Binge eating (BE) is a common aberrant form of eating behavior, characterized by overconsumption of food in a brief period of time. Recurrent episodes of BE constitute the BE disorder, which mostly affects females and is associated with early-life adversities. Here, we show that corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-induced prenatal stress (PNS) in late gestation predisposes female offspring to BE-like behavior that coincides with hypomethylation of hypothalamic miR-1a and downstream dysregulation of the melanocortin system through Pax7/Pax3. Moreover, exposing the offspring to a methyl-balanced diet during adolescence prevents the dysregulation and predisposition from being triggered. We demonstrate that gestational programming, per se, will not lead to BE-like behavior, but pre-existing alterations due to prenatal programming are revealed only when challenged during adolescence. We provide experimental evidence for long-term epigenetic abnormalities stemming from PNS in predisposing female offspring to BE disorder as well as a potential non-invasive prevention strategy.
The scientific results were gained within the framework of a scientific cooperation between the Max Planck Society and the Weizmann Institute in Israel: the “Max Planck – Weizmann Laboratory for Experimental Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurogenetics”. The laboratory was founded in March 2014 with funding from the Max Planck Charitable Foundation in order to support joint research projects of junior scientists at both institutes.
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
