title: Intergenerational epigenetic inheritance in models of developmental programming of adult disease.
abstract: It is now well established that the environment to which we are exposed during fetal and neonatal life can have a long-term impact on our health. This has been termed the developmental origins of health and disease. Factors known to have such programming effects include intrauterine nutrient availability (determined by maternal nutrition and placental function), endocrine disruptors, toxins and infectious agents. Epigenetic processes have emerged as a key mechanism by which the early environment can permanently influence cell function and metabolism after multiple rounds of cell division. More recently it has been suggested that programmed effects can be observed beyond the first generation and that therefore epigenetic mechanisms could form the basis of transmission of phenotype from parent to child to grandchild and beyond. Here we review the evidence for such processes.
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Level 4, Box 289, Addenbrookes Treatment Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Denise S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Twinn
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Constância
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Level 4, Box 289, Addenbrookes Treatment Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: seo10@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ozanne
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D040582:Inheritance Patterns / Q000235:genetics*; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000235:genetics; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Chromatin; Developmental programming; Global nutrient restriction; Histone modifications; Intergenerational epigenetic inheritance; Intrauterine growth restriction; Maternal obesity; Maternal protein restriction; Methylation; MicroRNAs; piRNAs