Gene-nutrient interactions: importance of folates and retinoids during early embryogenesis.
The role that nutritional factors play in mammalian development has received renewed attention over the past two decades, as the scientific literature exploded with reports of retinoid compounds disrupting craniofacial development, and with other reports that folic acid supplementation in the periconceptional period can protect embryos from highly significant malformations. As was often the case, the situation became far more complicated, as the interaction between nutritional factors with selected genes was recognized. In this review, we attempt to summarize a complex clinical and experimental literature of nutritional factors, their biological transport mechanisms, and the impact that they have during early embryogenesis. Although not exhaustive, our goal was to provide an overview of important gene-nutrient interactions and a framework for their investigation.
Finnell
Richard H
RH
Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. rfinnell@ibt.tmc.edu
Shaw
Gary M
GM
Lammer
Edward J
EJ
Brandl
Kerry L
KL
Carmichael
Suzan L
SL
Rosenquist
Thomas H
TH
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000502:physiology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology*; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011247:Pregnancy; D012176:Retinoids / Q000502:physiology* / Q000633:toxicity*
D012176:Retinoids; D005492:Folic Acid