Epigenetics and the Environmental Regulation of Genomic Structure and Function: Implications for Health

Abstract

There are numerous examples in the behavioral sciences of the enduring effects of early experience on neural and immune function. In this article we review the emerging evidence for epigenetics as a candidate mechanism for these effects. Epigenetics refers to functionally relevant modifications to the genome that do not involve a change in nucleotide sequence. Such modifications include chemical marks that regulate the transcription of the genome. There is now evidence that environmental events can directly modify the epigenetic state of the genome. Thus studies with rodent models suggest that, during both early development and in adult life, environmental signals activate intracellular pathways that directly remodel the “epigenome,” leading to changes in gene expression that modulate neural and immune function. These studies define a biological basis for the interplay between environmental signals and the genome in the regulation of individual differences in behavior, cognition, and physiology.