Abstract #7
Section: Triennial Reproduction Symposium
Session: Triennial Reproduction Symposium: Developmental programming of fertility
Format: Oral
Day/Time: Sunday 2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Location: Gatlin A-3
Session: Triennial Reproduction Symposium: Developmental programming of fertility
Format: Oral
Day/Time: Sunday 2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Location: Gatlin A-3
# 7
Environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease: Ancestral ghosts in your genome.
Michael K. Skinner*1, 1Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA.
Speaker Bio
Environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease: Ancestral ghosts in your genome.
Michael K. Skinner*1, 1Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA.
Transgenerational effects of environmental toxicants significantly amplify the effect and health hazards of these compounds. One of the most sensitive periods to exposure is during embryonic gonadal sex determination when the germ line is undergoing epigenetic programming and DNA re-methylation. Previous studies have shown that endocrine disruptors can cause an increase in adult onset disease such as infertility, prostate, ovary and kidney disease, cancers and obesity. Interestingly, this effect is transgenerational (F1, F2, F3, and F4 generations) and hypothesized to be due to a permanent (imprinted) altered DNA methylation of the germ-line. The transgenerational epigenetic mechanism appears to involve the actions of an environmental compound at the time of sex determination to permanently alter the epigenetic (i.e., DNA methylation) programming of the germ line that then alters the transcriptomes of developing organs to induce disease susceptibility and development transgenerationally. A variety of different environmental compounds have been shown to induce this epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease including: fungicide vinclozolin, plastics BPA and phthalates, pesticides, DDT, dioxin and hydrocarbons. The suggestion that environmental factors can reprogram the germ line to induce epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation is a new paradigm in disease etiology that is also relevant to other areas of biology such as evolution.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Michael Skinner is a professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University. He did his B.S. in chemistry at Reed College in Portland Oregon, his Ph.D, in biochemistry at Washington State University and his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the C.H. Best Institute at the University of Toronto. He has been on the faculty of Vanderbilt University and the University of California at San Francisco. Dr. Skinner’s research is focused on the investigation of gonadal growth and differentiation, with emphasis in the area of reproductive biology. His current research has demonstrated the ability of environmental toxicants to promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease phenotypes due to abnormal germ line epigenetic programming in gonadal development. Dr. Skinner has over 260 peer reviewed publications and has given over 250 invited symposia, plenary lectures and university seminars.
Dr. Skinner established and was the Director of the Washington State University and University of Idaho Center for Reproductive Biology (CRB) since its inception in 1996. The CRB has over 90 faculty and is one of the largest reproductive sciences research Centers in the world. Dr. Skinner also established and was the Director of the Center for Integrated Biotechnology (CIB). The CIB was established in 2002 and has over 170 active research faculty members. In 2008 he stepped down at Director of the Centers to focus his efforts on his research. His research has been highlighted in BBC, PBS and Smithsonian documentaries and selected as one of the top 100 discoveries in 2005 and 2007 by Discover. In 2013 he received the American Ingenuity Award from the Smithsonian. Dr. Skinner has served on numerous journal editorial boards and as an officer for several scientific societies. In addition, Dr Skinner has been actively involved with the start-up of several biotechnology companies.
Dr. Skinner established and was the Director of the Washington State University and University of Idaho Center for Reproductive Biology (CRB) since its inception in 1996. The CRB has over 90 faculty and is one of the largest reproductive sciences research Centers in the world. Dr. Skinner also established and was the Director of the Center for Integrated Biotechnology (CIB). The CIB was established in 2002 and has over 170 active research faculty members. In 2008 he stepped down at Director of the Centers to focus his efforts on his research. His research has been highlighted in BBC, PBS and Smithsonian documentaries and selected as one of the top 100 discoveries in 2005 and 2007 by Discover. In 2013 he received the American Ingenuity Award from the Smithsonian. Dr. Skinner has served on numerous journal editorial boards and as an officer for several scientific societies. In addition, Dr Skinner has been actively involved with the start-up of several biotechnology companies.
