Epigenetics and epimutagens: some new perspectives on cancer, germ line effects and endocrine disrupters.
It is known that a variety of chemicals, including certain base analogues and reactive oxygen species, can alter the phenotypes of mammalian cells epigenetically, i.e., without changing their DNA sequence information in any way. The implications of such findings are not trivial, but do not seem to have been the focus of a great deal of attention amongst mutation researchers to date. In part this may be a reflection of the confused state of terminology in the chemical carcinogenesis research area and in part may signal a reluctance on the part of many of us to come to terms with the idea of heritable non-sequence changes to DNA molecules. In this review, some of the most obvious outcomes of spontaneous and induced epimutagenic change for human carcinogenesis and germ line inheritance are discussed, and an attempt is made to place the so-called endocrine disrupters in a context in which their modes of action may be more readily analysed and integrated into the broader chemical hazard framework.
School of Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia. micdgm@lure.latrobe.edu.au
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D000818:Animals; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype
D004785:Environmental Pollutants