transgenerational epigenetic inheritance

This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.

Parents’ mutations, even if they’re not inherited by offspring, could affect subsequent generations through changes to epigenetic marks, a study finds.

Although epigenetic changes were long thought to largely act on the genome, rather than as part of it, research is now showing that these patterns can, directly or indirectly, change the genetic code.

Evidence is mounting that epigenetic marks on DNA can influence future generations in a variety of ways. But how such phenomena might affect large-scale evolutionary processes is hotly debated.

Some studies suggest that associations between the health of children and the experiences of their parents or grandparents may be due to epigenetic mechanisms, but confounding factors challenge this interpretation.

The concept of epigenetic inheritance has long been controversial. Some researchers hope that new data on cross-generational effects of environmental exposures will help settle the debate.

Researchers identified a novel mechanism by which chemically induced stress is “remembered” by the mitochondria of worms more than 50 generations after the original trigger.

Neurons stressed with chemicals produce Wnt, which in turn triggers changes in the germline.

The Columbia University neuroscientist researches the biology behind some of our most human experiences, including building family relationships. 

The Tel Aviv University researcher is interested in how the macromolecules affect the health and behavior of successive generations of worms.

A small RNA in Pseudomonas triggers an avoidance response in C. elegans that can be passed on to the next generation, according to research presented at this week’s meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology.

Two research groups demonstrate that in Caenorhabditis elegans, behavioral traits can be passed down through the germline to future generations, even though they aren’t hard-wired.

Mouse fathers whose sperm lacks the gene Kdm6a pass down altered methylation patterns to male offspring, along with a better chance of developing tumors and dying.

A large study seeks to answer whether a man’s childhood diet has transgenerational repercussions.

A study suggests that the direct transfer of DNA methylation marks from one generation to the next is much less common than scientists previously thought.

Fluoxetine dampened stress responses in zebrafish embryos exposed to the drug—and their descendants.

Identifying the molecular interactions that occur all over the body during exercise could reveal how it affects learning and memory.

As researchers unravel the molecular machinery that links exercise and cognition, working out is emerging as a promising neurotherapy.