Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40641602›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in cell and developmental biology2025

Light-induced epigenetic modifications in the hypothalamus during avian embryonic development enhance phenotypic plasticity.

Joanna Bartman, Tali Rosenberg, Hadar Parnas, Ronit Yosofov, Natalie Avital-Cohen, Ron Weiss, Gal Harmatz, Israel Rozenboim, Asaf Marco

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Intermittent Fasting Enhances Genome Integrity and Cytoprotective Pathways via (BHB) β-Hydroxybutyrate Signaling and Chromatin Remodeling.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Joanna BartmanThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Tali RosenbergThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Hadar ParnasThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Ronit YosofovThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Natalie Avital-CohenThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Ron WeissThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Gal HarmatzThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Israel RozenboimThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Asaf MarcoThe Department of Animal Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Early brain development is highly sensitive to environmental cues, which can exert lasting phenotypic effects. Targeted external interventions during this critical period can shape developmental trajectories and influence an animal's phenotype. Aligned with this concept, fetal responses to light-induced stimuli-varying in wavelength, frequency, and duration-are thought to facilitate adaptive reactions that enhance phenotypic plasticity and equip organisms to meet environmental challenges. Methods: In this study, broiler eggs were exposed to green monochromatic illumination (GMI) either continuously throughout incubation (Green) or during the final 3 days only (G3D) and compared to dark and white light controls. Results: Genome-wide analyses revealed significant transcriptional changes in the hypothalamus of the G3D group, identifying over 500 differentially expressed genes related to growth, metabolism, appetite, and immunity. Epigenetically, GMI exposure increased phosphorylated CREB1 (pCREB1) binding levels and chromatin accessibility at specific gene promoters, underscoring the role of light-induced developmental programming. Notably, these effects were exclusive to the G3D group, highlighting the last 3 days of incubation as a critical window for intervention. In G3D, cFOS immunostaining revealed heightened hypothalamic responsiveness to a post-hatch green light pulse, indicating that in-ovo GMI primed the brain's circuitry for future stimuli. Mechanistically, our findings suggest that GMI-induced hypothalamic adaptations are mediated, at least partially, through retinal green photoreceptors. Pre-exposure to blue light, which disrupts green photoreceptor activity, reduced retinal green opsin levels and nullified the epigenetic changes typically observed in the G3D group. Last, G3D chicks exhibited enhanced growth and improved food conversion ratios (FCR), particularly during early post-hatch development. Consistent with our transcriptomic and epigenetic data, the BG6D group showed no significant changes in body weight or FCR. Discussion: Collectively, these findings highlight how specific wavelengths and precise timing of light exposure during embryogenesis can shape post-hatch phenotypes through transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms.

Indexed as

avianembryonic developmentepigenetic modificationsgreen monochromatic illuminationhypothalamus

Identifiers

PMID40641602
PMCPMC12241980

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