Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Based Developmental Toxicity Assays for Chemical Safety Screening and Systems Biology Data Generation
Published on: June 17, 2015
In utero exposure to chlordecone affects histone modifications and activates LINE-1 in cord blood
Louis Legoff1, Shereen Cynthia D'Cruz1, Katia Bouchekhchoukha1
1University of Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail (Irset)-UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
Abstract:
Environmental factors can induce detrimental consequences into adulthood life. In this study, we examined the epigenetic effects induced by in utero chlordecone (CD) exposure on human male cord blood as well as in blood-derived Ke-37 cell line. Genome-wide analysis of histone H3K4me3 distribution revealed that genes related to chromosome segregation, chromatin organization, and cell cycle have altered occupancy in their promoters. The affected regions were enriched in ESR1, SP family, and IKZF1 binding motifs. We also observed a global reduction in H3K9me3, markedly in repeated sequences of the genome. Decrease in H3K9me3 after CD exposure correlates with decreased methylation in LINE-1 promoters and telomere length extension. These observations on human cord blood were assessed in the Ke-37 human cell line. H3K4me3 and the expression of genes related to immune response, DNA repair, and chromatin organization, which were affected in human cord blood were also altered in CD-exposed Ke-37 cells. Our data suggest that developmental exposure to CD leads to profound changes in histone modification patterns and affects the processes controlled by them in human cord blood.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Teratogenicity
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Position-effect Variegation

