Genome complexity: immediate epigenetic effects (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, August 10, 2015, 21:37 (3392 days ago) @ David Turell

Work in rats shows epigenetic changes in first generation offspring with more changes in third generation:-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150803083351.htm-"Earlier work by Skinner has found epigenetic effects from a host of environmental toxicants, connecting plastics, pesticides, fungicide, dioxin and hydrocarbons to diseases and abnormalities as many as three generations later.-"His recent study exposed gestating female rats to the fungicide vinclozolin. Sperm in the first generation of male offspring showed epimutations, or alterations in the methyl groups that stick to DNA and affect its activation.-"Third generation, or great-grand offspring, had increased genetic mutations, which the researchers saw in increased DNA structure changes known as copy-number variations. Multiple generations of control animals had no such variations.-"This, said Skinner, suggests that environment has a more important role in mutations, disease and evolution than previously appreciated, and appears to be one of the main drivers of intergenerational changes, not simply a passive component. In short, Skinner and his colleagues say, the environment and epigenetics can drive genetics.-"'There's not a type of genetic mutation known that's not potentially influenced by environmental epigenetic effects," Skinner said."