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Current Pediatrics Reports
Published in: Current Pediatrics Reports 4/2013

01-12-2013 | Nutrition/Growth (M Fewtrell, Section Editor)

Maternal Nutrition and Epigenetic Perturbation: Modeling Trends to Translation

Authors: Judy L. Oakes, Folami Y. Ideraabdullah

Published in: Current Pediatrics Reports | Issue 4/2013

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Abstract

Maternal nutrition plays an essential role in offspring health and development. Critical stages include: (1) preconception, affecting oocyte development and uterine environment preparation; (2) gestation, affecting uterine environment and placental nutrient transfer and (3) postnatal, through lactation. It remains debatable which stage is most important, but arguably, the most complex cellular events occur during gestation. During this time, embryo development requires a well orchestrated and tightly regulated cascade of genetic, molecular and biochemical events. Among these are epigenetic events necessary for gene expression regulation. These produce heritable yet often reversible states established based on transcriptional needs of the cell. A growing body of research highlights the role of maternal nutrition in determining epigenetic states important for pre- and postnatal development. Here, we discuss recent findings addressing epigenetic response to nutrition with relevance to developmental origins of phenotypic outcome.
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Metadata
Title
Maternal Nutrition and Epigenetic Perturbation: Modeling Trends to Translation
Authors
Judy L. Oakes
Folami Y. Ideraabdullah
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Pediatrics Reports / Issue 4/2013
Electronic ISSN: 2167-4841
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-013-0025-5

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