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Epigenetics
Heritable changes in gene expression that occur without alteration of the underlying DNA sequence, principally through DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs.
Nutrition affects the epigenome through one-carbon donors (folate, B12, betaine, choline, methionine) that supply SAM for DNA methylation, and through cofactor availability for histone modifiers (acetyl-CoA, NAD+, α-ketoglutarate). The periconceptional window and early childhood are sensitive periods. The Dutch Hunger Winter cohort shows persisting DNA methylation differences six decades after in utero famine exposure, exemplifying developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).
How one textbook covers it
Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 12th ed. — Ch 40: Epigenetics
Nutrition affects the epigenome through one-carbon donors (folate, B12, betaine, choline, methionine) that supply SAM for DNA methylation, and through cofactor availability for histone modifiers (acetyl-CoA, NAD+, α-ketoglutarate). The periconceptional window and early childhood are sensitive periods. The Dutch Hunger Winter cohort shows persisting DNA methylation differences six decades after in utero famine exposure, exemplifying developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).
Related terms
DNA methylation, DOHaD, One-carbon metabolism, SAM