| Abstrakt: |
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are the exogenous contaminants carrying the ability to disrupt the natural course of hormone action by mimicking or antagonizing their effects, altering their availability and levels of hormone receptors. Several studies have demonstrated a volley of female reproductive disorders, including early puberty, premature ovarian failure, anovulation and infertility. Recent evidence from studies in mammalian and sub-mammalian models has shown the involvement of epigenomics, bridging the gap between environmental exposure and genetic impacts, in negative influence of EDCs on physiological events. The oocyte epigenome interacts with environmental stressors encountered during the critical windows of development, namely prenatal, early childhood and puberty, wherein the deleterious impacts of EDCs get amplified, followed by its multi- and trans-generational inheritance. While it provides the reader with a background for epigenetics, the present overview summarizes the epigenetic signatures induced by EDCs. It describes the varied EDC-induced epigenetic alterations encountered in the female reproductive system and their physiological relevance in reproduction and development. More importantly, the underlying mechanisms governing the EDC-induced alteration in epigenetic marks, emphasising estrogen receptor modulation and its impact on various female reproductive organs, reveal the role of germlines as carriers of epimutations across generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
Full text from SpringerLink