Biology: Articles

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an important environmental contaminant with adverse health effects suspected to be mediated through epigenetic mechanisms. We had reported that the FLO1-dependent flocculation of transgenic yeast expressing human DNA methyltransferase (DNMT yeast) is a useful tool in epigenotoxicology studies. In this report, we have investigated the effects of BPA in the presence of metabolic activation (S-9 mix) on the transcription level of the FLO1 gene in the DNMT yeast.

Alterations of global DNA methylation have been evaluated in several studies worldwide; however, Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements-1 (LINE-1) methylation in genetically conserved populations such as indigenous communities have not, to our knowledge, been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between LINE-1 methylation patterns and factors such as pesticide exposure and socio-cultural characteristics in the Indigenous Huichol Population of Nayarit, Mexico.

The evidence supporting the biological plausibility of the association of permethrin and malathion with hematological cancer is limited and contradictory; thus, further studies are needed. This study aimed to investigate whether in vitro exposure to 0.1 μM permethrin and malathion at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h after cell culture initiation induced changes in the gene expression and DNA methylation in mononuclear cells from bone marrow and peripheral blood (BMMCs, PBMCs).

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one of the most common environmental carcinogens causing lung cancer. The molecular mechanism of Bap carcinogenesis remains elusive. Considering the critical roles of RNF proteins in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, we speculate on whether Bap regulates RNF proteins resulting in carcinogenesis.

Among the various environmental pollutants, dioxin, a highly toxic and widely used compound, is associated with numerous adverse health effects, including a potentially toxic multigenerational effect. Understanding the mechanisms by which dioxin exposure can affect sperm epigenetics is critical to comprehending the potential consequences for offspring health and development.

BPA is a ubiquitous environmental endocrine-disrupting chemical, and maternal exposure to BPA is associated with impaired male reproductive functions; however, the mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) plays an important role in maintaining normal spermatogenesis and fertility. However, the effect of prenatal BPA exposure on GDNF expression and its mechanism in the testis has not been reported.

Individuals encounter varying environmental exposures throughout their lifetimes. Some exposures such as smoking are readily observed and have high personal recall; others are more indirect or
sporadic and might only be inferred from long occupational histories or lifestyles. We evaluated the
utility of using lifetime‑long self‑reported exposures for identifying differential methylation in an
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases‑control cohort of 855 individuals.

DNA methylation is a critical step in brain development, 5-Methyl-2'-deoxycytidine (5mdC) is one of the global DNA methylation markers. Arsenic and lead exposures have been associated with neurotoxicity, which may be linked to epigenetic changes. Our research sought to investigate the correlation between 5mdC and developmental delay (DD) among preschoolers. Additionally, we assessed whether 5mdC modified the impacts of blood lead and total urinary arsenic levels on DD. We analyzed the concentrations of 5mdC, blood cadmium and lead, and total urinary arsenic in 174 children with DD and 88 healthy children.

Studies suggest that clonal plants' ability to select habitats and forage in a heterogeneous environment is influenced by their past environment, with stress legacy potentially playing a crucial role. In this study, we examined parental ramets of Duchesnea indica Focke that were subject to either a control or lead-contaminated environment (past environment), and their newborn offspring were then transplanted into control, homogeneous lead or heterogeneous lead environment (present environment). We analysed how past and present environments affect plant growth and DNA methylation in offspring. The result shown that the DNA methylation loci composition of offspring was affected by the interaction of parental environment and offspring environment, and DNA methylation levels were higher in heterogeneous environments.

Anthropogenic pollution is known to negatively influence an organism’s physiology, behaviour, and fitness. Epigenetic regulation, such as DNA methylation, has been hypothesized as a potential mechanism to mediate such effects, yet studies in wild species are lacking. We first investigated the effects of early-life exposure to the heavy metal lead (Pb) on DNA methylation levels in a wild population of great tits (Parus major), by experimentally exposing nestlings to Pb at environmentally relevant levels.

Epigenetics plays an important role in plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, although few studies have focused on soybean epigenetics associated with cadmium stress. In this study, hydroponically grown soybean seedlings were treated with hydroponic nutrient solution containing various concentrations of CdCl2 (0.5, 5, 15 mg L−1) to investigate the effects of cadmium exposure on soybean genomic DNA methylation levels and patterns using methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) analysis. Overall, the results revealed alterations of genomic DNA methylation levels and patterns in soybean seedlings under cadmium stress, with methylation level and methylation polymorphism rate both increasing in a dose-dependent manner with increasing cadmium concentration.

Analysis of the methylation patterns in four strains revealed the unique 5mC methylation motifs. Most orthologs (78%) had ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) less than one when compared to the type strain 2APBS1, suggesting the prevalence of negative selection. Overall, the results provide evidence for the important roles of horizontal gene transfer and negative selection in genomic adaptation at the contaminated field site. The complex restriction-modification system genes and the unique methylation motifs in Rhodanobacter strains suggest the potential recalcitrance to genetic manipulation.

Heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and lead are harmful pollutants that can change how our genes are regulated without altering the DNA sequence, specifically through a process called DNA methylation (DNAm) at 5-methylcytosine, an epigenetic mark that we will focus on in this review.

Mercury (Hg) is recognized as a significant global pollutant, particularly in soils subjected to high anthropogenic activities, such as industrial emissions, agricultural runoff, and mining operations. As Hg contamination in the environment continues to rise, it has become increasingly critical to monitor its detrimental effects on ecosystems and living organisms. To address this concern, the current study focused on assessing the impacts of various concentrations of Hg [0 (Control; Tween 20-containing sterile water), 250, 500, 750, and 1000 µM HgCl2] on the genetic and epigenetic integrity of maize (Zea mays). Specifically, the study investigated DNA damage, DNA methylation patterns, and LTR retrotransposon polymorphism using molecular marker techniques, including Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Coupled Restriction Enzyme Digestion-Random Amplification (CRED-RA), and Inter-Retrotransposon Amplified Polymorphism (IRAP), respectively.

Our MeDIP-seq analysis further revealed significant alterations in DNA methylation levels in several neurodevelopmental associated genes (eagle, happyhour, neuroglian, bazooka, and spinophilin) in the F3 offspring exposed to Pb. These findings suggest that DNA methylation modifications may underlie the inheritance of acquired phenotypic traits resulting from environmental Pb exposure.

Heavy metals are chemical elements with high density that can be toxic or poisonous even at low concentrations. They are widely distributed in the environment due to industrial activities, mining, pesticide use, automotive emissions and domestic wastes. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of copper (Cu) heavy metal on safflower plants in terms of genetic and epigenetic parameters.

The mechanisms underlying the response and adaptation of plants to excess of trace elements are not fully described. Here, we analysed the importance of protein lysine methylation for plants to cope with cadmium. We analysed the effect of cadmium on lysine‐methylated proteins and protein lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) in two cadmium‐sensitive species, Arabidopsis thaliana and A. lyrata, and in three populations of A. halleri with contrasting cadmium accumulation and tolerance traits. We showed that some proteins are differentially methylated at lysine residues in response to Cd and that a few genes coding KMTs are regulated by cadmium.