Epigenetic Mechanisms Associated with Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs): Their Association with Disease

Information on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TgEI) and epigenetic mechanisms associated with EDCs will be presented, in light of globalization and climate change. EDCs are associated with DNA methylation changes, histone modifications (acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, sumoylation, ubiquitination), RNAi mechanisms (microRNAS and other non-coding RNAs). Exposure to environmental contaminants of concern (COCs) such as EDCs (PCB pesticides, heavy metals, PAHs, herbicides, antibiotics), bacterial transgenes (Bacillus thuringiensis) and other stressors, can cause long-term adverse health effects to environment, animals and people. In animal models, EDCs produce abnormal reproductive or metabolic phenotypes that are transgenerationally transmitted, increasing incidence of obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, pregnancy defects, germ cell apoptosis. EDCs are associated with chronic conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular, renal diseases, congenital malformations. When EDCs introduce epigenetic changes during early development, they permanently alter the epigenome in the germline, and the changes can be transmitted to subsequent generations. If epigenetic changes are introduced during adulthood, the changes within an individual occur in somatic cells and are not permanent or transmitted to subsequent generations (Gore et al. 2015). Siklenka et al. (2015) reported paternal epigenetic transmission of a transgene, both intergenerational effects (F1) and intragenerational effects (F2, F3). Evidence predicts TgEI of current COCs in humans will severely impact the incidence of non-infectious diseases in future generations, due to long-lasting alterations in the gametes epigenome. Limited information has been published for Glyphosate, the most used herbicide worldwide, an EDC, bactericide and metal chelator. Host–microbe interactions are also capable of mediating TgEI of a stress-induced Drosophila phenotype.