Transgenerational epigenetic imprints on mate preference
Open accessAbstract
Environmental contamination by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) can have epigenetic effects (by DNA methylation) on the germ line and promote disease across subsequent generations. In natural populations, both sexes may encounter affected as well as unaffected individuals during the breeding season, and any diminution in attractiveness could compromise reproductive success. Here we examine mate preference in male and female rats whose progenitors had been treated with the antiandrogenic fungicide vinclozolin. This effect is sex-specific, and we demonstrate that females three generations removed from the exposure discriminate and prefer males who do not have a history of exposure, whereas similarly epigenetically imprinted males do not exhibit such a preference. The observations suggest that the consequences of EDCs are not just transgenerational but can be “transpopulational”, because in many mammalian species, males are the dispersing sex. This result indicates that epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of EDC action represents an unappreciated force in sexual selection. Our observations provide direct experimental evidence for a role of epigenetics as a determinant factor in evolution.
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Third generation female (F3) descendents of rats exposed to vehicle or vinclozolin (100 mg/kg) from GD8-14 preferred F3 vehicle lineage male rats versus F3 vinclozolin lineage male rats, suggesting differential mate preference.
“Third generation female (F3) descendents of rats exposed to vehicle or vinclozolin (100 mg/kg) from GD8-14, preferred F3 vehicle lineage male rats versus F3 vinclozolin lineage male rats, suggesting differential mate preference [ 144 ].”
From DNA methylation: a mechanism linking environmental chemical exposures to risk of autism spectrum disorders? (2016) · cites this paper as [144]
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- Authors
- Crews, D., Gore, A. C., Hsu, T. S., Dangleben, N. L., Spinetta, M., Schallert, T., Anway, M. D., & Skinner, M. K.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and
- Washington State University (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2007-04-03
- Volume
- 104
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- 5942-5946
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC1851596
- OpenAlex
- W2135204261
- Cited by
- 418
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 35.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH068273, R21MH068273)
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (#ES07784, ES12272, R21ES012272, ES012974, P30ES007784, R01ES012974)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Keywords
- transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, mate preferences, endocrine disruptors, vinclozolin, DNA methylation, sexual selection, sex-specific effects, germline, rats
- MeSH terms
- Androgen Antagonists, Animals, Female, Male, Oxazoles, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Genomic Imprinting, Epigenesis, Genetic, Rats, Endocrine Disruptors, Mating Preference, Animal
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