title: Multigenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans: DNA methylation changes associated with maternal exposure to lead can be transmitted to the grandchildren.
abstract: We report that the DNA methylation profile of a child's neonatal whole blood can be significantly influenced by his or her mother's neonatal blood lead levels (BLL). We recruited 35 mother-infant pairs in Detroit and measured the whole blood lead (Pb) levels and DNA methylation levels at over 450,000 loci from current blood and neonatal blood from both the mother and the child. We found that mothers with high neonatal BLL correlate with altered DNA methylation at 564 loci in their children's neonatal blood. Our results suggest that Pb exposure during pregnancy affects the DNA methylation status of the fetal germ cells, which leads to altered DNA methylation in grandchildren's neonatal dried blood spots. This is the first demonstration that an environmental exposure in pregnant mothers can have an epigenetic effect on the DNA methylation pattern in the grandchildren.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.|Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.
authors.forename: Arko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heredia
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.
authors.forename: Marie-Claude
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Senut
authors.affiliation: C. S. Mott Centre for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Land
authors.affiliation: Union college, 807 Union St, Schenectady, NY 12308.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hollocher
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.
authors.forename: Xiangyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI 48309.
authors.forename: Mary O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Dereski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.|C. S. Mott Centre for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.
authors.forename: Douglas M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ruden
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D040582:Inheritance Patterns; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D007854:Lead