Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fat eggs shape offspring health

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature Genetics

View current issue Submit your manuscript

How maternal diet influences offspring metabolism is unclear, as it is difficult to distinguish between the effects of the in utero environment and epigenetic factors contributed by the oocyte. In a mouse model of high-fat diet, a new study teases apart these mechanisms by using in vitro fertilization and shows that susceptibility of offspring to metabolic disorder can likely be attributed to epigenetic inheritance via the oocyte.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Potential epigenetic factors transmitted by oocytes.

Kim Caesar/Nature Publishing Group

References

  1. Chen, Q. et al. Science 351, 397–400 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Grandjean, V. et al. Sci. Rep. 5, 18193 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Sharma, U. et al. Science 351, 391–396 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. de Castro Barbosa, T. et al. Mol. Metab. 5, 184–197 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Huypens, P. et al. Nat. Genet. 48, 497–499 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Padmanabhan, N. et al. Cell 155, 81–93 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Barker, D.J. & Thornburg, K.L. Clin. Obstet. Gynecol. 56, 511–519 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Sasson, I.E., Vitins, A.P., Mainigi, M.A., Moley, K.H. & Simmons, R.A. Diabetologia 58, 615–624 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hou, Y.J. et al. Sci. Rep. 6, 18858 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Branco, M.R. et al. Dev. Cell 36, 152–163 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Wu, L.L. et al. Development 142, 681–691 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Igosheva, N. et al. PLoS One 5, e10074 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Erica D. Watson and Joanna Rakoczy are in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,

    Erica D Watson & Joanna Rakoczy

Authors
  1. Erica D Watson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joanna Rakoczy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erica D Watson.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Watson, E., Rakoczy, J. Fat eggs shape offspring health. Nat Genet 48, 478–479 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.3554

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.3554

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

Search

Navigation