Influence of stress and lifestyle on epigenetic modifications

Parental gene expression and even changes in the epigenome have been reported to influence the offspring. Parental lifestyle and exposure to environmental factors have been shown to cause alterations of the epigenome of the individual as well as the offspring. Epidemiological and laboratory based experimental studies have shown that parental exposure to stress and environmental factors lead to variation in the methylation profiles of DNA obtained from offsprings and in some cases grand-offsprings. Strong association has been reported between maternal, prenatal stress and altered DNA methylation profiles of several genes in the offsprings. Upon stress exposure, many outcomes, such as low birth weight, immune system anomalies or HPA axis aberrations, has been correlated with the epigenetic profiles of many genes in the offspring. Furthermore, paternal lifestyle and exposure to chemicals have been associated with aberrant methylation profiles in the sperm DNA as well as in the offsprings’ DNA. All these investigations on the parental exposure to stress and lifestyle choices have proven to have a direct role in the methylation profiles of the offsprings.