Parental Preconception and Pre-Hatch Exposure to a Developmental Insult Alters Offspring’s Gene Expression and Epigenetic Regulations: An Avian Model

Abstract

Parental exposure to insults was initially considered safe if stopped before conception. In the present investigation, paternal or maternal preconception exposure to the neuroteratogen chlorpyrifos was investigated in a well-controlled avian model (Fayoumi) and compared to pre-hatch exposure focusing on molecular alterations. The investigation included the analysis of several neurogenesis, neurotransmission, epigenetic and microRNA genes. A significant decrease in the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (SLC18A3) expression was detected in the female offspring in the three investigated models: paternal (57.7%, p p p p p p p p p p < 0.05) genes expression in the offspring. Although extensive studies are required to establish a mechanism–phenotype relationship, it should be noted that the current investigation does not include phenotype assessment in the offspring.

Keywords

• chlorpyrifos
• avian model
• epigenetic regulation
• gene expression
• neurogenesis and neurotransmission
• parental preconception exposure