Parental micronutrient deficiency distorts liver DNA methylation and expression of lipid genes associated with a fatty-liver-like phenotype in offspring.

ABSTRACT: Micronutrient status of parents can affect long term health of their progeny. Around 2 billion humans are affected by chronic micronutrient deficiency. In this study we use zebrafish as a model system to examine morphological, molecular and epigenetic changes in mature offspring of parents that experienced a one-carbon (1-C) micronutrient deficiency. Zebrafish were fed a diet sufficient, or marginally deficient in 1-C nutrients (folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, methionine, choline), and then mated. Offspring livers underwent histological examination, RNA sequencing and genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. Parental 1-C micronutrient deficiency resulted in increased lipid inclusion and we identified 686 differentially expressed genes in offspring liver, the majority of which were downregula

SUBMITTER: Skjærven KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5812986 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature