Perinatal exposure to nicotine alters spermatozoal DNA methylation near genes controlling nicotine action.

ABSTRACT: Perinatal smoke/nicotine exposure alters lung development and causes asthma in exposed offspring, transmitted transgenerationally. The mechanism underlying the transgenerational inheritance of perinatal smoke/nicotine-induced asthma remains unknown, but germline epigenetic modulations may play a role. Using a well-established rat model of perinatal nicotine-induced asthma, we determined the DNA methylation pattern of spermatozoa of F1 rats exposed perinatally to nicotine in F0 gestation. To identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs), reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was performed on spermatozoa of F1 litters. The top regulated gene body and promoter DMRs were tested for lung gene expression levels, and key proteins involved in lung development and repair were determined.

SUBMITTER: Altıntas A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9231556 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature