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Transgenerational epigenetic imprints on mate preference.

David Crews1, Andrea C Gore, Timothy S Hsu

  • 1Section of Integrative Biology,University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 29, 2007
PubMed
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Environmental contaminants like vinclozolin can epigenetically alter offspring attractiveness across generations. Female rats avoided exposed males, suggesting epigenetic inheritance influences sexual selection and evolution.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental epigenetics
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can induce epigenetic changes, specifically DNA methylation, in the germ line, potentially affecting health and behavior in subsequent generations.
  • In natural settings, mate choice can be influenced by exposure to environmental contaminants, impacting reproductive success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of ancestral exposure to the fungicide vinclozolin on mate preference in rats across multiple generations.
  • To determine if epigenetic effects of EDCs on reproductive behavior are sex-specific and transgenerational.

Main Methods:

  • Rats were exposed to vinclozolin (an antiandrogenic fungicide) across generations.
  • Mate preference tests were conducted with male and female rats whose progenitors had been exposed to vinclozolin.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Epigenetic imprinting and behavioral responses were assessed in descendant generations.

    • Main Results:

    • Females three generations removed from vinclozolin exposure exhibited a clear preference for males without an exposure history.
    • Males from exposed lineages did not show a significant preference, indicating sex-specific effects.
    • The findings suggest that epigenetic inheritance of EDC effects can extend beyond direct descendants.

    Conclusions:

    • Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of EDC effects can influence mate choice and sexual selection.
    • These environmentally induced epigenetic changes can have 'transpopulational' consequences, especially in species with male dispersal.
    • Epigenetics represents a significant, previously unappreciated factor in evolutionary processes and adaptation.