Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
Volume 192, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110279
Keywords
EWAS; Epigenetics; Transgenerational; DNA Methylation; Sperm; Dioxin; TCDD; Prostate; Kidney; Obesity; Testis; Pathology
Funding
- John Templeton Foundation [50183, 61174]
- NIH [ES012974]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Exposure to dioxin can promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease susceptibility, and this study used EWAS to identify sperm DNA methylation biomarkers for specific transgenerational diseases, demonstrating the potential to develop similar biomarkers for humans to diagnose disease susceptibilities and facilitate preventative medicine.
Dioxin was historically one of the most common industrial contaminants with several major industry accidents, as well as governmental actions involving military service, having exposed large numbers of the worldwide population over the past century. Previous rat studies have demonstrated the ability of dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)) exposure to promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease susceptibility in subsequent generations. The types of disease previously observed include puberty abnormalities, testis, ovary, kidney, prostate and obesity pathologies. The current study was designed to use an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) to identify potential sperm DNA methylation biomarkers for specific transgenerational diseases. Therefore, the transgenerational F3 generation dioxin lineage male rats with and without a specific disease were compared to identify differential DNA methylation regions (DMRs) as biomarkers for disease. The genomic features of the disease-specific DMRs were characterized. Observations demonstrate that disease specific epimutation DMRs exist for the transgenerational dioxin lineage rats that can potentially be used as epigenetic biomarkers for testis, kidney, prostate and obesity diseases. These disease-specific DMRs were associated with genes that have previously been shown to be linked with the specific diseases. This EWAS for transgenerational disease identified potential epigenetic biomarkers and provides the proof of concept of the potential to develop similar biomarkers for humans to diagnose disease susceptibilities and facilitate preventative medicine.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available