Exposure to the widely used herbicide atrazine results in deregulation of global tissue-specific RNA transcription in the third generation and is associated with a global decrease of histone trimethylation in mice.

ABSTRACT: The epigenetic events imposed during germline reprogramming and affected by harmful exposure can be inherited and transferred to subsequent generations via gametes inheritance. In this study, we examine the transgenerational effects promoted by widely used herbicide atrazine (ATZ). We exposed pregnant outbred CD1 female mice and the male progeny was crossed for three generations with untreated females. We demonstrate here that exposure to ATZ affects meiosis, spermiogenesis and reduces the spermatozoa number in the third generation (F3) male mice. We suggest that changes in testis cell types originate from modified transcriptional network in undifferentiated spermatogonia. Importantly, exposure to ATZ dramatically increases the number of transcripts with novel transcription initiation site

SUBMITTER: Hao C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5175363 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature