev ON. Heredity determined by the environment: Lamarckian ideas in modern molecular biology. Sci Total Environ 2020; 710:135521. [PMID: 31784162 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Inheritance of acquired characteristics (IAC) is a well-documented phenomenon occurring both in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, it is not included in current biological theories, and the risks of IAC induction are not assessed by genetic toxicology. Furthermore, different kinds of IAC (transgenerational and intergenerational inheritance, genotrophic changes, dauermodifications, vernalization, and some others) are traditionally considered in isolation, thus impeding the development of a comprehensive view on IAC as a whole. Herein, we discuss all currently known kinds of IAC as well as their mechanisms, if unraveled. We demonstrate that IAC is a special case of genotype × environment interactions requiring certain genotypes and, as a rule, prolonged exposure to the inducing influence. Most mechanisms of IAC are epigenetic; these include but not limited to DNA methylation, histone modifications, competition of transcription factors, induction of non-coding RNAs, inhibition of plastid translation, and curing of amyloid and non-amyloid prions. In some cases, changes in DNA sequences or host-microbe interactions are involved as well. The only principal difference between IAC and other environmentally inducible hereditary changes such as the effects of radiation is the origin of the changes: in case of IAC they are definite (determined by the environment), while the others are indefinite (arise from environmentally provoked molecular stochasticity). At least some kinds of IAC are adaptive and could be regarded as the elements of natural selection, though non-canonical in their origin and molecular nature. This is a probable way towards synthesis of the Lamarckian and Darwinian evolutionary conceptions. Applied issues of IAC are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg N Tikhodeyev
- Department of Genetics & Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, University emb. 7/9, Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia.
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Corning PA. Beyond the modern synthesis: A framework for a more inclusive biological synthesis. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 2020; 153:5-12. [PMID: 32068003 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Many theorists in recent years have been calling for evolutionary biology to move beyond the Modern Synthesis - the paradigm that has long provided the theoretical backbone for the discipline. Terms like "postmodern synthesis," "integrative synthesis," and "extended evolutionary synthesis" have been invoked by various critics in connection with the many recent developments that pose deep challenges - even contradictions - to the traditional model and underscore the need for an update, or a makeover. However, none of these critics, to this author's knowledge, has to date offered an explicit alternative that could provide a unifying theoretical paradigm for our vastly increased knowledge about living systems and the history of life on Earth (but see Noble 2015, 2017). This paper briefly summarizes the case against the Modern Synthesis and its many amendments over the years, and a new paradigm is proposed, called an "Inclusive Biological Synthesis," which, it is argued, can provide a more general framework for the biological sciences. The focus of this framework is the fundamental nature of life as a contingent dynamic process - an always at-risk "survival enterprise." The ongoing, inescapable challenge of earning a living in a given environmental context - biological survival and reproduction - presents an existential problem to which all biological phenomena can be related and comprehended. They and their "parts" can be analyzed in relation to ethologist Niko Tinbergen's four key questions. Some basic properties and guiding assumptions related to this alternative paradigm are also identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Corning
- Institute for the Study of Complex Systems, 900 University Street, D-X, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
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Bertozzi TM, Ferguson-Smith AC. Metastable epialleles and their contribution to epigenetic inheritance in mammals. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 97:93-105. [PMID: 31551132 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Many epigenetic differences between individuals are driven by genetic variation. Mammalian metastable epialleles are unusual in that they show variable DNA methylation states between genetically identical individuals. The occurrence of such states across generations has resulted in their consideration by many as strong evidence for epigenetic inheritance in mammals, with the classic Avy and AxinFu mouse models - each products of repeat element insertions - being the most widely accepted examples. Equally, there has been interest in exploring their use as epigenetic biosensors given their susceptibility to environmental compromise. Here we review the classic murine metastable epialleles as well as more recently identified candidates, with the aim of providing a more holistic understanding of their biology. We consider the extent to which epigenetic inheritance occurs at metastable epialleles and explore the limited mechanistic insights into the establishment of their variable epigenetic states. We discuss their environmental modulation and their potential relevance in genome regulation. In light of recent whole-genome screens for novel metastable epialleles, we point out the need to reassess their biological relevance in multi-generational studies and we highlight their value as a model to study repeat element silencing as well as the mechanisms and consequences of mammalian epigenetic stochasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa M Bertozzi
