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Endocrine disruptors in 2015

Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 12, pages 68–70 (2016)Cite this article

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Endocrine disruptors are critical environmental exposures that influence health and can promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and abnormal physiology. Advances in 2015 included analyses of the effects of endocrine disruptors on human disease, further examples of endocrine disruptors promoting transgenerational behavioural effects, insights into effects of endocrine disruptors on epigenetic programming of primordial germ cells and the finding that endocrine disruptors can transgenerationally promote genetic mutations.

The initial observation of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance involved the endocrine disruptor vinclozolin, an antiandrogenic agricultural fungicide2. Vinclozolin and the pesticide methoxychlor promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of reduced male fertility2. A large number of other endocrine disruptors and environmental exposures have now also been shown to promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and abnormal physiology in a wide variety of species from plants to humans1. This process involves epigenetic alterations of the germ line that can include DNA methylation, noncoding RNAs, histone modifications and alterations in chromatin structure. The effects range from reproductive and behavioural effects to obesity1. This nongenetic form of inheritance has altered our understanding of the molecular control of disease aetiology and evolution. Here, I focus on advances in 2015 involving endocrine disruptors and epigenetic transgenerational inheritance.

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Figure 1: Endocrine-disruptor-induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance.

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Acknowledgements

The author's work is supported by grants from the NIH and the Templeton Foundation.

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  1. Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, 99164-4236, Washington, USA

    Michael K. Skinner

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  1. Michael K. Skinner
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Correspondence to Michael K. Skinner.

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Skinner, M. Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance. Nat Rev Endocrinol 12, 68–70 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2015.206

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