skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Methylation changes of H{sub 19} gene in sperms of X-irradiated mouse and maintenance in offspring

Journal Article · · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
OSTI ID:20798776
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Division of Radiation Medicine, University of Suzhou, Suzhou 215123 (China)
  2. State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)
  3. Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (United States)

The nature of imprinting is just differential methylation of imprinted genes. Unlike the non-imprinted genes, the methylation pattern of imprinted genes established during the period of gametogenesis remains unchangeable after fertilization and during embryo development. It implies that gametogenesis is the key stage for methylation pattern of imprinted genes. The imprinting interfered by exogenous factors during this stage could be inherited to offspring and cause genetic effect. Now many studies have proved that ionizing irradiation could disturb DNA methylation. Here we choose BALB/c mice as a research model and X-ray as interfering source to further clarify it. We discovered that the whole-body irradiation of X-ray to male BALB/c mice could influence the methylation pattern of H{sub 19} gene in sperms, which resulted in some cytosines of partial CpG islands in the imprinting control region could not transform to methylated cytosines. Furthermore, by copulating the interfered male mice with normal female, we analyzed the promoter methylation pattern of H{sub 19} in offspring fetal liver and compared the same to the pattern of male parent in sperms. We found that the majority of methylation changes in offspring liver were related to the ones in their parent sperms. Our data proved that the changes of the H{sub 19} gene methylation pattern interfered by X-ray irradiation could be transmitted and maintained in First-generation offspring.

OSTI ID:
20798776
Journal Information:
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 340, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.11.154; PII: S0006-291X(05)02648-3; Copyright (c) 2005 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0006-291X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English