Linking inter-individual variability to endocrine disruptors: insights for epigenetic inheritance
Sarah E Latchney1, Ashley M Fields1, Martha Susiarjo2
1Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
Summary
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can cause health effects passed down through generations via epigenetic changes, like DNA methylation. These inherited changes can vary between individuals, offering insights into disease transmission.
Area of Science:
- Environmental epigenetics and toxicology.
- Multi- and transgenerational inheritance studies.
Background:
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are linked to adverse health outcomes.
- Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, are crucial for development and can be altered by environmental exposures.
- Multi- and transgenerational inheritance of EDC-induced effects, independent of genetic changes, is an active research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review DNA methylation and histone modification as mechanisms for disease transmission across generations.
- To define requirements for multi- and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
- To evaluate rodent studies on inherited epigenetic changes following EDC exposure and their inter-individual variations.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on epigenetic inheritance and EDC exposure.
- Analysis of rodent studies investigating DNA methylation and histone modifications across generations.
- Discussion of factors contributing to inter-individual variations in epigenetic inheritance.
Main Results:
- Parental EDC exposure can lead to inherited epigenetic marks, particularly DNA methylation, that escape reprogramming and cause adult-onset diseases.
- Inter-individual variations in epigenetic inheritance are increasingly reported, suggesting complex transmission mechanisms.
- Rodent studies demonstrate variability in inherited epigenetic changes following EDC exposure.
Conclusions:
- DNA methylation and histone modifications are key epigenetic mechanisms involved in transgenerational disease transmission.
- Understanding inter-individual variations in epigenetic inheritance is crucial for identifying novel transmission pathways.
- Challenges exist in applying findings from rodent generational studies to human health outcomes.
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