Lead exposure induces dysregulation of constitutive heterochromatin hallmarks in live cells.

ABSTRACT: Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal contaminant commonly found in air, soil, and drinking water due to legacy uses. Excretion of ingested Pb can result in extensive kidney damages due to elevated oxidative stress. Epigenetic alterations induced by exposure to Pb have also been implied but remain poorly understood. In this work, we assessed changes in repressive epigenetic marks, namely DNA methylation (^meCpG) and histone 3 lysine 9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3) after exposure to Pb. Live cell epigenetic probes coupled to bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) were used to monitor changes in the selected epigenetic marks. Exposure to Pb significantly lowered ^meCpG and H3K9me3 levels in HEK293T cells suggesting global changes in constitutive heterochromatin. A heterodimeric

SUBMITTER: Sanchez OF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8717252 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature