Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
C. S. Mott Center for Human Health and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
Cells. 2024 Oct 26;13(21):1775. doi: 10.3390/cells13211775.
Heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and lead are harmful pollutants that can change how our genes are regulated without altering the DNA sequence, specifically through a process called DNA methylation (DNAm) at 5-methylcytosine, an epigenetic mark that we will focus on in this review. These changes in DNAm are most sensitive during pregnancy, a critical time for development when these modifications can affect how traits are expressed. Historically, most research on these environmental effects has focused on adults, but now there is more emphasis on studying the impacts during early development and childhood. The placenta acts as a protective barrier between the mother and the baby, and by examining it, scientists can identify changes in key genes that might affect long-term health. This review looks at how exposure to heavy metals during pregnancy can cause changes in the gene regulation by DNAm in newborns, as seen in their umbilical cord blood. These changes reflect the baby's genetic state during pregnancy and can be influenced by the mother's environment and genetics, as well as the baby's own genetics.
重金属如砷、汞、镉和铅是有害污染物，它们可以在不改变 DNA 序列的情况下改变基因的调控方式，具体是通过一种称为 5-甲基胞嘧啶的 DNA 甲基化（DNAm）的表观遗传标记来实现，我们将在本篇综述中重点关注这一标记。这些 DNAm 的变化在怀孕期间最为敏感，这是发育的关键时期，这些修饰可能会影响特征的表达。历史上，大多数关于这些环境影响的研究都集中在成年人身上，但现在越来越重视研究早期发育和儿童时期的影响。胎盘是母亲和婴儿之间的保护屏障，通过对其进行检查，科学家可以识别出可能影响长期健康的关键基因的变化。本篇综述探讨了怀孕期间接触重金属如何导致新生儿脐带血中 DNAm 介导的基因调控变化，这些变化反映了婴儿在怀孕期间的遗传状态，可能受到母亲的环境和遗传因素以及婴儿自身遗传因素的影响。
