Environmental Alterations of Epigenetics Prior to the Birth

dc.contributor.authorLo, Chiao-Ling
dc.contributor.authorZhou, Feng C.
dc.contributor.departmentAnatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-01T11:49:16Z
dc.date.available2025-04-01T11:49:16Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractThe etiology of many brain diseases remains allusive to date after intensive investigation of genomic background and symptomatology from the day of birth. Emerging evidences indicate that a third factor, epigenetics prior to the birth, can exert profound influence on the development and functioning of the brain and over many neurodevelopmental syndromes. This chapter reviews how aversive environmental exposure to parents might predispose or increase vulnerability of offspring to neurodevelopmental deficit through alteration of epigenetics. These epigenetic altering environmental factors will be discussed in the category of addictive agents, nutrition or diet, prescriptive medicine, environmental pollutant, and stress. Epigenetic alterations induced by these aversive environmental factors cover all aspects of epigenetics including DNA methylation, histone modification, noncoding RNA, and chromatin modification. Next, the mechanisms how these environmental inputs influence epigenetics will be discussed. Finally, how environmentally altered epigenetic marks affect neurodevelopment is exemplified by the alcohol-induced fetal alcohol syndrome. It is hoped that a thorough understanding of the nature of prenatal epigenetic inputs will enable researchers with a clear vision to better unravel neurodevelopmental deficit, late-onset neuropsychiatric diseases, or idiosyncratic mental disorders.
dc.eprint.versionAuthor's manuscript
dc.identifier.citationLo CL, Zhou FC. Environmental alterations of epigenetics prior to the birth. Int Rev Neurobiol. 2014;115:1-49. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-801311-3.00001-9
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1805/46727
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.isversionof10.1016/B978-0-12-801311-3.00001-9
dc.relation.journalInternational Review of Neurobiology
dc.rightsPublisher Policy
dc.sourcePMC
dc.subjectChromatin
dc.subjectDNA methylation
dc.subjectEnvironmental hazards
dc.subjectEpigenetic medicine
dc.subjectFetal alcohol syndrome
dc.subjectGene and environmental interaction
dc.subjectHistone modification
dc.titleEnvironmental Alterations of Epigenetics Prior to the Birth
dc.typeArticle
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