Exposure to endocrine disruptor induces transgenerational epigenetic deregulation of microRNAs in primordial germ cells

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 21;10(4):e0124296. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124296. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

In mammals, germ cell differentiation is initiated in the Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs) during fetal development. Prenatal exposure to environmental toxicants such as endocrine disruptors may alter PGC differentiation, development of the male germline and induce transgenerational epigenetic disorders. The anti-androgenic compound vinclozolin represents a paradigmatic example of molecule causing transgenerational effects on germ cells. We performed prenatal exposure to vinclozolin in mice and analyzed the phenotypic and molecular changes in three successive generations. A reduction in the number of embryonic PGCs and increased rate of apoptotic cells along with decrease of fertility rate in adult males were observed in F1 to F3 generations. Blimp1 is a crucial regulator of PGC differentiation. We show that prenatal exposure to vinclozolin deregulates specific microRNAs in PGCs, such as miR-23b and miR-21, inducing disequilibrium in the Lin28/let-7/Blimp1 pathway in three successive generations of males. As determined by global maps of cytosine methylation, we found no evidence for prominent changes in DNA methylation in PGCs or mature sperm. Our data suggest that embryonic exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors induces transgenerational epigenetic deregulation of expression of microRNAs affecting key regulatory pathways of germ cells differentiation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Cell Differentiation
  • DNA Methylation
  • Endocrine Disruptors / toxicity*
  • Environmental Pollutants / toxicity
  • Epigenesis, Genetic / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Germ Cells / drug effects
  • Germ Cells / physiology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Oxazoles / toxicity*
  • Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / chemically induced*
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / genetics
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / metabolism
  • Testis / drug effects
  • Testis / pathology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Endocrine Disruptors
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • MicroRNAs
  • Oxazoles
  • Prdm1 protein, mouse
  • Transcription Factors
  • Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1
  • vinclozolin

Grants and funding

M. A. Brieño-Enriquez was supported by Postdoctoral Grant from CONACYT Mexico (165418). This work was supported by grants from The CEFIC-LRi; MEDDTL, France (11-MRES-PNRPE-9-CVS-072): CSIC, (PIE-201020E016) and MINECO (BFU2013-42164-R), Spain; Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (No. P503/12/1834) and BIOCEV project (CZ.1.05 / 1.1.00/02.0109) from the ERDF. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.