People conceived during the Dutch famine have altered regulation of growth genes

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-12/cums-pcd120214.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
3-Dec-2014

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Contact: Stephanie Berger
sb2247@columbia.edu
212-305-4372
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
@ColumbiaMSPH
People conceived during the Dutch famine have altered regulation of growth genes
May have helped these individuals to adjust to conditions

December 3, 2014 -- Individuals conceived in the severe Dutch Famine, also called the Hunger Winter, may have adjusted to this horrendous period of World War II by making adaptations to how active their DNA is. Genes involved in growth and development were differentially regulated, according to researchers at the Leiden University Medical Center, Harvard University, and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

During the winter of 1944-1945 the Western part of The Netherlands was struck by a severe 6-month famine. During this Hunger Winter the available rations provided as low as a quarter of the daily energy requirements. Children conceived -- but not born -- during the famine were delivered with a normal birth weight. Extensive research on the DNA of these Hunger Winter children shows that the regulatory systems of their growth genes were altered, which may also explain why they appear to be at higher risk for metabolic disease in later life.

"The different setting of the growth genes may have helped the Hunger Winter children to withstand the Famine conditions as compared with their unexposed siblings, but these changes may likewise be unfavorable for their metabolism as adults," said Leiden University principal investigator Dr. Bas Heijmans. For example, the altered settings were associated with LDL cholesterol at age 60, according to the authors.

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"The potential for a gene to become active is mainly determined in the crucial weeks after fertilization. This master regulatory system that determines which genes are on and which are off is called epigenetics and can be compared to a sound technician making adjustments during a recording to get that perfect sound. Environmental factors during development can make a lasting imprint on this system," noted Dr. Heijmans.

The authors point out that a wealth of past epidemiological studies suggests that early development is important for later health.

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