Abstract
Epigenetics provides a molecular mechanism of inheritance that is not solely dependent on DNA sequence and that can account for non-Mendelian inheritance patterns. Epigenetic changes underlie many normal developmental processes, and can lead to disease development as well. While epigenetic effects have been studied in well-characterized rodent models, less research has been done using agriculturally important domestic animal species. This review will present the results of current epigenetic research using farm animal models (cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens). Much of the work has focused on the epigenetic effects that environmental exposures to toxicants, nutrients and infectious agents has on either the exposed animals themselves or on their direct offspring. Only one porcine study examined epigenetic transgenerational effects; namely the effect diet micronutrients fed to male pigs has on liver DNA methylation and muscle mass in grand-offspring (F2 generation). Healthy viable offspring are very important in the farm and husbandry industry and epigenetic differences can be associated with production traits. Therefore further epigenetic research into domestic animal health and how exposure to toxicants or nutritional changes affects future generations is imperative.
Highlights
Mendelian genetic theories have guided much of the biological research preformed in recent history
Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance is defined as germline-mediated inheritance of epigenetic information between generations, in the absence of direct environmental influences, that leads to phenotypic variation [1,9]
This study demonstrates maternal nutrition will likely have an epigenetic effect on embryonic tissue development
Summary
Mendelian genetic theories have guided much of the biological research preformed in recent history. Liu et al [43] looked at the myostatin pathway to investigate the short term and long term epigenetic changes in pigs based on maternal diet These researchers concluded that histone modifications and changes in microRNA expression took place long term and played a part in skeletal muscle phenotype [43]. They found that over-nutrition in late stages of pregnancy resulted in more visceral fat in offspring and a change in appetite that pre-disposed that lamb to over-eat in adult life They found that over-nutrition at the peri-conception period led to higher rates of visceral fat in only female ewe offspring, leading to a conclusion of sex-specific DNA methylation. No studies have been published showing epigenetic transgenerational inheritance in chicken
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