Table 1 Epigenetic modifications associated with stress

Paternal Stress

Male and female

· Pro-depressant behavior in FST (both sexes) [53]

· Increased basal CORT (males) [53]

· Hypothesized but not examined.

· Decreased sucrose preference (males) [53]

· Decreased VEGF (males) [53]

· Increased anxiety like behavior (both sexes) [53]

· Increased locomotor activity (males) [53]

· Increased social avoidance (males) [53]

Gestational stress (PND 1-7)

Male and female

· Pro-depressant behavior in TST (males F1 [46] and F2 generation [32])

· Increased CORT response to stress (males-F1) [46]

· Decreased methylation of CRF promoter region [46]

· Pro-depressant behavior in FST [46] (males)

· Increased CRF expression in central amygdala [46]

· Increased methylation in GR promoter region [46]

· Altered navigation strategy for Barnes maze [48]

· Decreased GR in regions of hippocampus [46]

· Dysmasculinzed HDAC expression [32]

Early life stress (extended separation)

Male and female

· Pro-depressant behavior in FST [64]

· Increased HPA activity [64]

· Hypomethylation of Avp in hypothalamus. [64]

· Decreased inhibitory avoidance [64]

· Decreased neurogenesis [67]

· Decreased MeCP2 binding in Avp enhancer [64]

· Decreased spatial learning [65]

· Hypermethylation of Avp in hippocampus (males) [70]

· Hypomethylation of NR4a1 in hippocampus (C57BL/6 males) [70]

Repeated Social defeat stress

Male

· Social avoidance [47]

· Changes in dendritic spine morphology in NAc [47]

· Dnmt 3a expression increased in NAc [47]

· Decreased sucrose preference [54]

· Increased CRF expression in PVN of susceptible mice [22]

· Over expression of Dnmt 3a induced pro-depressant behaviors [47]

· Increased anxiety [54]

· Decreased Bdnf in hippocampus [74]

· Blocking DNA methylation was antidepressant [47]

· Alterations in metabolic function [54]

· Decreased methylation of the CRF promoter in PVN [22]

· Increased repressive histone marks on BDNF promoters [74]

Sub chronic variable stress

Male and female

· Decreased sucrose preference (females) [56]

· Increased basal CORT (females) [56]

· Dnmt 3a, 3b and Dnmt1 expression increased in NAc [56]

· Pro-depressant behavior in Splash test (females) [56]

· Altered in transcription for MBD proteins [56]

· Decreased latency to eat in a novel environment (females) [56]

· Transcriptional and behavioral effects blocked by removal of Dnmt 3a (females) [56]

· Pro-depressant behavior in FST (females) [56, 57]