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
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38
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Ben Maamar M, King SE, Nilsson E, Beck D, Skinner MK. Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of parent-of-origin allelic transmission of outcross pathology and sperm epimutations. Dev Biol 2019; 458:106-119. [PMID: 31682807 PMCID: PMC6987017 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance potentially impacts disease etiology, phenotypic variation, and evolution. An increasing number of environmental factors from nutrition to toxicants have been shown to promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. Previous observations have demonstrated that the agricultural fungicide vinclozolin and pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) induce transgenerational sperm epimutations involving DNA methylation, ncRNA, and histone modifications or retention. These two environmental toxicants were used to investigate the impacts of parent-of-origin outcross on the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. Male and female rats were collected from a paternal outcross (POC) or a maternal outcross (MOC) F4 generation control and exposure lineages for pathology and epigenetic analysis. This model allows the parental allelic transmission of disease and epimutations to be investigated. There was increased pathology incidence in the MOC F4 generation male prostate, kidney, obesity, and multiple diseases through a maternal allelic transmission. The POC F4 generation female offspring had increased pathology incidence for kidney, obesity and multiple types of diseases through the paternal allelic transmission. Some disease such as testis or ovarian pathology appear to be transmitted through the combined actions of both male and female alleles. Analysis of the F4 generation sperm epigenomes identified differential DNA methylated regions (DMRs) in a genome-wide analysis. Observations demonstrate that DDT and vinclozolin have the potential to promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and sperm epimutations to the outcross F4 generation in a sex specific and exposure specific manner. The parent-of-origin allelic transmission observed appears similar to the process involved with imprinted-like genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millissia Ben Maamar
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Stephanie E King
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Eric Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Daniel Beck
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA.
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Li CC, Wang ZY, Wang LJ, Zhang CY. Biosensors for epigenetic biomarkers detection: A review. Biosens Bioelectron 2019; 144:111695. [PMID: 31526982 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2019.111695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance is a heritable change in gene function independent of alterations in nucleotide sequence. It regulates the normal cellular activities of the organisms by affecting gene expression and transcription, and its abnormal expression may lead to the developmental disorder, senile dementia, and carcinogenesis progression. Thus, epigenetic inheritance is recognized as an important biomarker, and the accurate quantification of epigenetic inheritance is crucial to clinical diagnosis, drug development and cancer treatment. Noncoding RNA, DNA methylation and histone modification are the most common epigenetic biomarkers. The conventional biosensors (e.g., northern blotting, radiometric, mass spectrometry and immunosorbent biosensors) for epigenetic biomarkers assay usually suffer from hazardous radiation, complicated manipulation, and time-consuming procedures. To facilitate the practical applications, some new biosensors including colorimetric, luminescent, Raman scattering spectroscopy, electrochemical and fluorescent biosensors have been developed for the detection of epigenetic biomarkers with simplicity, rapidity, high throughput and high sensitivity. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in epigenetic biomarkers assay. We classify the biosensors into the direct amplification-free and the nucleotide amplification-assisted ones, and describe the principles of various biosensors, and further compare their performance for epigenetic biomarkers detection. Moreover, we discuss the emerging trends and challenges in the future development of epigenetic biomarkers biosensors.
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Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms of inheritance have come to occupy a prominent place in our understanding of living systems, primarily eukaryotes. There has been considerable and lively discussion of the possible evolutionary significance of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. One particular type of epigenetic inheritance that has not figured much in general discussions is that based on conformational changes in proteins, where proteins with altered conformations can act as templates to propagate their own structure. An increasing number of such proteins - prions and prion-like - are being discovered. Phenotypes due to the structurally altered proteins are transmitted along with their structures. This review discusses the properties and implications of "classical" amyloid-forming prions, as well as the broader class of proteins with intrinsically disordered domains, which are proving to have fascinating properties that appear to play important roles in cell organisation and function, especially during stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Manjrekar
- Microbiology Department and Biotechnology Centre, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390002, India.
