Hormonal imprinting (HI) is a phenomenon which takes place at the first encounter between a
hormone and its developing
receptor in the critical periods of life (in unicellulars during the whole life) and determines the later
signal transduction
Signal transduction is the process by which a chemical or physical signal is transmitted through a cell as a series of molecular events, most commonly protein phosphorylation catalyzed by protein kinases, which ultimately results in a cellula ...
capacity of the cell. The most important period in
mammals is the
perinatal one, however this system can be imprinted at
weaning, at
puberty and in case of continuously dividing cells during the whole life. Faulty imprinting is caused by
drugs
A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalat ...
, environmental
pollutants and other hormone-like molecules present in excess at the critical periods with lifelong receptorial, morphological, biochemical and behavioral consequences. HI is transmitted to the hundreds of progeny generations in unicellulars and (as proved) to a few generations also in mammals.
References
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*{{cite journal , author=Csaba G , title=Hormonal imprinting: phylogeny, ontogeny, diseases and possible role in present-day human evolution , journal=Cell Biochemistry and Function , volume=26 , issue=1 , pages=1–10 , date=April 2008 , pmid=17437316 , doi=10.1002/cbf.1412, s2cid=40225744
External links
Phylogeny of hormone receptors
Cell biology
Physiology
Perception
Signal transduction