Epigenetic Effects of Endocrine Disruptors in Fetal Germ CellsPiroska E. Szabo, Ph.D. Project DescriptionSome non-genotoxic agents cause epigenetic changes, including aberrant DNA methylation. A subset of these drugs, called endocrine disrupters -synthetic chemicals resembling natural hormones-, have profound effects on development and fertility. The central hypothesis of the proposal is that developing germ cells, which undergo genome-wide epigenetic reprogramming, are especially vulnerable to the epigenetic effects of endocrine disrupters. Fetal germ cells provide an excellent study system to reveal the origin of transgenerational epigenetic effects. This proposal seeks to identify epigenetic changes in fetal germ cells after intrauterine exposure to selected endocrine disrupters. To address the central hypothesis, the specific aims are to:
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