| | - Hiral Shah
- Microbiology Department and Biotechnology Centre, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390002, India
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Deathridge J, Antolović V, Parsons M, Chubb JR. Live imaging of ERK signalling dynamics in differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells. Development 2019; 146:dev172940. [PMID: 31064783 PMCID: PMC6602347 DOI: 10.1242/dev.172940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Stimulation of the ERK/MAPK pathway is required for the exit from pluripotency and onset of differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The dynamic behaviour of ERK activity in individual cells during this transition is unclear. Using a FRET-based biosensor, we monitored ERK signalling dynamics of single mouse ESCs during differentiation. ERK activity was highly heterogeneous, with considerable variability in ERK signalling between single cells within ESC colonies. Different triggers of differentiation induced distinct ERK activity profiles. Surprisingly, the dynamic features of ERK signalling were not strongly coupled to loss of pluripotency marker expression, regardless of the differentiation stimulus, suggesting the normal dynamic range of ERK signalling is not rate-limiting in single cells during differentiation. ERK signalling dynamics were sensitive to the degree of cell crowding and were similar in neighbouring cells. Sister cells from a mitotic division also showed more similar ERK activity, an effect that was apparent whether cells remained adjacent or moved apart after division. These data suggest a combination of cell lineage and niche contributes to the absolute level of ERK signalling in mouse ESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Deathridge
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, Guys Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Vlatka Antolović
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Maddy Parsons
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, Guys Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Jonathan R Chubb
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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42
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Wang Z, McSwiggin H, Newkirk SJ, Wang Y, Oliver D, Tang C, Lee S, Wang S, Yuan S, Zheng H, Ye P, An W, Yan W. Insertion of a chimeric retrotransposon sequence in mouse Axin1 locus causes metastable kinky tail phenotype. Mob DNA 2019; 10:17. [PMID: 31073336 PMCID: PMC6500023 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-019-0162-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transposable elements (TEs) make up > 50% of the human genome, and the majority of retrotransposon insertions are truncated and many are located in introns. However, the effects of retrotransposition on the host genes remain incompletely known. Results We report here that insertion of a chimeric L1 (cL1), but not IAP solo LTR, into intron 6 of Axin1 using CRIPSR/Cas9 induced the kinky tail phenotype with ~ 80% penetrance in heterozygous Axin cL1 mice. Both penetrant (with kinky tails) and silent (without kinky tails) Axin cL1 mice, regardless of sex, could transmit the phenotype to subsequent generations with similar penetrance (~ 80%). Further analyses revealed that a longer Axin1 transcript isoform containing partial cL1-targeted intron was present in penetrant, but absent in silent and wild type mice, and the production of this unique Axin1 transcript appeared to correlate with altered levels of an activating histone modification, H3K9ac. Conclusions The mechanism for Axin cL1 mice is different from those previously identified in mice with spontaneous retrotransposition of IAP, e.g., Axin Fu and A vy , both of which have been associated with DNA methylation changes. Our data suggest that Axin1 locus is sensitive to genetic and epigenetic alteration by retrotransposons and thus, ideally suited for studying the effects of new retrotransposition events on target gene function in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuqing Wang
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Hayden McSwiggin
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Simon J Newkirk
- 3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007 USA
| | - Yue Wang
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Daniel Oliver
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Chong Tang
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Sandy Lee
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Shawn Wang
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Shuiqiao Yuan
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Huili Zheng
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Ping Ye
- 2Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 USA.,3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007 USA
| | - Wenfeng An
- 3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007 USA
| | - Wei Yan
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA.,4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557 USA.,5Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557 USA
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Abstract
A hereditary system that is based on double-helix DNA sequences provides a stable way to store inherited traits and is favored by most life forms on Earth. However, emerging studies on the phenomenon of non-DNA sequence-based inheritance in multiple species, including mammals, urges a rethinking of the nature of hereditary information carriers and the ways in which they encode heritable traits. In this short opinion piece, we discuss how potential hereditary information carriers such as DNA-associated proteins, epigenetic marks, RNAs and organelles could function via distinct and synergistic modes of action in encoding and transmitting ancestral traits, either inherited or acquired from the environment. In particular, we discuss how the 3D structure of chromatin, in addition to its DNA sequence, may represent a higher-order carrier of hereditary information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA .,Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Norouzitallab P, Baruah K, Vanrompay D, Bossier P. Can epigenetics translate environmental cues into phenotypes? Sci Total Environ 2019; 647:1281-1293. [PMID: 30180336 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms are constantly exposed to wide ranges of environmental cues. They react to these cues by undergoing a battery of phenotypic responses, such as by altering their physiological and behavioral traits, in order to adapt and survive in the changed environments. The adaptive response of a species induced by environmental cues is typically thought to be associated with its genetic diversity such that higher genetic diversity provides increased adaptive potential. This originates from the general consensus that phenotypic traits have a genetic basis and are subject to Darwinian natural selection and Mendelian inheritance. There is no doubt about the validity of these principles, supported by the successful introgression of specific traits during (selective) breeding. However, a range of recent studies provided fascinating evidences suggesting that environmental effects experienced by an organism during its lifetime can have marked influences on its phenotype, and additionally the organism can pass on the acquired phenotypes to its subsequent generations through non-genetic mechanisms (also termed as epigenetic mechanism) - a notion that dates back to Lamarck and has been controversial ever since. In this review, we describe how the epigenetics has reshaped our long perception about the inheritance/development of phenotypes within organisms, contrasting with the classical gene-based view of inheritance. We particularly highlighted recent developments in our understanding of inheritance of parental environmental induced phenotypic traits in multicellular organisms under different environmental conditions, and discuss how modifications of the epigenome contribute to the determination of the adult phenotype of future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Norouzitallab
