The global tissue-specific RNA transcription dysregulation effects in the third generation after embryonic exposure to the widely used herbicide atrazine are mediated via inherited histone trimethylation [RNA-Seq]

We report the effect of histone trimethylation on transgenerational inheritance. We exposed outbred pregnant CD1 mice to herbicide atrazine and progeny of these mice were crossed for a three generations. First (F1) and third (F3) generation of males were analyzed by using genome-wide sequencing analysis. We analyzed the RNA expression level in liver, brain (hypothalamus) and testis in F3 generation males. The testis samples of F1 and F3 generations’ males were analyzed by ChIP-seq using antibody against H3K4me3. We find that subset of H3K4me3 marks altered in F1 was also detected in F3 males progeny. This subset is enriched in genes of stem cell differentiation. We found that embryonic exposure to atrazine globally affects the RNA transcription in testis: we found the tissue-specific transcription deregulation, increased number transcripts with altered transcription start site, alternatively spliced and polyadenylated mRNA transcripts in a F3 generation males. This study provides a new knowledge of mechanisms of transgenerational inheritance exposed to toxic compounds.