title: Gene-nutrient interactions: importance of folic acid and vitamin B12 during early embryogenesis.
abstract: The role that nutritional factors play in mammalian development has received renewed attention over the past two decades as the scientific literature has exploded with reports that folic acid supplementation in the periconceptional period can protect embryos from a number of highly significant malformations. As is often the case, the relationship between B vitamin supplementation and improved pregnancy outcomes is more complicated than initially perceived, as the interaction between nutritional factors and selected genes must be considered. In this review, we attempt to summarize the complex clinical and experimental literature on nutritional factors, their biological transport mechanisms, and interactions with genetic polymorphisms that impact early embryogenesis. While not exhaustive, our goal was to provide an overview of important gene-nutrient interactions, focusing on folic acid and vitamin B12, to serve as a framework for understanding the multiple roles they play in early embryogenesis.
authors: Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. rfinnell@ibt.tmc.edu
authors: Richard H
authors: RH
authors: Finnell
authors: Gary M
authors: GM
authors: Shaw
authors: Edward J
authors: EJ
authors: Lammer
authors: Thomas H
authors: TH
authors: Rosenquist
mesh_terms: D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000453:epidemiology; D054647:Nutrigenomics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12