Faculty of Natural & Environmental Sciences, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
Epigenomics. 2014;6(6):623-36. doi: 10.2217/epi.14.51.
The level of transcriptional activity of a gene is regulated by epigenetic processes. There is compelling evidence that environmental challenges throughout the life course can induce phenotypic change. In this review, we summarize the current evidence, focusing specifically on the effects of nutrition and of environmental pollutants, that epigenetic processes underpin the induction by environmental change of altered phenotypic traits, emphasizing the implications for health outcomes. We also discuss whether epigenetic processes may be involved in the passage of induced traits between generations. Overall, current findings indicate that epigenetic processes may play an important role in determining disease risk, but there is a lack of studies that demonstrate causal links between epigenetic change and tissue function.
基因转录活性的水平受表观遗传过程的调控。有强有力的证据表明，整个生命过程中的环境挑战可以诱导表型变化。在这篇综述中，我们总结了目前的证据，特别关注营养和环境污染物对表观遗传过程的影响，这些过程为环境变化诱导的表型特征改变提供了基础，强调了其对健康结果的影响。我们还讨论了表观遗传过程是否可能参与诱导特征在代际间的传递。总的来说，目前的研究结果表明，表观遗传过程可能在决定疾病风险方面发挥重要作用，但缺乏研究表明表观遗传变化与组织功能之间存在因果关系。
