Epigenetic and transgenerational reprogramming of brain development

Neurodevelopmental programming is defined as the implementation of the genetic and epigenetic blueprints that guide and coordinate normal brain development.Epigenetic processes are also responsible for the reprogramming that occurs in response to environmental challenges, such as maternal stress or infection, making the organism more or less adaptive depending on the future environment and the challenges presented.Developmental windows of susceptibility exist such that exposures occurring during these dynamic periods are more likely to produce marked and broad changes to the epigenome.Alterations to the germ cell epigenome as a result of environmental influences throughout life can result in transgenerational transmission of traits that are able to increase or to decrease disease risk in future offspring.Seemingly different environmental perturbations, such as maternal stress or infection, can produce similar neurodevelopmental changes and phenotypes, which suggests that common downstream cellular mechanisms are responsible for transmitting information from the in utero environment to the developing fetus.Sex specificity of the parent and the offspring is also an important factor in determining the effect of the exposures and the epigenetic mechanisms involved.