Trigger 8: Environmental impact on epigenetic profile

Question 1

genome can acquire/ lose methyl group

Answer 1

much more readily than it change its DNA sequence

Question 2

dynamic natur eo epigenome provides mechanisms by which organism can response to the environment without

Answer 2

changing hardware

Question 3

when is the epigenome particularly susceptible to deregulatio

Answer 3

embryogenesis

perinatal period

Question 4

why are embryogenesis

perinatal period susceptible to epigenetic changes

Answer 4

• DNA synthesis rate is high
• time when elaborate DNA methylation patterns and chromatin structure required for normal tissue development are established

Question 5

DNA sequence is

Answer 5

very stable

Question 6

epigenetic process an be

Answer 6

highly dynamic

Question 7

agouti mouse

Answer 7

colour of mouse is manipulated by diet of mother (yellow mouse or agouti)

Question 8

yellow mouse

Answer 8

• high risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity
• reduced life span

–> LTR gene s hypomethylated

Question 9

agouti mouse

Answer 9

• lower risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity
• prolonged life
• LTR is hypermethylated

Question 10

dutch hunger winter 1944-45

Answer 10

individuals who were prenatally exposed to famine, 6 decades later, had less DNA methylation of the imprinting IGF2 gene, compared to their unexposed, same-sex siblings

Question 11

imprinting on IGF2 gene

Answer 11

higher risk of obesity/cvd and diabetes

Question 12

early-life (in the womb) environmental conditions

Answer 12

can cause epigenetic changes in humans that persist throughout life

Question 13

other factors which effect the genome

Answer 13

diet
medication
hormones
drugs of abuse
radiation
psychosocial factors
climate

Question 14

critical periods of sensitivity

Answer 14

foetal development

Question 15

transgeneration epigenetic inheritance

Answer 15

epigenetic disorders can be passed on

Question 16

example of transgeneration epigenetic inheritance

Answer 16

Grandparent develops transcriptional dysregulation due to environmental factors (smoking, drinking, poor diet), child inherits epigenetic disorders

Question 17

what can stop epigenetic dysregulation

Answer 17

epigenetic based therapy

Question 18

multigenerations vs transgeneration

Answer 18

mother is 1st generation

fetus is 2nd generation

Question 19

what is third generation

Answer 19

reproductive cells of 2nd generation fetus

Question 20

thought that trauma

Answer 20

can be passed onto children’s genes e.g. children of holocaust survivors

Question 21

when loci resist reprogramming by transcriptisome…

Answer 21

imprinting

Question 22

transgenerational inheritance

Answer 22

the impact of the environment has been obsessed to extend over multiple generations, suggesting transgenerational epigenetic effects- defined mechanism is missing

Question 23

epigenome is

Answer 23

erased prior to implantation of a blastocyst, followed by the establishment of new functional epigenetic signature (exception of imprinted regions

Question 24

if true epigenetic inheritance is to occur

Answer 24

then some epigenetic marks must be resistant to both of these reprogramming events