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Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics pp 457–481Cite as

Epigenetics of Undernutrition

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Abstract

The term undernutrition commonly refers to underfeeding and poor nutritional status. This condition is primarily caused by an inadequate intake of dietary energy or some specific nutrients, which accompany starvation or famine, voluntary reduction of food intake, gastrointestinal disorders, parasitic infestations, and severe pathologies that result in enhanced tissue catabolism. Of special importance is undernutrition during gestation (unbalanced maternal diet or intrauterine growth retardation) and lactation, as it compromises in- utero development and impairs infant growth and neurocognitive functions. Moreover, undernutrition is related to immunodeficiency, accelerated aging, and has potential deleterious consequences for adult health, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Cumulative evidence has demonstrated that diverse environmental factors, including undernutrition, can modify epigenetic marks (particularly DNA methylation, covalent histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs) throughout life, affecting gene expression and cell function, with long-term effects on health in adult life. Of particular interest is the impact of undernutrition on the epigenome driven by the lack of dietary methyl donors (choline, betaine, folate, and vitamins B2, B6, and B12) and other micronutrients, low-protein diets, calorie restriction, and famine exposure. This knowledge is contributing to a better understanding of the role of dietary deficiencies in the development of several adverse conditions through epigenetic mechanisms. Moreover, these scientific insights are leading to design novel dietary interventions targeting the epigenome.

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Abbreviations

AAR:

Amino acid response

ABCA1:

ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1

AN:

Anorexia nervosa

ANGPT2:

Angiopoietin 2

ASNS:

Asparagine synthetase

ATF3:

Activating transcription factor 3

ATF4:

Activating transcription factor 4

BDNF:

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor

BOLA:

Transcriptional factor BOLA

C/EBP-β:

CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta

CDH23:

Cadherin-related 23

CDKN3:

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 3

COMT:

Catechol-O-methyltransferase

CYP7A1:

Hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase

DOHaD:

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

EXD3:

Exonuclease 3′-5′ domain containing 3

FASN:

Fatty acid synthase

G6PC:

Glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit

GATA-4:

GATA-binding protein 4

GLUT4 :

Glucose transporter 4

GNAS:

GNAS complex locus

GRIA1:

Glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA-type subunit 1

HSD11B1:

Hydroxysteroid 11-beta dehydrogenase 1

HSD11B2:

Hydroxysteroid 11-beta dehydrogenase 2

HTR2A :

5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A

ICAM1:

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1

IFNG:

Interferon gamma

IGF1:

Insulin-like growth factor 1

IGF2:

Insulin-like growth factor 2

IL-10:

Interleukin-10

IL-6:

Interleukin-6

INSIGF2:

INS-IGF2 read-through

INSR:

Insulin receptor

IQ:

Intellectual coefficient

IUGR:

Intrauterine growth retardation

KLF13:

Kruppel-like factor 13

LDLR:

Low-density lipoprotein receptor

LEP:

Leptin

LINE-1:

Long interspersed nuclear elements

LncRNA:

Long- noncoding RNAs

LXRα:

Liver X receptor alpha

MAPK:

Mitogen-activated protein kinase

MCR:

Moderate calorie restriction

ME:

Metastable epialleles

MEG3:

Maternally expressed 3 (nonprotein coding)

MIR200B:

microRNA 200b

MiRNA:

microRNA

NETO1 :

Neuropilin and tolloid-like 1

NR1H3:

Nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 3 gene

NTD:

Neural tube defects

PAK3:

p21 (RAC1)-activated kinase 3

PAX8:

Paired box 8

PCK1:

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1

P-DMRs:

Prenatal malnutrition-associated differentially methylated regions

PGC-1α:

PPAR-γ coactivator-1α

PPAR-γ:

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma

PRSS12:

Protease, serine 12

PUFA:

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

RFTN1:

Raftlin, lipid raft linker 1

SAM:

S-adenosylmethionine

SCR:

Severe caloric restriction

siRNA:

Small interfering RNA

SMAD7:

SMAD family member 7

SREBF1:

Sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1

STAT3:

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3

SYNGAP1:

Synaptic Ras GTPase-activating protein 1

TFAP2A:

Transcription factor AP-2 alpha

TLR2:

Toll-like receptor 2

TNXB:

Hypermethylated tenascin XB gene

VEGFC:

Vascular endothelial growth factor C

VHL:

von Hippel-Lindau

VIPR2:

Vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 2

VTRNA2-1:

Vault RNA 2-1

ZFP57:

ZFP57 zinc finger protein

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, and Centre for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Omar Ramos-Lopez, Jose Ignacio Riezu-Boj, Fermin I. Milagro & J. Alfredo Martinez

  2. Department of Molecular Biology in Medicine, Civil Hospital of Guadalajara “Fray Antonio Alcalde”, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Omar Ramos-Lopez

  3. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, King’s College London, London, UK

    J. Alfredo Martinez

  4. Madrid Institute of Advanced Studies (IMDEA Food), Madrid, Spain

    J. Alfredo Martinez

Authors
  1. Omar Ramos-Lopez
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  2. Jose Ignacio Riezu-Boj
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  3. Fermin I. Milagro
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  4. J. Alfredo Martinez
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Correspondence to Fermin I. Milagro .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Research Division, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

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Ramos-Lopez, O., Riezu-Boj, J.I., Milagro, F.I., Martinez, J.A. (2019). Epigenetics of Undernutrition. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V. (eds) Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55530-0_24

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