Epigenetics, Phenotype, Diet, and Behavior

McGowan, Patrick O.; Meaney, Michael J.; Szyf, Moshe

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-92271-3_2

Patrick O. McGowan,
Michael J. Meaney &
Moshe Szyf^4,5

522 Accesses
1 Citations

Abstract

An organism’s nutritional, behavioral, physiological, and social milieu influence the epigenome, which comprises chromatin and a covalent modification of DNA by methylation. Epigenetic patterns are sculpted during development to shape the diversity of gene expression programs in the different cell types of the organism. In contrast to the genetic sequence, which is determined by inheritance and is identical in all tissues, the epigenetic pattern varies from cell to cell and is potentially dynamic through life. It is postulated here that different environmental exposures, including early parental care and diet, could impact epigenetic patterns early in life and throughout life, with implications for mental health in humans. Since epigenetic programming defines the state of expression of genes, epigenetic differences could have the same consequences as genetic polymorphisms. However, in contrast to genetic sequence differences, epigenetic aberrations are potentially reversible. This chapter will discuss basic epigenetic mechanisms and discuss in detail how epigenetic processes might play a role in defining the long-term behavior of the offspring in the rat as a model for early maternal care and dietary manipulations affecting the epigenome. We will propose a mechanism linking maternal behavior and epigenetic programming. We will discuss the possibility that epigenetic variations play a role in generating interindividual differences in human behavior and mediating the impact of environmental exposures on our genes. In this regard, we will discuss data suggesting that dietary changes in methyl contents could affect DNA methylation and gene expression programming. These findings provide evidence for a stable yet dynamic epigenome capable of regulating phenotypic plasticity through epigenetic programming.

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Abbreviations

CBP:: CREB binding protein
DNMT:: DNA methyltransferase
HAT:: Histone acetyltransferase
HDAC:: Histone deacetylase
HDACi:: HDAC inhibitor ()
HMT:: Histone methyltransferase ()
LG:: Licking/Grooming
MBD2:: Methylated domain DNA-binding Protein 2
NGFI-A:: Nerve growth factor-inducible protein A
SAM:: S-adenosyl methionine
TSA:: Trichostatin A

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Sackler Foundation, and by grants from the Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP), the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), and the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) to MJM and MS.

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Authors and Affiliations

Sackler Program for Epigenetics and Psychobiology, Montreal, Canada
Moshe Szyf
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Sir William Osler Promenade, room 1309, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3G 1Y6
Moshe Szyf

Authors

Patrick O. McGowan
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Michael J. Meaney
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Moshe Szyf
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Correspondence to Moshe Szyf .

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Editors and Affiliations

Dept. Nutrition & Dietetics, King's College, Stamford St. 150, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom
Victor R. Preedy
Arizona Health Science Center, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Room 4335, Tucson, 85724-5155, Arizona, USA
Ronald Ross Watson
University of the West of Scotland, Ayr Campus, Ayr, KA8 0SR, United Kingdom
Colin R. Martin

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McGowan, P.O., Meaney, M.J., Szyf, M. (2011). Epigenetics, Phenotype, Diet, and Behavior. In: Preedy, V., Watson, R., Martin, C. (eds) Handbook of Behavior, Food and Nutrition. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92271-3_2

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92271-3_2
Published: 28 March 2011
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-92270-6
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-92271-3
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