title: Exposure to diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) results in a heritable modification of imprint genes DNA methylation in mouse oocytes.
abstract: Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is an estrogen-like compound widely used as a plasticizer in commercial products and is present in medical devices, and common household items. It is considered an endocrine disruptor since studies on experimental animals clearly show that exposure to DEHP can alter epigenetics of germ cells. This study was designed to assess the effects of DEHP on DNA methylation of imprinting genes in germ cells from fetal and adult mouse. Pregnant mice were treated with DEHP at doses of 0 and 40 μg DEHP/kg body weight/day from 0.5 to 18.5 day post coitum. The data revealed DEHP exposure significantly reduced the percentage of methylated CpG sites in Igf2r and Peg3 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in primordial germ cells from female and male fetal mouse, particularly, in the oocytes of 21 dpp mice (F1), which were produced by the pregnant micetreated with DEHP. More surprisingly, the modification of the DNA methylation of imprinted genes in F1 mouse oocytes was heritable to F2 offspring which exhibit lower percentages of methylated CpG sites in imprinted genes DMRs. In conclusion, DEHP exposure can affect the DNA methylation of imprinting genes not only in fetal mouse germ cells and growing oocytes, but also in offspring's oocytes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Germ Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Germplasm Enhancement in Universities of Shandong, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China, lilan9600@126.com.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xun-Si
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Hua-Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Li-Lan
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhu-Mei
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guo-Qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xi-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D018392:Genomic Imprinting / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D017527:Receptor, IGF Type 2 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; C097901:Peg3 protein, mouse; D017527:Receptor, IGF Type 2; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate