Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects
Human structural congenital malformations are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Estimates from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determine that close to 3% of all United States newborns present with birth defects; the worldwide estimate appro...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Genetics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.659612/full |
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| author | Richard H. Finnell Richard H. Finnell Carlo Donato Caiaffa Sung-Eun Kim Yunping Lei John Steele Xuanye Cao Gabriel Tukeman Ying Linda Lin Robert M. Cabrera Bogdan J. Wlodarczyk |
| author_facet | Richard H. Finnell Richard H. Finnell Carlo Donato Caiaffa Sung-Eun Kim Yunping Lei John Steele Xuanye Cao Gabriel Tukeman Ying Linda Lin Robert M. Cabrera Bogdan J. Wlodarczyk |
| author_sort | Richard H. Finnell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human structural congenital malformations are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Estimates from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determine that close to 3% of all United States newborns present with birth defects; the worldwide estimate approaches 6% of infants presenting with congenital anomalies. The scientific community has recognized for decades that the majority of birth defects have undetermined etiologies, although we propose that environmental agents interacting with inherited susceptibility genes are the major contributing factors. Neural tube defects (NTDs) are among the most prevalent human birth defects and as such, these malformations will be the primary focus of this review. NTDs result from failures in embryonic central nervous system development and are classified by their anatomical locations. Defects in the posterior portion of the neural tube are referred to as meningomyeloceles (spina bifida), while the more anterior defects are differentiated as anencephaly, encephalocele, or iniencephaly. Craniorachischisis involves a failure of the neural folds to elevate and thus disrupt the entire length of the neural tube. Worldwide NTDs have a prevalence of approximately 18.6 per 10,000 live births. It is widely believed that genetic factors are responsible for some 70% of NTDs, while the intrauterine environment tips the balance toward neurulation failure in at risk individuals. Despite aggressive educational campaigns to inform the public about folic acid supplementation and the benefits of providing mandatory folic acid food fortification in the United States, NTDs still affect up to 2,300 United States births annually and some 166,000 spina bifida patients currently live in the United States, more than half of whom are now adults. Within the context of this review, we will consider the role of maternal nutritional status (deficiency states involving B vitamins and one carbon analytes) and the potential modifiers of NTD risk beyond folic acid. There are several well-established human teratogens that contribute to the population burden of NTDs, including: industrial waste and pollutants [e.g., arsenic, pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)], pharmaceuticals (e.g., anti-epileptic medications), and maternal hyperthermia during the first trimester. Animal models for these teratogens are described with attention focused on valproic acid (VPA; Depakote). Genetic interrogation of model systems involving VPA will be used as a model approach to discerning susceptibility factors that define the gene-environment interactions contributing to the etiology of NTDs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T00:52:35Z |
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| issn | 1664-8021 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T00:52:35Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-c93c33257ec34a14be44dd25ec6109472022-12-21T22:09:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212021-05-011210.3389/fgene.2021.659612659612Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube DefectsRichard H. Finnell0Richard H. Finnell1Carlo Donato Caiaffa2Sung-Eun Kim3Yunping Lei4John Steele5Xuanye Cao6Gabriel Tukeman7Ying Linda Lin8Robert M. Cabrera9Bogdan J. Wlodarczyk10Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Medicine, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesHuman structural congenital malformations are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Estimates from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determine that close to 3% of all United States newborns present with birth defects; the worldwide estimate approaches 6% of infants presenting with congenital anomalies. The scientific community has recognized for decades that the majority of birth defects have undetermined etiologies, although we propose that environmental agents interacting with inherited susceptibility genes are the major contributing factors. Neural tube defects (NTDs) are among the most prevalent human birth defects and as such, these malformations will be the primary focus of this review. NTDs result from failures in embryonic central nervous system development and are classified by their anatomical locations. Defects in the posterior portion of the neural tube are referred to as meningomyeloceles (spina bifida), while the more anterior defects are differentiated as anencephaly, encephalocele, or iniencephaly. Craniorachischisis involves a failure of the neural folds to elevate and thus disrupt the entire length of the neural tube. Worldwide NTDs have a prevalence of approximately 18.6 per 10,000 live births. It is widely believed that genetic factors are responsible for some 70% of NTDs, while the intrauterine environment tips the balance toward neurulation failure in at risk individuals. Despite aggressive educational campaigns to inform the public about folic acid supplementation and the benefits of providing mandatory folic acid food fortification in the United States, NTDs still affect up to 2,300 United States births annually and some 166,000 spina bifida patients currently live in the United States, more than half of whom are now adults. Within the context of this review, we will consider the role of maternal nutritional status (deficiency states involving B vitamins and one carbon analytes) and the potential modifiers of NTD risk beyond folic acid. There are several well-established human teratogens that contribute to the population burden of NTDs, including: industrial waste and pollutants [e.g., arsenic, pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)], pharmaceuticals (e.g., anti-epileptic medications), and maternal hyperthermia during the first trimester. Animal models for these teratogens are described with attention focused on valproic acid (VPA; Depakote). Genetic interrogation of model systems involving VPA will be used as a model approach to discerning susceptibility factors that define the gene-environment interactions contributing to the etiology of NTDs.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.659612/fullteratogengene X environment interactionbirth defectneural tube defectanti-epileptic drugsarsenic |
| spellingShingle | Richard H. Finnell Richard H. Finnell Carlo Donato Caiaffa Sung-Eun Kim Yunping Lei John Steele Xuanye Cao Gabriel Tukeman Ying Linda Lin Robert M. Cabrera Bogdan J. Wlodarczyk Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects Frontiers in Genetics teratogen gene X environment interaction birth defect neural tube defect anti-epileptic drugs arsenic |
| title | Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects |
| title_full | Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects |
| title_fullStr | Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects |
| title_short | Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects |
| title_sort | gene environment interactions in the etiology of neural tube defects |
| topic | teratogen gene X environment interaction birth defect neural tube defect anti-epileptic drugs arsenic |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.659612/full |
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