In vitro profiling of epigenetic modifications underlying heavy metal toxicity of tungsten-alloy and its components

► Tungsten-alloy caused H3-Ser10 dephosphorylation in C2C12 and hippocampal primary cultures. ► Dramatic H3-Ser10 dephosphorylation was found in all cobalt treated cultures. ► C2C12 cultures exposed to tungsten-alloy or cobalt exhibited decrease in H3 pan-acetylation. ► Tungsten-alloy and cobalt mediated H3-Ser10 dephosphorylation was reversed with BAPTA-AM. ► These epigenetic modifications were mediated by changes in calcium homeostasis and buffering.