The Epigenome and In-Utero Environmental Exposures

The epigenome is defined as the network of chemical marks that regulate the function of the genome. The epigenome receives the signals from the genome and from the environment to produce a homeostatic response, and therefore it is dynamic and tissue specific. DNA methylation is the epigenetic mark most extensively studied in epidemiological designs. Environmental insults can leave a fingerprint on DNA methylation, particularly those that occur prenatally, which might persist and be connected to disease later in life.We will highlight recent findings from the Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) consortium and the HELIX (Human Early Life Exposome) project on maternal tobacco smoking during pregnancy and other environmental factors to illustrate the link between in-utero environmental exposures, DNA methylation and disease. Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been associated with differential methylation at thousands of CpGs in cord blood, with some of them persisting into childhood, and this signat...