In utero malnutrition of male mice (generation F1) can predispose their own offspring (F2) to metabolic disorders. Both generations were shown to have low birth weight, although over time the animals developed obesity and glucose intolerance. This metabolic change is linked to a change in DNA methylation — the epigenetic mark is notably present in the sperm of the F1 mice — and a reduction in expression of the liver X receptor alpha (Lxra) gene that is also maintained in the liver cells of the F2 generation.
References
Martínez, D. et al. In utero undernutrition in male mice programs liver lipid metabolism in the second-generation offspring involving altered Lxra DNA methylation. Cell Metab. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2014.03.026 (2014)
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Jones, B. Transgenerational effects of in utero malnutrition. Nat Rev Genet 15, 364 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3753
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3753
