Paternal grandparental exposure to crop failure or surfeit during a childhood slow growth period and epigenetic marks on third generational growth-, glucoregulatory and stress genes

This latest in our series of papers describes transgenerational methylation related to mid-childhood food availability in 19th century Overkalix, Sweden. Failed vs.bountiful crops differentially influenced methylation in grandchildren of exposed paternal grandparents. In this case study of 8 tracked cases with differential ancestral exposure, adult progeny differed in methylated CpGs in three Amigo site gene pathways: insulin processing, adipose tissue growth and hypothalamic development, reflecting famine, excess food and reaction to food-insecurity stress. This is the first demonstration of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans following grandparental childhood exposure, an early developmental origin of adult disease.