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Nutrition, DNA Methylation, and Developmental Origins of Cardiometabolic Disease: A Signal Systems Approach

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Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics

Abstract

The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis posits that environmental exposures during vulnerable developmental stages have a lasting impact on adult phenotype. Early life nutrition is recognized as a key determinant of long-term health, and epigenetic mechanisms have surfaced as a potential biological mechanism. This review first provides an overview of literature regarding epigenetically mediated DOHaD phenomena within the realm of cardiometabolic disease. Next, parallels are drawn between a signal system and epigenetic programming in DOHaD; specifically, with DNA methylation acting as a signal within an individual spanning from early to later life. Finally, epigenetically mediated DOHaD phenomena are explored using life course epidemiology and a signal system framework to identify potential sources of error, and make suggestions for appropriate study designs and analytical strategies.

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Abbreviations

BPA:

Bisphenol A

CpG:

Cytosine-phosphate-guanine

DAG:

Directed acyclic graph

DNMT:

DNA methyltransferase

DOHaD:

Developmental origins of health and disease

EBLUP:

Empirical Best Linear Unbiased Predictor

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Zachary M. Laubach

  2. Department of Animal Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Christopher D. Faulk

  3. Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Andres Cardenas

  4. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Â 1860 SPH1, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA

    Wei Perng

Authors
  1. Zachary M. Laubach
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  2. Christopher D. Faulk
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  3. Andres Cardenas
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  4. Wei Perng
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Perng .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. c/o Editorial Board 978-0-387-78665 , Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Vinood Patel

  2. Kings College , London, United Kingdom

    Victor Preedy

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Laubach, Z.M., Faulk, C.D., Cardenas, A., Perng, W. (2017). Nutrition, DNA Methylation, and Developmental Origins of Cardiometabolic Disease: A Signal Systems Approach. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V. (eds) Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31143-2_107-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31143-2_107-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31143-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31143-2

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