"Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance"

Molecular mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Increasing evidence indicates that non-DNA sequence-based epigenetic information can be inherited across several generations in organisms ranging from yeast to plants to humans. This raises the possibility of heritable 'epimutations' contributing to heritable phenotypic variation and thus to evolution. Recent work has shed light

Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance. Inheritance of genomic DNA underlies the vast majority of biological inheritance, yet it has been clear for decades that additional epigenetic information can be passed on to future generations. Here, we review major model systems for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via the germline in multicellular organisms. In addition to surveying examples

Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance Under Environmental Stress by Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiling in Cyanobacterium Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation are well known as connected with many important biological processes. Rapid accumulating evidence shows environmental stress can generate particular defense epigenetic changes across generations in eukaryotes . This transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in animals and plants has gained interest over the last years. Cyanobacteria play very crucial role in the earth, and as the primary producer they can adapt to nearly all diverse environments. However, few knowledge about the genome wide epigenetic information such as methylome information in cyanobacteria, especially under any environment stress, was reported so far

A critical view on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance refers to the transmission of epigenetic information through the germline. While it has been observed in plants, nematodes and fruit flies, its occurrence in mammals-and humans in particular-is the matter of controversial debate, mostly because the study of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is confounded by genetic, ecological and cultural inheritance. In this comment, I discuss the phenomenon of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the difficulty of providing conclusive proof for it in experimental and observational studies.

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and social responsibility: perspectives from the social sciences Research in environmental epigenetics explores how environmental exposures and life experiences such as food, toxins, stress or trauma can shape trajectories of human health and well-being in complex ways. This perspective resonates with social science expertise on the significant health to characterize the life of individuals but also as possibly giving rise to semi-stable traits that can be passed on to future generations. That is, we will consider the historical, social and political valences of the scientific proposition of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. The key question that animates this article is if and how the notion of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance creates new

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: from biology to society—Summary Latsis Symposium Aug 28–30, 2017, Zürich, Switzerland

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in birds While it has been shown that epigenetics accounts for a portion of the variability of complex traits linked to interactions with the environment, the real contribution of epigenetics to phenotypic variation remains to be assessed. In recent years, a growing number of studies have revealed that epigenetic modifications can be transmitted across

Stable transgenerational epigenetic inheritance requires a DNA methylation-sensing circuit Epigenetic states are stably propagated in eukaryotes. In plants, DNA methylation patterns are faithfully inherited over many generations but it is unknown how the dynamic activities of cytosine DNA methyltransferases and 5-methylcytosine DNA glycosylases interact to maintain epigenetic homeostasis. Here we

Incorporating Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance into Ecological Risk Assessment Frameworks. Chronic exposure to environmental contaminants can induce heritable "transgenerational" modifications to organisms, potentially affecting future ecosystem health and functionality. Incorporating transgenerational epigenetic heritability into risk assessment procedures has been previously suggested

High type II error and interpretation inconsistencies when attempting to refute transgenerational epigenetic inheritance A recently published article in Genome Biology attempts to refute important aspects of the phenomenon of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI). An alternative explanation of the data is offered here, showing that TEI is indeed not contradicted.Please see related

High type I error and misrepresentations in search for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: response to Guerrero-Bosagna In a recent paper, we described our efforts in search for evidence supporting epigenetic transgenerational inheritance caused by endocrine disrupter chemicals. One aspect of our study was to compare genome-wide DNA methylation changes in the vinclozolin-exposed fetal male

Inter- and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: evidence in asthma and COPD? Evidence is now emerging that early life environment can have lifelong effects on metabolic, cardiovascular, and pulmonary function in offspring, a concept also known as fetal or developmental programming. In mammals, developmental programming is thought to occur mainly via epigenetic mechanisms, which include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and expression of non-coding RNAs. The effects of developmental programming can be induced by the intrauterine environment, leading to intergenerational epigenetic effects from one generation to the next. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance may be considered when developmental programming is transmitted across generations that were not exposed to the initial

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of diabetes risk as a consequence of early nutritional imbalances. In today's world, there is an unprecedented rise in the prevalence of chronic metabolic diseases, including obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The pathogenesis of T2D includes both genetic and environmental factors, such as excessive energy intake and physical inactivity

Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance: Focus on Endocrine Disrupting Compounds. The idea that what we eat, feel, and experience influences our physical and mental state and can be transmitted to our offspring and even to subsequent generations has been in the popular realm for a long time. In addition to classic gene mutations, we now recognize that some mechanisms for inheritance do not require changes in DNA. The field of epigenetics has provided a new appreciation for the variety of ways biological traits can be transmitted to subsequent generations. Thus, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance has emerged as a new area of research. We have four goals for this minireview. First, we describe the topic and some of the nomenclature used in the literature. Second, we explain the major

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: how important is it? Much attention has been given to the idea of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, but fundamental questions remain regarding how much takes place and the impact that this might have on organisms. We asked five leading researchers in this area--working on a range of model organisms and in human disease--for their views on these topics. Their responses highlight the mixture of excitement and caution that surrounds transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the wide gulf between species in terms of our knowledge of the mechanisms that may be involved.

Understanding transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via the gametes in mammals. It is known that information that is not contained in the DNA sequence - epigenetic information - can be inherited from the parent to the offspring. However, many questions remain unanswered regarding the extent and mechanisms of such inheritance. In this Review, we consider the evidence for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via the gametes, including cases of environmentally induced epigenetic changes. The molecular basis of this inheritance remains unclear, but recent evidence points towards diffusible factors, in particular RNA, rather than DNA methylation or chromatin. Interestingly, many cases of epigenetic inheritance seem to involve repeat sequences.

Reported transgenerational responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Caenorhabditis elegans are not robust. We report our attempt to replicate reports of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in . Multiple laboratories report that adults and their F1 embryos exposed to the pathogen show pathogen aversion behavior and increased reporter gene expression. However, results from one group show

Reduced Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormone as a Transgenerational Epigenetic Marker Transmitted Along Human Male Line. Evidence for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans is still controversial, given the requirement to demonstrate persistence of the phenotype across three generations. A previous study showed that exposure of human and mouse embryos to high maternal thyroid hormone (TH

of deleterious transcripts such as transposons, repetitive elements, and pseudogenes. Recent studies have highlighted an important role for small RNAs in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via regulation of heritable chromatin marks; therefore, small RNAs are thought to convey an epigenetic memory of genomic self and nonself elements. Small RNA pathways are highly conserved in metazoans and have been best described for the model organism . In this review, we describe the biogenesis, regulation, and function of endo-siRNAs and piRNAs, along with recent insights into how these distinct pathways are integrated to collectively regulate germline gene expression, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and ultimately, animal fertility.