Exploring the evidence for epigenetic regulation of environmental influences on child health across generations

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Carrie V Breton, University of Southern California; Remy Landon, University of Southern California; Linda G Kahn, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Michelle Bosquet Enlow, Boston Childrens Hospital; Alicia K Peterson, University of Southern California; Theresa Bastain, University of Southern California; Joseph Braun, Brown University; Sarah S Comstock, Michigan State University; Cristiane S Duarte, Columbia University; Alison Hipwell, University of Pittsburgh; Hong Ji, University of California Davis; Janine M LaSalle, University of California Davis; Rachel L Miller, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Rashelle Musci, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Jonathan Posner, Columbia University; Rebecca Schmidt, UC Davis School of Medicine; Shakira Suglia, Emory University; Irene Tung, University of Pittsburgh; Daniel Weisenberger, University of Southern California; Yeyi Zhu, University of California San Francisco; Rebecca Fry, University of North Carolina
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-06-22
• Publisher: NATURE PORTFOLIO
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s) 2021
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02316-6
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 769
• End Page: 769
• Keywords: IN-UTERO; Multidisciplinary Sciences; Biology; CIGARETTE-SMOKE; GRANDMOTHERS SMOKING; PRENATAL EXPOSURE; GRANDMATERNAL SMOKING PATTERNS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Science & Technology; TRANSGENERATIONAL INHERITANCE; Science & Technology - Other Topics; SPERM DNA FRAGMENTATION; MATERNAL SMOKING; HIGH-FAT DIET; BIRTH-WEIGHT; Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Immunology; Biology, Microbiology; Biology, Cell; Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

Environmental exposures, psychosocial stressors and nutrition are all potentially important influences that may impact health outcomes directly or via interactions with the genome or epigenome over generations. While there have been clear successes in large-scale human genetic studies in recent decades, there is still a substantial amount of missing heritability to be elucidated for complex childhood disorders. Mounting evidence, primarily in animals, suggests environmental exposures may generate or perpetuate altered health outcomes across one or more generations. One putative mechanism for these environmental health effects is via altered epigenetic regulation. This review highlights the current epidemiologic literature and supporting animal studies that describe intergenerational and transgenerational health effects of environmental exposures. Both maternal and paternal exposures and transmission patterns are considered, with attention paid to the attendant ethical, legal and social implications.