title: Food restriction in pregnant mice can induce changes in histone modifications and suppress gene expression in fetus.
abstract: Biological responses to environmental effects are mediated through epigenetic changes such as chemical modifications of the histone tails and DNA (5-cytosine) methylation. We report that dietary protein restriction in pregnant mice can alter histone modifications in the promoter region of the Igf2 gene and cause a two-fold repression in promoter specific Igf2 transcription in the liver of the fetus. Suppression of Igf2 is accompanied with low birth weight of the pups born to the protein-restricted dams. Our results provide new information about the epigenetic aspects of early life programming and will improve our understanding about the developmental origins of adult diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. jafarsharif@tubero.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Jafar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sharif
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Teruyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagamune
authors.forename: Kohzoh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitsuya
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D020567:Fetal Weight; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005508:Food Deprivation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; C513121:IGF2 protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II