Journal
TRENDS IN GENETICS
Volume 29, Issue 3, Pages 176-186Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE LONDON
DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2012.12.008
Keywords
transgenerational; epigenetic inheritance; chromatin; noncoding RNA; aging; fertility; metabolism; stress stimuli
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Funding
- NIH [DP1-AG044848, R01-AG031198, T32-MH020016]
- Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging at Stanford University
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
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It is textbook knowledge that inheritance of traits is governed by genetics, and that the epigenetic modifications an organism acquires are largely reset between generations. Recently, however, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance has emerged as a rapidly growing field, providing evidence suggesting that some epigenetic changes result in persistent phenotypes across generations. Here, we survey some of the most recent examples of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in animals, ranging from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans, and describe approaches and limitations to studying this phenomenon. We also review the current body of evidence implicating chromatin modifications and RNA molecules in mechanisms underlying this unconventional mode of inheritance and discuss its evolutionary implications.
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