Gene Annotation and Primer Design to Study Sperm DNA Methylation Patterns in Smoke-Exposed Mice
Additional Funding Sources
This project is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award No. R25GM123927.
Presentation Date
7-2020
Abstract
While cigarette usage in the United States has decreased, the usage of vaping devices has increased, especially among younger adults. It is not yet clear how toxicity profiles compare between cigarettes and vaping, or how short- and long-term health is influenced. Exposure to environmental pollutants are known to cause epigenetic modifications – molecular alterations that can regulate gene expression without changing the DNA sequence (see Figure 1). Identification of such alterations in the germ cells may indicate reproductive disadvantage or potential risk to the health and viability of the offspring. Because many cases of male infertility remain idiopathic, exposure-induced aberrant epigenetic modifications could help explain some of these cases. Finding from this research could inform education and outreach related to the negative effects of smoking and vaping.
Gene Annotation and Primer Design to Study Sperm DNA Methylation Patterns in Smoke-Exposed Mice
While cigarette usage in the United States has decreased, the usage of vaping devices has increased, especially among younger adults. It is not yet clear how toxicity profiles compare between cigarettes and vaping, or how short- and long-term health is influenced. Exposure to environmental pollutants are known to cause epigenetic modifications – molecular alterations that can regulate gene expression without changing the DNA sequence (see Figure 1). Identification of such alterations in the germ cells may indicate reproductive disadvantage or potential risk to the health and viability of the offspring. Because many cases of male infertility remain idiopathic, exposure-induced aberrant epigenetic modifications could help explain some of these cases. Finding from this research could inform education and outreach related to the negative effects of smoking and vaping.