Accepted manuscript
Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance of Obesity Susceptibility
Trends in endocrinology and metabolism, Vol.31(7), pp.478-494
07/01/2020
PMCID: PMC8260009
PMID: 32521235
Abstract
The prevalence of obesity and associated diseases has reached pandemic levels. Obesity is often associated with overnutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, but clearly other factors also increase the susceptibility of metabolic disease states. Ancestral and direct exposures to environmental toxicants and altered nutrition have been shown to increase susceptibility for obesity and metabolic dysregulation. Environmental insults can reprogram the epigenome of the germline (sperm and eggs), which transmits the susceptibility for disease to future generations through epigenetic transgenerational inheritance. In this review, we discuss current evidence and molecular mechanisms for epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of obesity susceptibility. Understanding ancestral environmental insults and epigenetic transgenerational impacts on future generations will be critical to fully understand the etiology of obesity and to develop preventative therapy options.
The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically over the past 30 years, and cannot be explained by genetics, diet, and exercise alone.A variety of early life and in utero exposures to environmental insults can change metabolic outcomes through developmental epigenetic reprogramming.Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of obesity has been observed following ancestral exposure to a high-fat diet, malnutrition, and several environmental toxicants.Unique obesity-specific sperm epimutation signatures have been identified in the transgenerational F3 generation of animals ancestrally exposed to environmental toxicants.Numerous genes modified by DNA methylation in a variety of phenotypes and ancestral exposures have been found to be potential novel modulators of adipocyte (fat cell) metabolism and function.
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Details
- Title
- Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance of Obesity Susceptibility
- Creators
- Stephanie E. King - Washington State UniversityMichael K. Skinner - Washington State University
- Publication Details
- Trends in endocrinology and metabolism, Vol.31(7), pp.478-494
- Academic Unit
- Biological Sciences, School of
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Identifiers
- 99901080305501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Accepted manuscript