Transmission of Metabolic Dysfunction Across Generations
Kathleen Jaeger1, Jessica L Saben1, Kelle H Moley1
1Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Physiology (Bethesda, Md.)
|December 9, 2016
Summary
Maternal exposures can alter offspring
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
Background:
- Growing evidence links genome, epigenome, and environmental factors to offspring metabolic health.
- Epigenetic modifications, like DNA methylation, are implicated in obesity and metabolic disease predisposition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the mechanisms by which maternal exposures influence offspring health.
- To explore the intergenerational and potentially transgenerational effects of these exposures.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent human and animal studies.
- Focus on epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation.
- Analysis of maternal exposures and their impact on offspring health outcomes.
Main Results:
- Maternal exposures can lead to epigenetic changes in offspring.
- These changes are associated with a predisposition to lifelong obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
- Effects may extend beyond the immediate offspring to subsequent generations.
Conclusions:
- Maternal environment plays a critical role in offspring metabolic health via epigenetic pathways.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for preventing intergenerational NCDs.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate transgenerational inheritance patterns.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Inborn Errors of Metabolism
972
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...
972
02:59Animal Mitochondrial Genetics
9.8K
Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
9.8K
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
306
In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
306
01:31Translation
21.4K
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Proteins are...
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Proteins are...
21.4K
01:31Translation
158.7K
Lesson: Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of...
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of...
158.7K
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
38.3K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
38.3K