Genetic and metabolic determinants of human epigenetic variation

Abstract

Epigenetics is at the heart of a series of feedback loops linking the environment to the human genome in a way that allows crosstalk between the genome and the environment it exists within. It offers the potential for modification of adverse epigenetic states resulting from events/exposures at earlier life stages. We need to better understand the nutritional programming of epigenetic states, the persistence of these marks in time and their effect on biological function and health in current and future generations.

Epigenetics and obesity cardiomyopathy: From pathophysiology to prevention and management

“…However, monozygotic twin pairs, with essentially similar genetic variants and environments before and immediately after birth, display phenotypic discordance for a wide range of traits including body mass and adiposity. Differences in functional complexity of genomes at the epigenetic level are believed to account for such discordances for monozygotic twins including adiposity and disease prevalence (Haggarty, 2015). Epigenetic modulation develops in response to a wide range of genetic and non-genetic factors such as fitness, age, diet, energy expenditure, social status and environmental insults (Haggarty, 2015;Martinez-Jimenez & Sandoval, 2015;Whayne, 2015).…”

“…Differences in functional complexity of genomes at the epigenetic level are believed to account for such discordances for monozygotic twins including adiposity and disease prevalence (Haggarty, 2015). Epigenetic modulation develops in response to a wide range of genetic and non-genetic factors such as fitness, age, diet, energy expenditure, social status and environmental insults (Haggarty, 2015;Martinez-Jimenez & Sandoval, 2015;Whayne, 2015). Epigenetics, originally coined by Conrad Waddington in the 1940s, is referred to as cellular and physiological heritable (mitotic or meiotic) phenotypical variations elicited by environmental factors independent of the genomic DNA sequence (Slack, 2002), as shown in Fig.…”

“…Epigenetics contributes to disease traits and phenotypes independent of the intrinsic genome coding (Dick et al, 2014;Osorio, 2014). The period around conception is highly susceptible to environmental influences as evidenced by epigenetic imprinting in offspring (Haggarty, 2015). The epigenetic processes include chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulation, resulting in either transcriptional suppression or activation independently of the DNA genome sequence.…”

“…The epigenetic processes include chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulation, resulting in either transcriptional suppression or activation independently of the DNA genome sequence. Epigenetic status may be also affected by genetic polymorphisms in DNA processing enzymes including DNA methyltransferase, methylcytosine dioxygenase, and methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (Haggarty, 2015). Given the unique role of epigenetics in linking environmental influences to the human genome, the field has received a lot of attention in recent years with epigenetics bridging early life exposures to later adult health conditions (Haggarty, 2015).…”

Heat stress: A risk factor for skin carcinogenesis

“…The skin barrier is primarily maintained by the epidermis, which is further separated into different layers comprising the basal, granular and cornified layers (Haggarty, 2015). These epidermal layers are identified by differences in the morphology of keratinocytes, which are the most abundant cell type in the skin (Agthong et al, 2012).…”