Review Article

Epigenetic Influences in the Aetiology of Cancers Arising from Breast and Prostate: A Hypothesised Transgenerational Evolution in Chromatin Accessibility

Figure 2

Transgenerational dependency of the genomic susceptibility organizational structure (SOS). Migrants (F0 generation) from a low-risk region for breast or prostate cancer exhibit a chromatin conformation that makes target genes often targeted for damage by environmental and/or dietary constituents less accessible. With lifestyle changes, a more accessible genome evolves in the F1 generation, as evidenced by a less compact chromatin and more acetylated histones; this creates more target sites for attack by carcinogens. Through F2, the genomic SOS further evolves, creating even more accessible sites for carcinogen attack. By F3, an evolution to more closely match that of the host nation genomic SOS has ocurred, with a maximum number of target sites for carcinogen attack. The break in the temporal arrow highlights a change of environment and/or lifestyle that leads to the generation of the genomic SOS; the increase in shade indicates its evolution.
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