Induced epigenetic changes memorized across generations in mice

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in mammals has long been debatable. In this issue of Cell, Takaha-shi et al. induce DNA methylation at promoter-associated CpG islands (CGIs) of two metabolism-related genes and show that the acquired epigenetic changes and associated metabolic phenotypes are stably propagated across several generations in transgenic mice.

Automated summary

In this study, Takahashi and colleagues demonstrate that induced DNA methylation at specific genes can lead to stable transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic changes and associated phenotypes in mice.