- Laboratory for Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium; Laboratory of Aquaculture &Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
| | - Kartik Baruah
- Laboratory of Aquaculture &Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium; Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daisy Vanrompay
- Laboratory for Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Peter Bossier
- Laboratory of Aquaculture &Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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45
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Xue Y, Acar M. Mechanisms for the epigenetic inheritance of stress response in single cells. Curr Genet 2018; 64:1221-1228. [PMID: 29846762 PMCID: PMC6215725 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-018-0849-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cells have evolved to dynamically respond to different types of environmental and physiological stress conditions. The information about a previous stress stimulus experience by a mother cell can be passed to its descendants, allowing them to better adapt to and survive in new environments. In recent years, live-cell imaging combined with cell-lineage tracking approaches has elucidated many important principles that guide stress inheritance at the single-cell and population level. In this review, we summarize different strategies that cells can employ to pass the 'memory' of previous stress responses to their descendants. Among these strategies, we focus on a recent discovery of how specific features of Msn2 nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling dynamics could be inherited across cell lineages. We also discuss how stress response can be transmitted to progenies through changes in chromatin and through partitioning of anti-stress factors and/or damaged macromolecules between mother and daughter cells during cell division. Finally, we highlight how emergent technologies will help address open questions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Xue
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, 219 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Murat Acar
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, 219 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA.
- Interdepartmental Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, 300 George Street, Suite 501, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- Department of Physics, Yale University, Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
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46
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Greenstein RA, Al-Sady B. Epigenetic fates of gene silencing established by heterochromatin spreading in cell identity and genome stability. Curr Genet 2018; 65:423-428. [PMID: 30390097 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-018-0901-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Heterochromatin spreading, the propagation of repressive chromatin along the chromosome, is a reaction critical to genome stability and defense, as well as maintenance of unique cell fates. Here, we discuss the intrinsic properties of the spreading reaction and circumstances under which its products, formed distal to DNA-encoded nucleation sites, can be epigenetically maintained. Finally, we speculate that the epigenetic properties of heterochromatin evolved together with the need to stabilize cellular identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Greenstein
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, George Williams Hooper Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.,TETRAD Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Bassem Al-Sady
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, George Williams Hooper Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
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47
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Ni JZ, Kalinava N, Mendoza SG, Gu SG. The spatial and temporal dynamics of nuclear RNAi-targeted retrotransposon transcripts in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development 2018; 145:dev167346. [PMID: 30254142 PMCID: PMC6215403 DOI: 10.1242/dev.167346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear RNA interference provides a unique approach to the study of RNA-mediated transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. A paradox in the field is that expression of target loci is necessary for the initiation and maintenance of their silencing. How expression and repression are coordinated during animal development is poorly understood. To resolve this gap, we took imaging, deep-sequencing and genetic approaches towards delineating the developmental regulation and subcellular localization of RNA transcripts of two representative endogenous targets, the LTR retrotransposons Cer3 and Cer8. By examining wild-type worms and a collection of mutant strains, we found that the expression and silencing cycle of Cer3 and Cer8 is coupled with embryonic and germline development. Strikingly, endogenous targets exhibit a hallmark of nuclear enrichment of their RNA transcripts. In addition, germline and somatic repressions of Cer3 have different genetic requirements for three heterochromatin enzymes, MET-2, SET-25 and SET-32, in conjunction with the nuclear Argonaute protein HRDE-1. These results provide the first comprehensive cellular and developmental characterization of nuclear RNAi activities throughout the animal reproductive cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Zhouli Ni
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Natallia Kalinava
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Sofia Galindo Mendoza
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Sam Guoping Gu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Guo X, Chen X, Wang J, Liu Z, Gaile D, Wu H, Yu G, Mao G, Yang Z, Di Z, Guo X, Cao L, Chang P, Kang B, Chen J, Gao W, Ren X. Multi-generational impacts of arsenic exposure on genome-wide DNA methylation and the implications for arsenic-induced skin lesions. Environ Int 2018; 119:250-263. [PMID: 29982128 PMCID: PMC6143427 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
