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Defective folate metabolism causes germline epigenetic instability and distinguishes Hira as a phenotype inheritance biomarker.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Blake, Georgina ET 
Yung, Hong Wa 
Ferguson-Smith, Anne C 

Abstract

The mechanism behind transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is unclear, particularly through the maternal grandparental line. We previously showed that disruption of folate metabolism in mice by the Mtrr hypomorphic mutation results in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of congenital malformations. Either maternal grandparent can initiate this phenomenon, which persists for at least four wildtype generations. Here, we use genome-wide approaches to reveal genetic stability in the Mtrr model and genome-wide differential DNA methylation in the germline of Mtrr mutant maternal grandfathers. We observe that, while epigenetic reprogramming occurs, wildtype grandprogeny and great grandprogeny exhibit transcriptional changes that correlate with germline methylation defects. One region encompasses the Hira gene, which is misexpressed in embryos for at least three wildtype generations in a manner that distinguishes Hira transcript expression as a biomarker of maternal phenotypic inheritance.

Description

Keywords

Animals, Biomarkers, Cell Cycle Proteins, DNA Methylation, Embryo, Mammalian, Epigenesis, Genetic, Epigenomics, Female, Ferredoxin-NADP Reductase, Folic Acid, Germ Cells, Heredity, Histone Chaperones, Inheritance Patterns, Liver, Male, Maternal Inheritance, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Pedigree, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Spermatozoa, Transcription Factors, Trophoblasts, Whole Genome Sequencing

Journal Title

Nat Commun

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2041-1723
2041-1723

Volume Title

12

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (210757/Z/18/Z)
Medical Research Council (MR/J001597/1)
Wellcome Trust (095606/Z/11/Z)
Lister Institute for Preventative Medicine Centre for Trophoblast Research
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