Acrylamide disturbs genomic imprinting during spermatogenesis.
Acrylamide (ACR), a carcinogen for rodents and humans, exists widely in the human living environment and heat-treated carbohydrate foodstuffs. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that ACR can cause chromosomal damage in somatic cells and mutagenesis. However, little is known about whether ACR can disturb genomic imprinting during spermatogenesis. We investigated the effects of ACR on methylation patterns of rat sperm genes. The results showed that after oral administration of ACR to rats for two weeks, methylation of some cytosines in the CpG islands of the differentially methylated region (DMR2) of sperm gene insulin-like growth factor II (Igf2), which is still present at the 19th day, disappeared on the 35th day. Furthermore, the extent by which ACR causes methylation defects varies in animals. Our findings indicate that mitotic spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes are sensitive to ACR-induced genomic imprinting aberration, suggesting that ACR predominantly interferes with the remodeling process in spermatogenesis.
Wang
Zhuoqun
Z
Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
Lu
Shuang
S
Liu
Chunmei
C
Yao
Nan
N
Zhang
Changyong
C
Ma
Xu
X
D020106:Acrylamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018392:Genomic Imprinting / Q000187:drug effects*; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; C000599313:Igf2 protein, rat; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020106:Acrylamide; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II