As a nonmutagenic human carcinogen, arsenic (As)'s carcinogenic activity is likely the result of epigenetic changes, particularly alterations in DNA methylation. While increasing studies indicate a potentially important role for timing of As exposure on DNA methylation patterns and the subsequent differential risks for As toxicity and carcinogenesis, there is a lack of research that tackles these critical questions, particularly in human based populations. Here we reported a family-based study including three generations, in which each generation living in the same household had a distinctive timing of As exposure: in adulthood, in utero and during early childhood, and in germlines exposure for grandparents, parents, and grandchildren, respectively. We generated genome-wide DNA methylation data for 18 As-exposed families, nine control families, as well as 18 arsenical skin lesion patients. Our analysis showed that As exposure may leave detectable DNA methylation changes even though exposure occurred decades ago, and the most significant changes of global DNA methylation were observed among patients afflicted with arsenical skin lesions. As exposure across generations shared common differentially methylated DNA loci and regions (744 DML and 15 DMRs) despite the distinctive exposure timing in each generation. Importantly, based on these DML, clustering analysis grouped skin lesion patients together with grandparents in exposed families in the same cluster, separated from grandparents in control families. Further analysis identified a number of DML and several molecular pathways that were significantly distinguished between controls, exposed populations, as well as skin lesion patients. Finally, our exploratory analysis suggested that some of these DML altered by As exposure, may have the potential to be inherited affecting not only those directly exposed but also later generations. Together, our results suggest that common DML and/or DMRs associated with an increased risk for disease development could be identified regardless of when exposure to As occurred during their life span, and thus may be able to serve as biomarkers for identifying individuals at risk for As-induced skin lesions and possible cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Guo
- School of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China; School of Public Health & Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xushen Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Zhiyue Liu
- School of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Daniel Gaile
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Hongmei Wu
- School of Public Health & Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guan Yu
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Guangyun Mao
- School of Public Health & Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zuopeng Yang
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuyuan County, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Zhen Di
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangjinhouqi County, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Xiuqing Guo
- School of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Li Cao
- School of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Peiye Chang
- School of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Binxian Kang
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuyuan County, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Jinyu Chen
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuyuan County, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Wen Gao
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuyuan County, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Xuefeng Ren
- School of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China; Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Fernández-Rhodes L, Howard AG, Tao R, Young KL, Graff M, Aiello AE, North KE, Justice AE. Characterization of the contribution of shared environmental and genetic factors to metabolic syndrome methylation heritability and familial correlations. BMC Genet 2018; 19:69. [PMID: 30255772 PMCID: PMC6157030 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-018-0634-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance has been posited as a possible contributor to the observed heritability of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Yet the extent to which estimates of epigenetic inheritance for DNA methylation sites are inflated by environmental and genetic covariance within families is still unclear. We applied current methods to quantify the environmental and genetic contributors to the observed heritability and familial correlations of four previously associated MetS methylation sites at three genes (CPT1A, SOCS3 and ABCG1) using real data made available through the GAW20. Results Our findings support the role of both shared environment and genetic variation in explaining the heritability of MetS and the four MetS cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites, although the resulting heritability estimates were indistinguishable from one another. Familial correlations by type of relative pair generally followed our expectation based on relatedness, but in the case of sister and parent pairs we observed nonsignificant trends toward greater correlation than expected, as would be consistent with the role of shared environmental factors in the inflation of our estimated correlations. Conclusions Our work provides an interesting and flexible statistical framework for testing models of epigenetic inheritance in the context of human family studies. Future work should endeavor to replicate our findings and advance these methods to more robustly describe epigenetic inheritance patterns in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Fernández-Rhodes
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 137 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA. .,Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 136 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
| | - Annie Green Howard
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 136 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 137 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Ran Tao
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
| | - Kristin L Young
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 137 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Mariaelisa Graff
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 137 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 137 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.,Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 136 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Kari E North
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 137 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Anne E Justice
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 137 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
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Gao Z, Sun H, Qin S, Yang X, Tang C. A systematic study of the determinants of protein abundance memory in cell lineage. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2018; 63:1051-1058. [PMID: 36755457 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are essential players of life activities. Intracellular protein levels directly affect cellular functions and cell fate. Upon cell division, the proteins in the mother cell are inherited by the daughters. However, what factors and by how much they affect this epigenetic inheritance of protein abundance remains unclear. Using both computational and experimental approaches, we systematically investigated this problem. We derived an analytical expression for the dependence of protein inheritance on various factors and showed that it agreed with numerical simulations of protein production and experimental results. Our work provides a framework for quantitative studies of protein inheritance and for the potential application of protein memory manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongmao Gao
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haoyuan Sun
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shanshan Qin
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaojing Yang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Chao Tang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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