## Did you know that...

...The agouti mouse model, in which coat coloration is correlated with epigenetic changes made during intrauterine development, has also been used to monitor the effects of nutritional and environmental factors on the foetal epigenome? Using this model, scientists observed the effect of the plant phytoestrogen genistein on the epigenome of future offspring. Genistein is a substance present in soy and belongs to the class of phytoestrogens (plant hormones), which are active in several biological systems. Addition of genistein to the diet of pregnant females resulted in delayed coat coloration of the offspring, and this significant phenotypic change was caused by increased DNA methylation of the Agouti gene. Genistein increased methylation during early embryonic development, and this excess methylation persisted into adulthood, reducing Agouti gene expression and protecting adult offspring from obesity. The observed effects of genistein on the epigenome could provide a plausible explanation for the lower incidence of certain cancers in Asians (they consume more soy than, for example, Europeans) compared to Western countries, as well as the increased incidence of cancer in Asians who immigrate to the United States.