Research in epigenetics has become a very important area of biology research. Epigenetics is commonly defined as heritable changes regarding gene function that occur without altering the underlying DNA sequence. Existing evidence shows that environmental cues such as climate, nutrition, and stress can modify gene expression accordingly which can then induce phenotypic modifications that are morphological, physiological, or behavioral. These phenotypic modifications can include the development of cancer. For example, a mutational signature in many cancers, especially breast cancer, is the deamination of 5-methyl-cytosine to thymine. Furthermore, PALB2 is a gene associated with breast cancer, where the alteration of cytosine to thymine has been observed in cancerous cells. This is because these mutations can impair its function, which is crucial for DNA repair processes, thereby contributing to the development of cancer. This study provided evidence that exposure to certain environmental factors can influence DNA methylation processes, leading to cytosine to thymine conversion mutations. They conducted experiments using a mammary epithelial cell line (MCF10A) and exposed it to various substances, including folate and glyphosate, to demonstrate how these environmental agents can promote mutations affecting the PALB2 gene's DNA methylation. In conclusion, the study underscores the critical link between environmental exposures and epigenetic modifications, particularly in the methylation of the PALB2 gene, highlighting how such alterations can compromise DNA repair mechanisms and contribute to the development of various cancer types.

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