Editing Maternal effect (section)

=== Supplementation may reverse epigenetic changes ===

In utero or neonatal exposure to [[Bisphenol A|bisphenol A (BPA)]], a chemical used in manufacturing polycarbonate plastic, is correlated with higher body weight, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and an altered reproductive function. In a mice model, the mice fed on a BPA diet were more likely to have a yellow coat corresponding to their lower methylation state in the promoter regions of the retrotransposon upstream of the Agouti gene.  The Agouti gene is responsible for determining whether an animal's coat will be banded (agouti) or solid (non-agouti).  However, supplementation with methyl donors like folic acid or phytoestrogen abolished the hypomethylating effect.  This demonstrates that the epigenetic changes can be reversed through diet and supplementation.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Dolinoy DC, Huang D, Jirtle RL |title=Maternal nutrient supplementation counteracts bisphenol A-induced DNA hypomethylation in early development |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=104 |issue=32 |pages=13056–61 |year=2007 |pmid=17670942 |pmc=1941790 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0703739104 |bibcode=2007PNAS..10413056D |doi-access=free }}</ref>