@article{simmers_hudson_baptissart_cowley_2022, title={Epigenetic control of the imprinted growth regulator Cdkn1c in cadmium-induced placental dysfunction}, volume={7}, ISSN={["1559-2308"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1080/15592294.2022.2088173}, DOI={10.1080/15592294.2022.2088173}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal ubiquitous in the environment. In utero, Cd is inefficiently transported to the foetus but causes foetal growth restriction (FGR), likely through impairment of the placenta where Cd accumulates. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Cd can modulate the expression of imprinted genes, defined by their transcription from one parental allele, which play critical roles in placental and foetal growth. The expression of imprinted genes is governed by DNA methylation at Imprinting Control Regions (ICRs), which are susceptible to environmental perturbation. The imprinted gene Cdkn1c/CDKN1C is a major regulator of placental development, is implicated in FGR, and shows increased expression in response to Cd exposure in mice. Here, we use a hybrid mouse model of in utero Cd exposure to determine if the increase in placental Cdkn1c expression is caused by changes to ICR DNA methylation and loss of imprinting (LOI). Consistent with prior studies, Cd causes FGR and impacts placental structure and Cdkn1c expression at late gestation. Using polymorphisms to distinguish parental alleles, we demonstrate that increased Cdkn1c expression is not driven by changes to DNA methylation or LOI. We show that Cdkn1c is expressed primarily in the placental labyrinth which is proportionally increased in size in response to Cd. We conclude that the Cd-associated increase in Cdkn1c expression can be fully explained by alterations to placental structure. These results have implications for understanding mechanisms of Cd-induced placental dysfunction and, more broadly, for the study of FGR associated with increased Cdkn1c/CDKN1C expression.}, journal={EPIGENETICS}, author={Simmers, Mark D. and Hudson, Kathleen M. and Baptissart, Marine and Cowley, Michael}, year={2022}, month={Jul} }
 @article{riegl_starnes_jima_baptissart_diehl_belcher_cowley_2022, title={The imprinted gene Zac1 regulates steatosis in developmental cadmium-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease}, volume={10}, ISSN={["1096-0929"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfac106}, DOI={10.1093/toxsci/kfac106}, abstractNote={Abstract}, journal={TOXICOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Riegl, Sierra D. and Starnes, Cassie and Jima, Dereje D. and Baptissart, Marine and Diehl, Anna Mae and Belcher, Scott M. and Cowley, Michael}, year={2022}, month={Oct} }
 @article{baptissart_bradish_jones_walsh_tehrani_marrero-colon_mehta_jima_oh_diehl_et al._2022, title={Zac1 and the Imprinted Gene Network program juvenile NAFLD in response to maternal metabolic syndrome}, volume={2}, ISSN={["1527-3350"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.32363}, DOI={10.1002/hep.32363}, abstractNote={Abstract}, journal={HEPATOLOGY}, author={Baptissart, Marine and Bradish, Christine M. and Jones, Brie S. and Walsh, Evan and Tehrani, Jesse and Marrero-Colon, Vicmarie and Mehta, Sanya and Jima, Dereje D. and Oh, Seh Hoon and Diehl, Anna Mae and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Feb} }
 @article{baptissart_lamb_to_bradish_tehrani_reif_cowley_2018, title={Neonatal mice exposed to a high-fat diet in utero influence the behaviour of their nursing dam}, volume={285}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85056612433&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2018.1237}, abstractNote={
            The behaviour of a nursing dam influences the development, physiology, and behaviour of her offspring. Maternal behaviours can be modulated both by environmental factors, including diet, and by physical or behavioural characteristics of the offspring. In most studies of the effects of the environment on maternal behaviour, F
            0
            dams nurse their own F
            1
            offspring. Because the F
            1
            are indirectly exposed to the environmental stressor
            in utero
            in these studies, it is not possible to differentiate between effects on maternal behaviour from direct exposure of the dam and those mediated by changes in the F
            1
            as a consequence of
            in utero
            exposure. In this study, we used a mouse model of high-fat (HF) diet feeding, which has been shown to influence maternal behaviours, combined with cross-fostering to discriminate between these effects. We tested whether the diet of the F
            0
            dam or the exposure experienced by the F
            1
            pups
            in utero
            is the most significant predictor of maternal behaviour. Neither factor significantly influenced pup retrieval behaviours. However, strikingly, F
            1
            in utero
            exposure was a significant predictor of maternal behaviour in the 15 min immediately following pup retrieval while F
            0
            diet had no discernable effect. Our findings suggest that
            in utero
            exposure to HF diet programmes physiological changes in the offspring which influence the maternal behaviours of their dam after birth.
          }, number={1891}, journal={Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Baptissart, M. and Lamb, H.E. and To, K. and Bradish, C. and Tehrani, J. and Reif, David and Cowley, M.}, year={2018}, pages={20181237} }